★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
Find and update company information (Companies House) vs MarineTraffic
Pick Find and update company information (Companies House) if
Find and update company information (Companies House)
Free · Web · API
- You care about regulatory filings monitoring and official sources, things MarineTraffic doesn't offer
Pick MarineTraffic if
MarineTraffic
Free • Paid plans available · Web · Mobile · API
- You do a lot of your research from your phone
- You care about data visualizations and shipping & trade, things Find and update company information (Companies House) doesn't offer
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
Find and update company information (Companies House) and MarineTraffic cover a lot of the same ground (2 shared categories, alerts and APIs & data feeds), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. The real difference is focus: only Find and update company information (Companies House) gives you regulatory filings monitoring and official sources, and only MarineTraffic gives you data visualizations and shipping & trade.
What readers say
Find and update company information (Companies House)
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
MarineTraffic
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See for yourself
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.ShowHide
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free | Free • Paid plans available |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | Free: api rate limit: 600 requests per 5 minutes | — |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | Yes |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | No | No |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | — |
Categories covered | 4 | 4 |
Regions | Europe | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | 3 signals: Latency: Real-time and Streaming, Corporate actions: Current +1 more | Latency: Streaming |
| Try it | Visit Find and update company information (Companies House) | Visit MarineTraffic |
Where each one shines
What Find and update company information (Companies House) and MarineTraffic each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What Find and update company information (Companies House) and MarineTraffic each do best.What Find and update company information (Companies House) does best
- Search tools across the official UK register for active and dissolved companies, registered details, company status, filing history, officers, charges, insolvency records, and document images.
- Views for reviewing accounts, confirmation statements, incorporation documents, officer appointments, mortgage charges, and other filings from the company record.
- Persons with significant control when ownership or control context matters for diligence, supplier review, or private-company research.
- Monitoring companies and receive email alerts when new filings are accepted, with direct links back to the filing history.
- Advanced search filters for company status, dates, filing types, directors, and other register fields where available.
What MarineTraffic does best
- Tracking vessels on a live AIS map with filters for ship type, capacity, status, destination, and custom smart filters.
- Tools for creating notifications for port calls, area entries, speed or course changes, drifting, ETA updates, draught updates, proximity events, and AIS coverage changes.
- Email, mobile push, and notification archives to monitor maritime events are available without constantly watching the map.
- Views for reviewing Past Track playback, with history depth varying by plan from limited free access to deeper Enterprise history.
- Route-forecast tools for path previews, ETA detail, and speed detail where the plan supports them.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for Find and update company information (Companies House) and MarineTraffic, side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for Find and update company information (Companies House) and MarineTraffic, side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | Other | Other |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Regions | Europe | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica |
Coverage details | Countries: GB | Not specified |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | Real-timeStreaming | Streaming |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKey and OAuth2120 req/min | Auth: APIKey |
Import methods | Not specified | CSVManual |
Export formats | PDFCSV | CSV |
| Plans & trust | ||
Vendor & support | Companies House (Executive agency of the UK Government)Country: United KingdomSupport: Email and Phone | Kpler (MarineTraffic)Support: Email |
Curation ratings | Methodology 5/5Reliability 5/5UX 4/5 | Methodology 3/5Reliability 4/5UX 4/5 |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.ShowHide
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Freeapi rate limit: 600 requests per 5 minutes | Free |
| Entry paid plan | — | Subscription“Basic” |
| Tier 2 | — | Subscription“Essential” |
| Top plan | — | Subscription“Enterprise” |
Questions we keep getting
What's the difference between Find and update company information (Companies House) and MarineTraffic?
Find and update company information (Companies House) leans toward regulatory filings monitoring, alerts, and APIs & data feeds, while MarineTraffic puts more weight on data visualizations, APIs & data feeds, and shipping & trade. They overlap in 2 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do Find and update company information (Companies House) and MarineTraffic cost?
Good news: both Find and update company information (Companies House) and MarineTraffic have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Can I use Find and update company information (Companies House) or MarineTraffic on my phone?
MarineTraffic lists a dedicated mobile app, so it travels better. Find and update company information (Companies House) doesn't list a dedicated mobile app; its documented access is web and API.
Do Find and update company information (Companies House) and MarineTraffic have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose Find and update company information (Companies House) or MarineTraffic?
It depends on what you're after. Pick Find and update company information (Companies House) if regulatory filings monitoring and official sources matter to you; go with MarineTraffic if you'd rather have data visualizations and shipping & trade. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
Do Find and update company information (Companies House) and MarineTraffic offer real-time data?
Yes, both serve real-time market data, so either works when timing matters.
Can I export data from Find and update company information (Companies House) and MarineTraffic?
Yes, both export to spreadsheets (CSV), which is handy if you like running your own numbers.
Keep researching
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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.