Tool Comparison
Find and update company information (Companies House) vs OpenCorporates
- Paid from
- —
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, API
Public search and records are free. Certified documents and some filing services have fees.
Best if
- You need the official U.K. company record and original filing documents.
- You want officers, control records, and alerts for accepted filings.
- Paid from
- On request
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, API
Commercial API and bulk plans are separate from personal/public-benefit website access.
Best if
- You need to match company identities across supported registries.
- You want relationship research or licensed data for a larger investigation.
Pick Find and update company information (Companies House) if
Find and update company information (Companies House)
Free · Web · API
Public search and records are free. Certified documents and some filing services have fees.
- You need the official U.K. company record and original filing documents.
- You want officers, control records, and alerts for accepted filings.
Pick OpenCorporates if
OpenCorporates
Free • Contact for pricing · Web · API
Commercial API and bulk plans are separate from personal/public-benefit website access.
- You need to match company identities across supported registries.
- You want relationship research or licensed data for a larger investigation.
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
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Our take
The bottom line
For a U.K. company's accounts or filing history, go to the official Companies House record. For matching a business name across jurisdictions or tracing related entities, use OpenCorporates and follow its source links. Neither a registration nor an aggregated record establishes financial health or guarantees accuracy.
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Key differences at a glance
- Official U.K. filing documents
- Find and update company information (Companies House)Accounts and history on the primary register
- Cross-registry entity discovery
- OpenCorporatesIdentities, source links, and relationships
- Officer and control context
- BothCoverage and source detail differ
What Find and update company information (Companies House) does best
UK company search
Find active and dissolved companies on the official register.
Filing history
Read accounts, confirmation statements, incorporation documents, and available document images.
Officers and control
Inspect directors and people with significant control.
What OpenCorporates does best
Entity search
Find company identities with links to registry source records.
Corporate relationships
Trace subsidiaries, branches, and reported shareholdings.
Name reconciliation
Match business names to legal identifiers through OpenRefine.
Side by side
Pricing comparison
See for yourself
Side by side
Price, platforms, data, and market coverage.ShowHide
Side by side
| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free | Free • Contact for pricing |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | Public records/API are free; certified documents may cost | Commercial API and bulk access are licensed |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | No | No |
Integrations | Public APIs, bulk snapshots, and filing alerts | Licensed REST API, bulk CSV, and OpenRefine |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | Official U.K. records and filings | Cross-registry company identities and relationships |
Categories covered | 4 | 3 |
Regions | Europe | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | Filed information is not checked for accuracy | Follow registry source links and record dates |
Capabilities | Accounts, officers, control, and filing history | Entity search, officers, relationships, and name matching |
Security | — | Status page |
| Try it | Visit Find and update company information (Companies House) | Visit OpenCorporates |
Standout features
The best features of Find and update company information (Companies House) and OpenCorporates.ShowHide
Standout features
What Find and update company information (Companies House) does best
UK company search
Find active and dissolved companies on the official register.
Filing history
Read accounts, confirmation statements, incorporation documents, and available document images.
Officers and control
Inspect directors and people with significant control.
What OpenCorporates does best
Entity search
Find company identities with links to registry source records.
Corporate relationships
Trace subsidiaries, branches, and reported shareholdings.
Name reconciliation
Match business names to legal identifiers through OpenRefine.
All details
Every attribute we track for Find and update company information (Companies House) and OpenCorporates.ShowHide
All details
| 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 | End of Day |
Data granularity | Not specified | EOD |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKey and OAuth2120 req/min | Auth: APIKey |
Integrations | Not specified | OpenRefine |
Export formats | PDFCSV | CSVJSON |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Not specified | Status page |
Vendor & support | Companies House (Executive agency of the UK Government)Country: United KingdomSupport: Email and Phone | OpenCorporates LtdCountry: United KingdomFounded 2010Support: Email |
Curation ratings | Methodology 5/5Reliability 5/5UX 4/5 | Not specified |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
Pricing
Plans, billing, free trials, and monthly prices.ShowHide
Pricing
| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Freeapi rate limit: 600 requests per 5 minutes | Free“Free (personal & public-benefit use)” |
| Entry paid plan | — | £225/mo“Essentials (API)”api calls per month: 500 · api calls per day: 200 · +1 more |
| Tier 2 | — | £660/mo“Starter (API)”api calls per month: 2,500 · api calls per day: 500 · +1 more |
| Top plan | — | £1200/mo“Basic (API)”api calls per month: 5,000 · api calls per day: 1,000 · +1 more |
| Custom / enterprise | — | Contact sales“Enterprise Bulk (SFTP CSV datasets)” |
Questions we keep getting
Is OpenCorporates an official company register?
It organizes legal-entity information across supported registries and links to source records. Companies House is the official U.K. register. For a U.K. filing, inspect the original document and record date on the primary source.
Does an official record guarantee the information is accurate?
No. Companies House states that it does not check the accuracy of information filed. Registry records and aggregated entity data need interpretation and further checks; registration alone does not prove financial health or the truth of every submitted detail.
Which fits research outside the United Kingdom?
OpenCorporates is the more direct fit for cross-registry entity discovery. Coverage and available attributes vary by jurisdiction. Companies House covers the U.K. register rather than a global company universe.
Is API access free on both?
Companies House provides free access to public data through its APIs, with developer setup required. OpenCorporates commercial API and bulk delivery require an appropriate paid license. Public website access is not the same as unrestricted commercial data rights.
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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).
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