★ BEST INVESTING TOOLS COMPARISON ★
VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
Tool comparison edition
Tool Comparison
OpenCorporates vs SEC.gov (EDGAR)
Pick OpenCorporates instead if
OpenCorporates
Free • Contact for pricing · Web · API
- You care about other, something SEC.gov (EDGAR) doesn't offer
Start here
SEC.gov (EDGAR)
Free · Web · API
- Delayed quotes won't cut it; you need real-time data
- You care about official sources, improved filings, and insider data, things OpenCorporates doesn't offer
Skip both if: Neither one clicks with how you research; there are strong third options.
See alternativesOutbound links may include affiliate or sponsor codes.
Our take
The bottom line
OpenCorporates and SEC.gov (EDGAR) cover a lot of the same ground (2 shared categories, APIs & data feeds and regulatory filings monitoring), so for the basics you won't go far wrong with either. SEC.gov (EDGAR) simply does more: 9 categories to OpenCorporates's 3, including official sources, improved filings, and insider data. OpenCorporates counters by being completely free.
What readers say
OpenCorporates
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
SEC.gov (EDGAR)
Vote once to reveal the community verdict.
Key differences at a glance
- Real-time data
- SEC.gov (EDGAR)
- Broader coverage
- SEC.gov (EDGAR)9 vs 3 categories
- Global coverage
- OpenCorporates
- Free plan
- Both
See for yourself
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.ShowHide
How they stack up
The side-by-side table: pricing, platforms, data, and coverage at a glance.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & plans | ||
Starting price | Free • Contact for pricing | Free |
Free tier | Yes | Yes |
Free trial | — | — |
Plan limits | 8 limits: Essentials (API): api calls per month: 500, Essentials (API): api calls per day: 200 +6 more | Free: automated access policy: Automated access is monitored; the current max request rate is 10 req... |
| Platforms & access | ||
Web app | Yes | Yes |
Mobile app | No | No |
API access | Yes | Yes |
Broker sync | No | — |
Integrations | OpenRefine | data.sec.gov public APIs, EDGAR RSS Feeds +2 more |
| Audience & fit | ||
Experience level | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
Best for | — | Retail Traders, Pro Retail +4 more |
Categories covered | 3 | 9 |
Regions | North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, Middle East, Africa | North America |
| Data & capabilities | ||
Data quality | Latency: End of Day and Granularity: EOD | Latency: Real-time and Timezone: America/New_York |
Security | Status page | — |
| Try it | Visit OpenCorporates | Visit SEC.gov (EDGAR) |
Where each one shines
What OpenCorporates and SEC.gov (EDGAR) each do best.ShowHide
Where each one shines
What OpenCorporates and SEC.gov (EDGAR) each do best.What OpenCorporates does best
- Search tools across a public legal-entity database advertised at 200M+ company records aggregated from official registries with provenance and source links.
- The versioned REST API with API-key authentication and JSON or XML output for company and officer data workflows.
- OpenRefine Reconciliation API to match company names to legal identifiers during entity-resolution work.
- Access to enterprise bulk data through SFTP-delivered CSV datasets for companies, officers, addresses, alternative names, identifiers, and relationships.
- Relationship data for subsidiaries, branches, control statements, shareholdings, and ownership-mapping workflows.
What SEC.gov (EDGAR) does best
- Search tools across and open official EDGAR filings for U.S. public companies, funds, insiders, institutional managers, IPOs, registration statements, proxy materials, and current reports.
- Company Search, Full Text Search, Latest Filings, Mutual Fund Search, CIK lookup, SIC lookup, EDGAR RSS feeds, and filing assistance tools from one official source.
- Search tools across full filing text since 2001, including exhibits and attachments, with filters for ticker, company, CIK, reporter name, form type, filing date, location, and incorporation jurisdiction.
- Monitoring latest filings in near real time and use RSS feeds or search pages as the practical free alert layer for public users.
- Data.sec.gov public APIs for company submission histories and XBRL-derived companyconcept, companyfacts, and frames data are available without an API key.
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for OpenCorporates and SEC.gov (EDGAR), side by side.ShowHide
Every detail we compared
Every tracked attribute for OpenCorporates and SEC.gov (EDGAR), side by side.| Attribute | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coverage & fit | ||
Asset types | Other | StocksETFsMutual FundsFunds |
Experience | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced | BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced |
Target audience | Not specified | Retail TradersPro RetailInstitutional InvestorsAnalystsQuants/DevelopersStudents/Researchers |
Regions | North AmericaEuropeAPACLatAmMiddle EastAfrica | North America |
Coverage details | Not specified | Countries: USIdentifiers: CIK and Ticker |
| Data | ||
Data freshness | End of Day | Real-time |
Data granularity | EOD | Not specified |
| Access & integrations | ||
API protocols | REST | REST |
API auth & delivery | Auth: APIKey | Auth: NoneDocs |
Integrations | OpenRefine | data.sec.gov public APIsEDGAR RSS FeedsEDGAR Public Dissemination Service (PDS)EDGAR API Development Toolkit for filers |
Export formats | CSVJSON | JSONXMLPDF |
| Plans & trust | ||
Security & compliance | Status page | Not specified |
Vendor & support | OpenCorporates LtdCountry: United KingdomFounded 2010Support: Email | U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionCountry: United StatesSupport: Email |
Green tags are exclusive to that tool in this comparison.
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.ShowHide
What you'll actually pay
Plans, billing, trials, and per-month pricing for both tools.| Tier | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free“Free (personal & public-benefit use)” | Freeautomated access policy: Automated access is monitored; the current max request rate is 10 req... |
| Entry paid plan | £225/mo“Essentials (API)”api calls per month: 500 · api calls per day: 200 | — |
| 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
What's the difference between OpenCorporates and SEC.gov (EDGAR)?
OpenCorporates leans toward APIs & data feeds, regulatory filings monitoring, and other, while SEC.gov (EDGAR) puts more weight on official sources, regulatory filings monitoring, and improved filings. They overlap in 2 categories, so for most people it comes down to workflow preference and price.
How much do OpenCorporates and SEC.gov (EDGAR) cost?
Good news: both OpenCorporates and SEC.gov (EDGAR) have free plans, so you can run them side by side and only pay if you hit a wall.
Do OpenCorporates and SEC.gov (EDGAR) have APIs?
Yes, both offer API access, so developers and quants can pull data programmatically or wire up their own integrations.
Should I choose OpenCorporates or SEC.gov (EDGAR)?
It depends on what you're after. Pick OpenCorporates if other matter to you; go with SEC.gov (EDGAR) if you'd rather have official sources and improved filings. And if you only need the basics both share, let price decide.
What asset classes do OpenCorporates and SEC.gov (EDGAR) cover?
OpenCorporates covers other. SEC.gov (EDGAR) covers stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds.
Does OpenCorporates or SEC.gov (EDGAR) have real-time data?
SEC.gov (EDGAR) offers real-time data, which matters if you trade actively. OpenCorporates runs on delayed or end-of-day data, which is perfectly fine for longer-term investors who don't live and die by the tick.
Which covers international markets: OpenCorporates or SEC.gov (EDGAR)?
OpenCorporates has documented international coverage (North America, Europe, APAC, LatAm, and more), so it's the safer bet if you hold non-US stocks. SEC.gov (EDGAR) is more region-specific, mainly North America.
Can I export data from OpenCorporates and SEC.gov (EDGAR)?
OpenCorporates exports to CSV. SEC.gov (EDGAR) is stingier about getting data out.
Keep researching
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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.