What is OpenCorporates?
OpenCorporates is a searchable database of legal entities built from official company registries and other government sources. It describes itself as the world's largest open legal-entity database and covers more than 140 jurisdictions. A company page shows the company number, status, company type, registered address, industry codes, previous names, linked identifiers such as an SEC CIK number, and the officers and filings the registry provides.
The database is published under the Open Database License, so anyone who reuses the data must credit OpenCorporates and share improvements under the same licence. The general public can search the site for free for personal use, with some fields such as officers and incorporation dates shown after a free login. Businesses, banks and government bodies pay for API and bulk data access, while investigative journalists, NGOs and academic researchers can apply for free access for public-benefit projects.
Main Features
- Search companies and officers across more than 140 jurisdictions
- Company pages with status, company number, address, industry codes and previous names
- Links to other official identifiers, such as SEC EDGAR and data protection register entries
- Data source and freshness details on each record
- Advanced search for narrowing results by jurisdiction and other fields
- REST API and bulk data delivery for larger projects
- Open Database License, with attribution and share-alike terms
How to Get Started with OpenCorporates
- Go to opencorporates.com and type a company or officer name into the search box.
- Narrow the results by jurisdiction, then open the company page you need.
- Create a free account and log in to see fields such as officers and incorporation date.
- Follow the source links to check the original registry record before you rely on a detail.
OpenCorporates Pricing
Searching the website is free for personal and public-interest use, with some fields shown after a free login. API plans are Essentials at £225 a month (£2,250 a year, up to 500 calls a month), Starter at £660 a month (£6,600 a year, up to 2,500 calls a month) and Basic at £1,200 a month (£12,000 a year, up to 5,000 calls a month). Enterprise bulk data is priced on request. Investigative journalists, NGOs, universities and anti-corruption researchers can apply for free at-scale access.
Who Should Use It?
- Investigative journalists tracing who stands behind a company
- Compliance and due diligence teams verifying business entities
- Researchers studying corporate networks across countries
- NGOs following company structures in anti-corruption work
- Developers who need standardised company data through an API
OpenCorporates Alternatives
- OCCRP Aleph: OCCRP's investigative data platform, which searches company registries, leaks and court records in one place.
- ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database: a free database of offshore companies and trusts drawn from the Panama Papers, Pandora Papers and other leaks.
- OpenSanctions: an open database of sanctions targets, politically exposed persons and watchlists for screening.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is OpenCorporates free?
Searching OpenCorporates on the website is free for personal and public-interest use, and some details appear after a free login. Commercial use, the API and bulk data are paid, with API plans starting at £225 a month. Journalists, NGOs and academics can apply for free access for public-benefit projects.
Where does OpenCorporates get its data?
From more than 140 government company registries and other official sources. Each company page shows when the record was last updated from the source, and it is good practice to check the original registry before publishing a detail.
Can I scrape OpenCorporates?
No. The terms of use prohibit scraping and extracting large volumes of data from the website. For bulk needs, OpenCorporates offers its API and bulk data products, and any reuse of the data must credit OpenCorporates under the Open Database License.