We're Already Paying $300 a Month for Software Nobody Uses — Why the Real Cost Isn't the Subscription
- Hannah M
- Mar 9
- 6 min read
The Sentence That Comes Up More Often Than You'd Think
We were talking with an operations manager recently about her company's current system. She paused and said:
"To be honest, when I heard the price, I was like — oh my god, we're not even using this system. When you add it up over the year, it's actually quite a bit. The last login was over two months ago."
Her company was paying roughly $300 a month, across their fleet, for a maintenance platform that had no crew management functionality, didn't fit the way they operated, and — critically — nobody was actually using.
This isn't an unusual story. It's one of the more common conversations we have. And it points to something a lot of operators don't think about clearly enough:
The real cost of software isn't the subscription fee. It's what you're paying for something that doesn't get used.
The Two Different Kinds of Expensive
When operators talk about cost, they're usually thinking about one thing: the monthly or annual fee. But there are actually two separate cost questions, and conflating them leads to bad decisions.
Cost #1: What You Pay for the Software
This is the obvious one. The subscription, the per-vessel fee, and any setup or customisation costs.
Cost #2: What It Costs You When the Software Doesn't Work for Your Operation
This is the one that rarely makes it into the budget conversation, but it's almost always the bigger number. It includes the labour hours spent double-entering data because the system doesn't integrate the way you need. It includes the compliance risk of an incomplete record because crew stopped logging in. It includes the institutional knowledge that's still sitting in someone's head because the system in place never actually captured it. And it includes the simple, sunk cost of paying every month for something that delivers nothing.
A $35-a-month system that your whole crew actually uses, every day, is cheaper than a $300-a-month system that's been logged into twice in the past sixty days — even though the second number looks bigger on the invoice and the first looks smaller.
Why Operators End Up in This Situation
It's worth understanding how this happens because it's rarely a case of someone making a careless decision.
The System Was Chosen to Solve One Problem, But the Operation Needed More
A platform built primarily for maintenance tracking might do that one thing reasonably well. But if it has no crew management, no training and drill tracking, and no proper logbook functionality, your team ends up running:
The software
A paper logbook
A spreadsheet for crew training
At that point, the software isn't reducing admin. It's adding another thing to maintain.
Adoption Was Never Properly Supported
Software that crew don't find intuitive, or that doesn't fit how they actually work on the water, gets abandoned quietly.
Nobody announces they're stopping. They simply drift back to what's familiar while the subscription continues renewing in the background.
Nobody Re-Evaluates Once It's in Place
Once a system goes live, it tends to stay live by default.
Reviewing whether it's still delivering value requires someone to stop and ask the question. In a busy operation, that question often doesn't get asked until a renewal invoice lands and someone notices the number.
None of this means the original decision was wrong. It usually means the operation has grown or changed since the system was chosen, and the software hasn't kept pace.
What to Actually Look At When Evaluating Cost
If you're trying to work out whether your current system — or a system you're considering — is genuinely worth the spend, the subscription price is the least useful number to start with. Here's what matters more.
Is Your Whole Team Actually Using It?
Not "could they," not "are they supposed to" — are they actually logging in, day to day, on the water? A system with low login frequency isn't saving you anything, regardless of what it costs. Check your own usage data if your current platform provides it. If it doesn't provide that visibility at all, that's worth noting too.
Does it cover what you actually need, or just part of it?
If your current platform handles maintenance but not crew training, or logbooks but not maintenance, you're very likely paying for two or three systems to do the job of one — plus the time cost of keeping them all up to date and cross-referenced.
What does it cost you in compliance exposure?
This is harder to put a number on, but it's real. A system that crew have stopped using, or that doesn't properly capture training records and drill completion, leaves you exposed in exactly the moment you need protection most — during an incident investigation or a regulatory audit. That cost only shows up when something goes wrong, but it's a cost nonetheless.
What's the actual all-in price for what you operate?
Pricing structures vary significantly. Some platforms price per vessel regardless of size or complexity. Others scale based on fleet size, with the option to run a fuller feature set on your primary vessels and a reduced, simpler setup on smaller or auxiliary craft. If you're running a mixed fleet — say, a handful of larger vessels alongside smaller support boats — a system that lets you tailor the level of functionality (and cost) per vessel type is usually a better fit than a flat per-boat fee that doesn't reflect actual usage needs.
A Real Example of How This Plays Out
Take an operator running eight vessels:
Four larger vessels needing full logbook, crew management, training, and maintenance functionality.
Four smaller support craft needing basic logging and maintenance tracking.
A flat per-vessel price doesn't reflect what's actually required.
A tiered setup allows operators to pay for full functionality where it's needed most while keeping costs lower on simpler vessels.
The better question isn't:
"What's your price per vessel?"
It's:
"What's the right setup for my fleet, and what does that actually cost?"
The Switching Question: Is It Worth the Disruption?
A common hesitation is whether changing systems is worth the effort.
New software means onboarding, training, and setup.
But in many cases, the concern is overstated.
Most Operators Are Already Switching From Something Broken
Whether it's spreadsheets, paper records, or an underused platform, most operators aren't replacing a system that works perfectly.
They're replacing something that never fully worked or has stopped being used.
Good Onboarding Mirrors Existing Processes
A proper implementation should take your:
Existing logbooks
Existing checklists
Existing training procedures
and translate them into the new system.
It shouldn't force your crew to reinvent how they operate.
A Trial Period Reduces Risk
A trial configured around your vessels, crew, and procedures provides a realistic test of adoption before committing long term.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my current system needs better adoption or simply isn't the right fit?
Look at what's missing functionally.
If the platform lacks essential capabilities such as crew training tracking or compliance-grade logbooks, no amount of training will solve that gap.
We operate both large and small vessels. Should pricing be the same across all of them?
No.
Different vessel types often require different levels of functionality, making a tiered approach more practical and cost-effective.
What happens to our data if we switch systems?
A well-managed transition should account for vessel information, crew records, and maintenance history so you're not starting from scratch.
Is a free trial representative of ongoing use?
It should be.
The best trials are configured around your actual operation rather than a generic demo environment.
How do we justify switching when we already have software in place?
Focus on total cost, not subscription cost.
If the current system isn't being used, you're already paying the full price without receiving the benefits.
The Real Question Worth Asking
It's not:
"How much does this cost?"
It's:
"What are we getting for what we're already spending?"
If the honest answer is:
"Not much, because nobody's really using it."
That's the signal worth paying attention to.
The money is already being spent.
The only question is whether it's buying value or simply appearing on an invoice.
Want an Honest Look at What This Would Cost for Your Fleet?
Tell us about your vessels, fleet size, and current setup.
We'll provide a clear, tailored proposal with no one-size-fits-all pricing and no pressure.
SeaLogs is purpose-built maritime operations software used by commercial operators across Australia, New Zealand, North America, and beyond. Built to be used — not just paid for.
