VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

Free Alternatives to CB Insights

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Free replacement verdicts

Free Alternatives to CB Insights

Zero-cost replacements grouped by fit, tradeoffs, pricing friction, and platform access. Use this list to test CB Insights before paying for another subscription.

Switching from CB Insights doesn't have to cost a thing. We've curated 4 free-tier alternatives that cover similar workflows, from APIs & Data Feeds to Data Visualizations and beyond. Each pick below is framed by fit, caveats, and access friction so you can trial replacements without opening your wallet.

Visit CB Insights All alternatives Tool details

Disclosure: outbound links may include affiliate or sponsor links

Which Alternative Should You Use?

OpenCorporates

Closest replacement

Best for: Researchers, investigators, and data teams that need legal-entity records linked to official sources.

OpenCorporates best matches the base workflow on research reports, market monitoring, and financial data API.
OpenCorporates adds a free starting point that the base tool does not show. Free-plan limits: Signup required. Website access requires signup for selected company attributes.

Watch for: Commercial use is paid: Website access is free for personal or public-benefit use. Commercial API access and bulk data require paid plans.

View OpenCorporates pricing

Details Compare

Find and update company information (Companies House)

Best workflow fit

Best for: Investors and researchers checking UK company filings, officers, PSCs, filing history, and official register records.

Find and update company information (Companies House) best matches the base workflow on research reports, market monitoring, and financial data API.
Find and update company information (Companies House) adds a free starting point that the base tool does not show. Free-plan limits: Public web search and company records are free.

Watch for: Register data, not investment analytics: Companies House provides filings and company records. Users must perform their own financial analysis and normalization.

Search Companies House

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Similarweb

Best audience fit

Best for: Investors and operators researching digital businesses through website traffic, app usage, keyword demand, and competitive benchmarks.

Similarweb best matches the base workflow on AI research workspace, research reports, and charting and technical analysis.
Similarweb adds a free starting point that the base tool does not show. Free-plan limits: Free website/app snapshots are limited.

Watch for: Modeled data, not reported financials: Traffic, app, keyword, and company estimates are proxy signals and need validation against filings, disclosures, and other datasets.

View Similarweb plans

Details Compare

Google Trends

Strong runner-up

Best for: Investors and operators using search interest as a free demand, attention, or event-monitoring proxy.

Google Trends best matches the base workflow on research reports, market monitoring, and financial data API.
Google Trends adds a free starting point that the base tool does not show. Free-plan limits: Google Trends web UI is free.

Watch for: Relative index, not absolute demand: Google Trends normalizes sampled search interest to a 0-100 scale, so it does not provide exact search volumes.

Open Google Trends

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Detailed Alternatives

I want to

Pay lessFill a gapUpgrade overall

Free tiers first, then the lowest starting price.

Best workflow fit

Find and update company information (Companies House)

Bottom line: Investors and researchers checking UK company filings, officers, PSCs, filing history, and official register records.

Keep

APIs & Data Feeds

Gain

Regulatory Filings Monitoring
Alerts
Official Sources

Lose

Sheets / Excel Add-ins
Screeners
Data Visualizations
Corporate Actions & Special Situations

Watch out

Avoid as a full replacement if you rely on investment research workspace, AI research workspace, and charting and technical analysis.
Free-plan limits: Public web search and company records are free. API access is free for public Companies House data. Developer/API use requires setup, and certified documents may have fees.
Register data, not investment analytics: Companies House provides filings and company records. Users must perform their own financial analysis and normalization.

Cost: Free, no signup; Free onlyno paid tier

Fit: Partial replacement

Search Companies House Compare

Full review and details

Partial replacement

Google Trends

Bottom line: Investors and operators using search interest as a free demand, attention, or event-monitoring proxy.

Keep

Data Visualizations
Newsletters

Gain

News

Lose

APIs & Data Feeds
Sheets / Excel Add-ins
Screeners
Corporate Actions & Special Situations

Watch out

Avoid as a full replacement if you rely on investment research workspace, AI research workspace, and screening and idea generation.
Free-plan limits: Google Trends web UI is free. BigQuery public dataset access is subject to Google Cloud free-tier/sandbox limits. Official Trends API access is not generally available.
Relative index, not absolute demand: Google Trends normalizes sampled search interest to a 0-100 scale, so it does not provide exact search volumes.

Cost: Free, no signup; Free onlyno paid tier

Fit: Partial replacement

Open Google Trends Compare

Full review and details

Best audience fit

Similarweb

Tested by us

Bottom line: Investors and operators researching digital businesses through website traffic, app usage, keyword demand, and competitive benchmarks.

