Galleys were much more maneuverable than sailing ships. However, they required much more manpower than sailing ships and they had very limited fire power. A galley had typically only 1–4 guns installed in the bow whereas a sailing ship could have tens of guns on the side.

The Baltic and especially Finnish archipelago and coast from Stockholm to St. Petersburg was ideal for galleys and other rowed warships. Both Russian and Swedish navies employed galleys until the steam power made them obsolete.