VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Tool Comparison

IBISWorld vs OpenCorporates comparison

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

Quick takeaways

IBISWorld adds Scores, AI Chat, Blogs, and Custom Dashboards coverage that OpenCorporates skips.

OpenCorporates includes Regulatory Filings Monitoring, and Other categories that IBISWorld omits.

OpenCorporates keeps a free entry point that IBISWorld lacks.

In depth comparison

IBISWorld logo

IBISWorld

ibisworld.com

Subscription-based industry research platform with options to purchase single reports. Full industry reports (30–40 pages) are downloadable as PDF, while Key Statistics tables can be exported to Excel. API access requires an API-enabled account and uses OAuth2 with documented rate limits. Add-ons include custom dashboards, a Salesforce app, and specialized Excel-based tools. AI features are delivered through Phil, a chat assistant trained on IBISWorld data.

Platforms

WebAPI

Pricing

SubscriptionOne-time

Quick highlights

  • Industry Research Reports (30–40 pages) across multiple countries, with PDF downloads and Key Statistics exportable to Excel.
  • Business Environment Profiles with proprietary forecasts across hundreds of economic indicators.
  • Industry Risk Ratings and an Early Warning System to assess forward-looking industry risk.
  • REST API (OAuth2) for retrieving full reports or sections, with rate limits (10 requests/sec, 100/min, 5,000/hr).
  • Phil AI — an assistant trained on IBISWorld content, linking directly to report sections for context.

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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.

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Where they differ

IBISWorld

Distinct strengths include:

  • Industry Research Reports (30–40 pages) across multiple countries, with PDF downloads and Key Statistics exportable to Excel.
  • Business Environment Profiles with proprietary forecasts across hundreds of economic indicators.
  • Industry Risk Ratings and an Early Warning System to assess forward-looking industry risk.
  • REST API (OAuth2) for retrieving full reports or sections, with rate limits (10 requests/sec, 100/min, 5,000/hr).

OpenCorporates

Distinct strengths include:

  • 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

AttributeIBISWorldOpenCorporates
Categories

Which research workflows each platform targets

Shared: Data APIs

Unique: Scores, AI Chat, Blogs, Custom Dashboards

Shared: Data APIs

Unique: Regulatory Filings Monitoring, 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

Subscription, One-time

Free, Subscription

Key features

Core capabilities called out by each vendor

Unique

  • Industry Research Reports (30–40 pages) across multiple countries, with PDF downloads and Key Statistics exportable to Excel.
  • Business Environment Profiles with proprietary forecasts across hundreds of economic indicators.
  • Industry Risk Ratings and an Early Warning System to assess forward-looking industry risk.
  • REST API (OAuth2) for retrieving full reports or sections, with rate limits (10 requests/sec, 100/min, 5,000/hr).
  • Phil AI — an assistant trained on IBISWorld content, linking directly to report sections for context.
  • Single-report purchase options, such as US Industry Research Reports (~$1,095) or Spotlight Reports (~$745).

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.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do IBISWorld and OpenCorporates both support?

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

Which tool offers a free plan?

OpenCorporates offers a free entry point, while IBISWorld requires a paid subscription. Review the pricing table to see how the paid tiers compare.

How can you access IBISWorld and OpenCorporates?

Both IBISWorld 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?

IBISWorld differentiates itself with Industry Research Reports (30–40 pages) across multiple countries, with PDF downloads and Key Statistics exportable to Excel., Business Environment Profiles with proprietary forecasts across hundreds of economic indicators., and Industry Risk Ratings and an Early Warning System to assess forward-looking industry risk., 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

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.