VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Monday, November 10, 2025

Home My Collections

Tool Comparison

Find and update company information (Companies House) vs OpenCorporates comparison

Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.

Quick takeaways

Find and update company information (Companies House) adds Alerts coverage that OpenCorporates skips.

OpenCorporates includes Other categories that Find and update company information (Companies House) omits.

In depth comparison

Find and update company information (Companies House) logo

Find and update company information (Companies House)

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

The official UK companies register, providing free search and access to filing histories, document images, and company information. Users can follow companies for email alerts on new filings, and bulk data is available via monthly downloads. Certified copies and certificates are offered for a fee. Developers have access to REST and Streaming APIs with clear rate limits, making the service a reliable, real-time regulatory source.

Platforms

WebAPI

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

  • Free search and viewing of company information including registered details, officers, filing history, document images, mortgage charges, and insolvency data.
  • Follow companies and receive email alerts when new filings are accepted, with direct links to the filing history.
  • Order certified copies and certificates (fees apply, e.g. £15 standard / £50 express).
  • Bulk data available as monthly CSV snapshots of the entire UK companies register.
  • Public REST API providing structured access to company data (companies, officers, persons of significant control, etc.), authenticated via API key; some flows support OAuth2. Rate limit of 600 requests per 5 minutes.

Community votes (overall)

0% upvotes 0% downvotes
You haven't voted yet
View full profileVisit site
OpenCorporates logo

OpenCorporates

opencorporates.com

The world’s largest open database of legal entities, offering both a public-facing search and an API. Free access is available for personal or public-benefit use, while commercial API access and bulk datasets require a paid plan. Bulk deliveries are provided via SFTP in CSV format, and the platform includes a public status page for web, API, knowledge base, and SFTP availability.

Platforms

WebAPI

Pricing

FreeSubscription

Quick highlights

  • 230M+ company records spanning 145+ jurisdictions, aggregated from 140+ official registries with full provenance and source links.
  • Versioned REST API with JSON (default) or XML output; API keys required. Free tier provides up to 200 requests per month (50 per day).
  • OpenRefine Reconciliation API allows entity-matching from company names to legal identifiers.
  • Enterprise bulk access via SFTP, with six structured CSV datasets (Companies, Officers, Non-Registered Addresses, Alternative Names, Additional Identifiers, and Relationships).
  • Relationships dataset includes 30M+ links covering subsidiaries, branches, control statements, and shareholdings, with data from sources like the SEC and UK PSC.

Community votes (overall)

0% upvotes 0% downvotes
You haven't voted yet
View full profileVisit site

Where they differ

Find and update company information (Companies House)

Distinct strengths include:

Alerts
  • Free search and viewing of company information including registered details, officers, filing history, document images, mortgage charges, and insolvency data.
  • Follow companies and receive email alerts when new filings are accepted, with direct links to the filing history.
  • Order certified copies and certificates (fees apply, e.g. £15 standard / £50 express).
  • Bulk data available as monthly CSV snapshots of the entire UK companies register.

OpenCorporates

Distinct strengths include:

Other
  • 230M+ company records spanning 145+ jurisdictions, aggregated from 140+ official registries with full provenance and source links.
  • Versioned REST API with JSON (default) or XML output; API keys required. Free tier provides up to 200 requests per month (50 per day).
  • OpenRefine Reconciliation API allows entity-matching from company names to legal identifiers.
  • Enterprise bulk access via SFTP, with six structured CSV datasets (Companies, Officers, Non-Registered Addresses, Alternative Names, Additional Identifiers, and Relationships).

Feature-by-feature breakdown

AttributeFind and update company information (Companies House)OpenCorporates
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Regulatory Filings Monitoring, Data APIs

Unique: Alerts

Shared: Regulatory Filings Monitoring, Data APIs

Unique: Other

Asset types

Supported asset classes and universes

Other

Other

Experience levels

Who each product is built for

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Platforms

Where you can access the product

Web, API

Web, API

Pricing

High-level pricing models

Free

Free, Subscription

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • Free search and viewing of company information including registered details, officers, filing history, document images, mortgage charges, and insolvency data.
  • Follow companies and receive email alerts when new filings are accepted, with direct links to the filing history.
  • Order certified copies and certificates (fees apply, e.g. £15 standard / £50 express).
  • Bulk data available as monthly CSV snapshots of the entire UK companies register.
  • Public REST API providing structured access to company data (companies, officers, persons of significant control, etc.), authenticated via API key; some flows support OAuth2. Rate limit of 600 requests per 5 minutes.
  • Streaming API for real-time updates covering company information, filing history, insolvency, and charges.

Unique

  • 230M+ company records spanning 145+ jurisdictions, aggregated from 140+ official registries with full provenance and source links.
  • Versioned REST API with JSON (default) or XML output; API keys required. Free tier provides up to 200 requests per month (50 per day).
  • OpenRefine Reconciliation API allows entity-matching from company names to legal identifiers.
  • Enterprise bulk access via SFTP, with six structured CSV datasets (Companies, Officers, Non-Registered Addresses, Alternative Names, Additional Identifiers, and Relationships).
  • Relationships dataset includes 30M+ links covering subsidiaries, branches, control statements, and shareholdings, with data from sources like the SEC and UK PSC.
  • Data acquisition ranges from hourly to quarterly; registry ingestion checks run every 5 minutes. Bulk deliveries are typically no more than one month behind official registries.
Tested

Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat

Not yet

Not yet

Editor pick

Featured inside curated shortlists

Standard listing

Standard listing

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do Find and update company information (Companies House) and OpenCorporates both support?

Both platforms cover Regulatory Filings Monitoring, and Data APIs workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do Find and update company information (Companies House) and OpenCorporates require subscriptions?

Both Find and update company information (Companies House) and OpenCorporates keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access Find and update company information (Companies House) and OpenCorporates?

Both Find and update company information (Companies House) and OpenCorporates prioritize web or desktop access. Investors wanting a mobile-first workflow may need to rely on responsive web views.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

Find and update company information (Companies House) differentiates itself with Free search and viewing of company information including registered details, officers, filing history, document images, mortgage charges, and insolvency data., Follow companies and receive email alerts when new filings are accepted, with direct links to the filing history., and Order certified copies and certificates (fees apply, e.g. £15 standard / £50 express)., whereas OpenCorporates stands out for 230M+ company records spanning 145+ jurisdictions, aggregated from 140+ official registries with full provenance and source links., Versioned REST API with JSON (default) or XML output; API keys required. Free tier provides up to 200 requests per month (50 per day)., and OpenRefine Reconciliation API allows entity-matching from company names to legal identifiers..

Keep exploring

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

Browse the categories and profiles that overlap most with this comparison to round out your shortlist.

Recommended tools

These profiles share overlapping coverage with both sides of this matchup.

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.