Keep

APIs & Data Feeds
Sheets / Excel Add-ins
Data Visualizations

Gain

App & Website Traffic

Lose

Screeners
Corporate Actions & Special Situations
Newsletters
AI Research

Watch out

Avoid as a full replacement if you rely on investment research workspace, market monitoring, and financial data API.
Free-plan limits: Free website/app snapshots are limited. Self-service packages and trials are referenced for individuals, entrepreneurs, and small teams, but current package pages do not expose public prices. Business, enterprise, API, and module-heavy workflows require sales/custom pricing.
Modeled data, not reported financials: Traffic, app, keyword, and company estimates are proxy signals and need validation against filings, disclosures, and other datasets.

Cost: Free, no signup; Free • Contact for pricing

Fit: Partial replacement

View Similarweb plans Compare

Full review and details

OpenCorporatesClosest replacementFree • Contact for pricingFree with signup

Closest replacement

OpenCorporates

Bottom line: Researchers, investigators, and data teams that need legal-entity records linked to official sources.

Keep

APIs & Data Feeds

Gain

Regulatory Filings Monitoring
Other

Lose

Sheets / Excel Add-ins
Screeners
Data Visualizations
Corporate Actions & Special Situations

Watch out

Avoid as a full replacement if you rely on investment research workspace, AI research workspace, and charting and technical analysis.
Free-plan limits: Signup required. Website access requires signup for selected company attributes. Essentials is GBP 225 monthly or GBP 2,250 annually; Starter is GBP 660 monthly or GBP 6,600 annually; Basic is GBP 1,200 monthly or GBP 12,000 annually.
Commercial use is paid: Website access is free for personal or public-benefit use. Commercial API access and bulk data require paid plans.

Cost: Free with signup; Free • Contact for pricing

Fit: Partial replacement

View OpenCorporates pricing Compare

Full review and details

What This Shortlist Tells You

OpenCorporates is the closest drop-in replacement with overlapping coverage in APIs & Data Feeds while adding Regulatory Filings Monitoring and Other coverage, The API portal reports more than 200 million company records collected from official public sources with source links. and The versioned REST API returns JSON by default and can return XML. API keys are required; usage limits depend on plan. features, and a free tier (workflow overlap ~33%).

Every pick keeps a free tier; start with OpenCorporates, Find and update company information (Companies House), and Google Trends to road-test CB Insights workflows without paying up front.

Round out your stack with new coverage areas like Regulatory Filings Monitoring, Other, Alerts, and Official Sources.

CB Insights still leads on Screeners, Corporate Actions & Special Situations, and AI Research, so keep it handy for those workflows.

Coverage Snapshot

Where alternatives already align

Most shared categories across the top matches.

APIs & Data Feeds×3 Data Visualizations×2 Newsletters×1 Sheets / Excel Add-ins×1

New angles introduced

Categories the alternatives add beyond CB Insights.

Regulatory Filings Monitoring+2 Alerts+1 App & Website Traffic+1 News+1 Official Sources+1 Other+1

Free Access & Pricing

Free to start

All 4

All 4 have a standing free tier, not a trial.

Paid plans from

Not listed

No comparable monthly prices are listed for these alternatives.

Mobile app

0 of 4

0 have a mobile app, like CB Insights.

API access

3 of 4

3 expose an API or data feed, usually on a paid plan.

Hands-on tested

1 of 4

1 tested hands-on. 0 are analyst picks.

Coverage overlap

50%

Average share of CB Insights categories each alternative covers.

Free Alternatives FAQ

What are the best free alternatives to CB Insights?

OpenCorporates, Find and update company information (Companies House), and Google Trends cover the most CB Insights workflows without a paid plan, in that order.

Do these picks stay permanently free?

Yes. Every tool listed has a standing free tier, not a trial. Expect caps on exports, seats, or history once you use it heavily.

Which CB Insights workflows stay covered on the free plan?

The free plans cover APIs & Data Feeds, Data Visualizations, Newsletters, and Sheets / Excel Add-ins. Core CB Insights workflows in those areas do not need a paid upgrade.

What extra coverage do the free alternatives add?

The free alternatives add Regulatory Filings Monitoring, Other, Alerts, Official Sources, News, and App & Website Traffic, which CB Insights does not cover.

Where might I still rely on CB Insights?

Sheets / Excel Add-ins, Screeners, Data Visualizations, Corporate Actions & Special Situations, Newsletters, AI Research, and APIs & Data Feeds stay with CB Insights. Keep it for those tasks, or budget for a paid plan elsewhere if they matter.

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Feedback

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Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.