AI Shipping Intelligence for Agents and Teams
Use Apify for easy discovery, then move serious workloads onto the direct ShippingRates MCP, API, dashboard, and docs. Current live coverage: 11 shipping lines in 196 countries, 2,515 ports, and 45,062 verified d&d tariffs.
Open API DocsApify-hosted access is token-gated. Free discovery tools stay available; paid tool calls use Apify pay-per-event pricing. Apify-hosted access requires an Apify token; direct ShippingRates is the canonical product surface.
What People Use It For
Agents use the same carrier-backed data model described in the ShippingRates methodology, with conservative validation and no synthetic freight rows in production paths.
Demurrage and detention lookup
Verified shipping intelligence instead of brittle PDF lookup or spreadsheet guesswork.
Port congestion and vessel planning
Verified shipping intelligence instead of brittle PDF lookup or spreadsheet guesswork.
Total shipping cost estimation
Verified shipping intelligence instead of brittle PDF lookup or spreadsheet guesswork.
Three Clean Entry Paths
Apify-Native
Use this when you want Apify-managed onboarding, marketplace discovery, and an easy way to trial the MCP surface.
https://vinaybhosle--shippingrates-mcp.apify.actor/mcp- Actor: vinaybhosle/shippingrates-mcp
- Token required for hosted MCP access
- Best for discovery, demos, and lightweight agent experiments
Direct MCP
Use the first-party MCP when you want the cleanest production path for Claude, Cursor, or your own agent runtime.
https://mcp.shippingrates.org/mcp- Canonical ShippingRates MCP endpoint
- Best for serious agent workflows and direct integrations
- Pairs naturally with the API and dashboard
API and Docs
Use the API when you need full application logic, x402 payment flows, or human-readable docs for your team.
https://api.shippingrates.org- Interactive API docs
- Free tier: 25 requests per month
- Payments: USDC on Base and Solana
Who This Is For
Freight forwarders
Need fast, trusted answers on shipping costs, congestion, schedules, or landed-cost decisions.
Logistics teams
Need fast, trusted answers on shipping costs, congestion, schedules, or landed-cost decisions.
AI workflow builders
Need fast, trusted answers on shipping costs, congestion, schedules, or landed-cost decisions.
Ops analysts
Need fast, trusted answers on shipping costs, congestion, schedules, or landed-cost decisions.
Use Apify When vs Use First-Party When
Use Apify When
You want a marketplace listing, an easy managed trial, or a simple MCP endpoint you can hand to an AI builder who already works inside Apify.
Use First-Party When
You need broader product depth, direct API usage, dashboards, x402 payment flows, or a cleaner production path for serious agent and team workflows.
Commercial Path
Teams that need broader coverage, dashboards, or direct integration should start here and move to the first-party surfaces quickly. The fastest next steps are the direct MCP, the API docs, and a short intro note for your use case.