OpenCorporates pricing, and what's actually free at OpenRegistry
Most teams who hit OpenCorporates' pricing page leave with the same two facts. The free API is technically free but capped at 50 calls a day. Paid plans require a custom quote. Below are the equivalent numbers for OpenRegistry, on a single page.
Tier-by-tier
| OpenRegistry | OpenCorporates | |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 30 req/min/user, all tools | 50 calls/day, 200/month per OC's API docs |
| Free for open data / NGO / journalism | Same as above | Application-based, higher caps once approved |
| Pro | $9 / month: 180 req/min/user, 10-country fan-out | Custom quote |
| Max | $29 / month: 900 req/min/user, 30-country fan-out | Custom quote |
| Enterprise | Custom: 3000 req/min, unlimited fan-out, full source-provenance fields | Custom quote |
| Commercial use on free tier | Allowed | Public-benefit projects only |
The OpenCorporates free-API caps come from api.opencorporates.com. The per-day cap is set defensively because the public key is shared across the open-data community.
What "free" actually buys
OpenRegistry's free tier
- Every tool:
search_companies,get_company_profile,get_officers,get_persons_with_significant_control,get_shareholders,get_charges,list_filings,get_financials,fetch_document. - Every wired jurisdiction. The current list is in /docs/ and updates as registers come online.
- Real bytes from
fetch_documenton filings the upstream registry publishes for free. UK CS01s, Iceland annual reports, Norway årsrapporter, Korea DART filings, and the rest. - Commercial use is allowed. You can wire it into a paying SaaS without a licence conversation.
OpenCorporates' free tier
- 200 calls a month on the public key.
- Open-data licence with re-publication restrictions if you embed in a closed product.
- Non-profits, academics, and registered journalists can apply for an upgraded free key with higher caps.
- Per-row data is the same as the paid tier. Paid plans buy volume and redistribution rights, not extra fields.
What you save by switching
A typical KYB-style integration runs two or three calls per onboarded customer (search, profile, PSC). On OpenCorporates' 200-a-month free cap that is roughly 70 onboardings before you need a sales conversation. The same workload sits on OpenRegistry's free tier for $0 indefinitely. The ramp to Pro at $9/month buys 180 req/min, which is about one full workflow run per second.
Why OpenCorporates' paid tiers are quote-based
Each OpenCorporates commercial customer gets a different volume and redistribution deal, so a single quoted number does not fit on a pricing page. That makes sense for enterprise contracts and is harder for a developer who just wants to know what 1 request per second for a year would cost. OpenRegistry's tiers are listed on the upgrade page: $9 Pro, $29 Max.
About this page. OpenRegistry is published by Sophymarine, so this comparison is written by a party with a commercial interest in one of the tools on it. Figures and product claims for the other vendors come from each vendor's own public material, linked inline where applicable. Reviewed 2026-04-29. Corrections welcome at hello@sophymarine.com.