VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★

Sunday, May 31, 2026

Tool Comparison · Sunday, May 31, 2026

Find and update company information (Companies House) vs Open Payments (CMS)

Find and update company information (Companies House) vs Open Payments (CMS): which investing tool fits your workflow? Compare pricing, features, platforms, and verdict in seconds.

Quick verdict
Find and update company information (Companies House) logo

Find and update company information (Companies House)

find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk

Best for alerts

Pricing
Free
Platforms
Web, API
VS
Open Payments (CMS) logo

Open Payments (CMS)

openpaymentsdata.cms.gov

Best for apis & sdks, and data visualizations

Pricing
Free
Platforms
Web, API

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Comparison snapshot

Attribute
Find and update company information (Companies House)
Open Payments (CMS)
Starting price
Free
Free
Categories covered
4
5
Web app
Yes
Yes
Mobile app
No
No
API access
Yes
Yes
Regions
Europe
North America

Who should choose which?

Choose

Find and update company information (Companies House) if…

  • You need real-time data, not delayed quotes
  • You need free search and viewing of company information including registered details, officers, filing history, document images, mortgage charges, and insolvency data.
  • You need follow companies and receive email alerts when new filings are accepted, with direct links to the filing history.
  • You need order certified copies and certificates for a fee; companies house published an updated fee schedule effective february 1, 2026.

Choose

Open Payments (CMS) if…

  • You need three core datasets each year: general payments, research payments, and ownership/investment interests.
  • You need web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal.
  • You need open data api (oda) for programmatic access with filtering, querying, and aggregation (soql‑style).
  • You need publication cadence: initial annual publication on/around june 30 for the prior year, plus refresh publication after the calendar-year-end review/re-attestation cycle.

Consider alternatives if…

  • You want broader category coverage in one tool.
  • Neither pricing tier fits your budget.
See alternatives

Side-by-side feature breakdown

AttributeFind and update company information (Companies House)Open Payments (CMS)
Asset types
Other
Other
Experience
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
Regions
Europe
North America
Data freshness
Real-timeStreaming
End of Day
API access
REST
REST
Export formats
PDFCSV
CSVJSON

Pricing breakdown

Pricing details

Tool

Find and update company information (Companies House)

Starting price

Free tierYes
Free trial

Plans & pricing

FreeFree

Tool

Open Payments (CMS)

Starting price

Free tierYes
Free trial

Plans & pricing

FreeFree

Coverage overlap

Shared categories3

Categories where both tools offer overlapping coverage.

Find and update company information (Companies House) strengths1

Categories covered by Find and update company information (Companies House) only.

Open Payments (CMS) strengths2

Categories covered by Open Payments (CMS) only.

Community category leaders

AlertsFind and update company information (Companies House)
Data VisualizationsOpen Payments (CMS)
Browse the #1 tool in 90+ categories

Vote sentiment comparison

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Still deciding? Get hands-on with both — most plans offer a free tier or trial.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between Find and update company information (Companies House) and Open Payments (CMS)?

Find and update company information (Companies House) focuses on Regulatory Filings Monitoring, Alerts, and Data APIs while Open Payments (CMS) specializes in Data APIs, APIs & SDKs, and Data Visualizations. They overlap in 3 categories, so choose based on your preferred workflow and pricing.

How much do Find and update company information (Companies House) and Open Payments (CMS) cost?

Good news—both Find and update company information (Companies House) and Open Payments (CMS) offer free plans. You can try each platform without commitment and only pay when you need premium features.

Do Find and update company information (Companies House) and Open Payments (CMS) have APIs?

Yes, both platforms offer API access for developers and quants who want to build custom integrations or automate their workflows.

Should I choose Find and update company information (Companies House) or Open Payments (CMS)?

Choose Find and update company information (Companies House) if you need Free search and viewing of company information including registered details, officers, filing history, document images, mortgage charges, and insolvency data., and Follow companies and receive email alerts when new filings are accepted, with direct links to the filing history.. Go with Open Payments (CMS) if Three core datasets each year: General Payments, Research Payments, and Ownership/Investment Interests., and Web search/explorer with filtering and charts; program year downloads available from the portal. better fits how you invest.

Does Find and update company information (Companies House) or Open Payments (CMS) have real-time data?

Find and update company information (Companies House) offers real-time data feeds, which is essential for active traders. Open Payments (CMS) uses delayed or end-of-day data, which works fine for longer-term investors who don't need up-to-the-second quotes.

Can I export data from Find and update company information (Companies House) and Open Payments (CMS)?

Both platforms let you export data to spreadsheets (CSV). This is useful for custom analysis or record-keeping.

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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.