VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Sunday, October 5, 2025

View OpenCorporates View OTC Markets Back to Home

Head-to-head

OpenCorporates vs OTC Markets comparison

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

Quick takeaways

OpenCorporates adds Other coverage that OTC Markets skips.

OTC Markets includes Order Book / Level II, News, Ticker Changes, Splits, Dividends, APIs & SDKs, and Screeners categories that OpenCorporates omits.

OpenCorporates 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)., and OpenRefine Reconciliation API allows entity-matching from company names to legal identifiers..

OTC Markets is known for: Real‑Time Level 1+ (inside bid/offer + trades) and Level 2+ (full quote book with market participant IDs) data products; Delayed Level 1+ on a 15‑minute basis; End‑of‑Day snapshots., Level 2 quote montage specification (fields: MPID, price, QAP, size, time‑of‑update) and display requirements., and Reference & pricing files (security master with optional CUSIP), plus End‑of‑Day pricing files; secure SFTP delivery supported..

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

Web

API

Pricing

Free

Subscription

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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OTC Markets

otcmarkets.com

Primary operator and market data source for U.S. OTC equities via OTC Link ATS/ECN/NQB (SEC‑regulated ATSs). Commercial data products include Real‑Time Level 1+ (inside quote & trades), Level 2+ (full quote book with MPIDs), 15‑minute delayed Level 1+, End‑of‑Day, reference/security master, and compliance datasets (Blue Sky, Promotion/CE, Compliance Analytics). Delivery options include real‑time multicast feeds, SFTP/FTP files, and a REST Disclosure API. Website provides delayed quotes, corporate actions, screeners and issuer news (DNS).

Platforms

Web

API

Pricing

Free

Subscription

Quick highlights

Real‑Time Level 1+ (inside bid/offer + trades) and Level 2+ (full quote book with market participant IDs) data products; Delayed Level 1+ on a 15‑minute basis; End‑of‑Day snapshots.
Level 2 quote montage specification (fields: MPID, price, QAP, size, time‑of‑update) and display requirements.
Reference & pricing files (security master with optional CUSIP), plus End‑of‑Day pricing files; secure SFTP delivery supported.
Disclosure API (REST, JSON/CSV/XML) with app‑key auth; filter by symbol/CUSIP/company; document retrieval; plan‑level rate‑limit guidance.
Compliance & regulatory data: Blue Sky Data (state eligibility monitoring), Promotion Data file (Caveat Emptor/tier/share data), and Compliance Analytics (multi‑factor risk scoring).

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

2 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Data APIs, and Regulatory Filings Monitoring.

Where they differ

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).

OTC Markets

Distinct strengths include:

Order Book / Level II

Real‑Time Level 1+ (inside bid/offer + trades) and Level 2+ (full quote book with market participant IDs) data products; Delayed Level 1+ on a 15‑minute basis; End‑of‑Day snapshots.
Level 2 quote montage specification (fields: MPID, price, QAP, size, time‑of‑update) and display requirements.
Reference & pricing files (security master with optional CUSIP), plus End‑of‑Day pricing files; secure SFTP delivery supported.
Disclosure API (REST, JSON/CSV/XML) with app‑key auth; filter by symbol/CUSIP/company; document retrieval; plan‑level rate‑limit guidance.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	OpenCorporates	OTC Markets
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: Data APIs, Regulatory Filings Monitoring Unique: Other	Shared: Data APIs, Regulatory Filings Monitoring Unique: Order Book / Level II, News, Ticker Changes, Splits, Dividends, APIs & SDKs, Screeners
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes	Other	Stocks, Bonds
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, Subscription	Free, Subscription
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor	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.	Unique Real‑Time Level 1+ (inside bid/offer + trades) and Level 2+ (full quote book with market participant IDs) data products; Delayed Level 1+ on a 15‑minute basis; End‑of‑Day snapshots. Level 2 quote montage specification (fields: MPID, price, QAP, size, time‑of‑update) and display requirements. Reference & pricing files (security master with optional CUSIP), plus End‑of‑Day pricing files; secure SFTP delivery supported. Disclosure API (REST, JSON/CSV/XML) with app‑key auth; filter by symbol/CUSIP/company; document retrieval; plan‑level rate‑limit guidance. Compliance & regulatory data: Blue Sky Data (state eligibility monitoring), Promotion Data file (Caveat Emptor/tier/share data), and Compliance Analytics (multi‑factor risk scoring). Coverage of OTC Link ATS via MIC 'OTCM'; OTC Link ATS/ECN/NQB each operate as SEC‑regulated ATSs.
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 OpenCorporates and OTC Markets both support?

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

Do OpenCorporates and OTC Markets require subscriptions?

Both OpenCorporates and OTC Markets keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

How can you access OpenCorporates and OTC Markets?

Both OpenCorporates and OTC Markets 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?

OpenCorporates differentiates itself with 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., whereas OTC Markets stands out for Real‑Time Level 1+ (inside bid/offer + trades) and Level 2+ (full quote book with market participant IDs) data products; Delayed Level 1+ on a 15‑minute basis; End‑of‑Day snapshots., Level 2 quote montage specification (fields: MPID, price, QAP, size, time‑of‑update) and display requirements., and Reference & pricing files (security master with optional CUSIP), plus End‑of‑Day pricing files; secure SFTP delivery supported..

Keep exploring

Stay on top of related tools

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