Maritime technology
AIS vs GPS: What Is the Difference?
AIS and GPS often appear together in ship-tracking conversations, but they perform different jobs. GPS helps a vessel calculate its position; AIS can broadcast that position and other vessel information.
By TransitSatellite · Reviewed October 20, 2026
GPS is a positioning system
A GPS or other GNSS receiver listens to satellite navigation signals and calculates the vessel’s position and time.
The navigation satellites do not need to know which vessel is receiving the signals and are not individually following each ship.
AIS is a maritime communications system
AIS is standardized for maritime safety communication. The U.S. Coast Guard describes it as a shipboard broadcast system operating in the VHF maritime band.
AIS can distribute vessel identity, type, position, course, speed, navigational status, and other information to suitably equipped ships and shore stations.
Why trackers use both concepts
The vessel needs a reliable position source before it can share a useful location report. AIS therefore commonly depends on GNSS-derived position and timing data.
A public tracker then depends on access to receivers or a data provider to collect and display those reports.
Common questions
Can a ship have GPS without AIS?
Yes. GPS navigation and AIS carriage are different equipment and regulatory questions.
Can AIS work without satellite internet?
Yes. Standard AIS broadcasts locally over VHF radio. Satellite AIS is a separate method for receiving AIS broadcasts from space.
Sources
Port Canaveral guide
Connect ship tracking to official cruise and port schedules.
Open guideExternal live ship map
Open a third-party live vessel tracking service.
Open map