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OpenCorporates vs Recordwire

OpenCorporates is a lookup API and bulk dataset over 140+ registries worldwide, including every U.S. state, sold in pounds by call volume.[1][2][3] Recordwire is a U.S. change feed for twelve states, with webhooks and MCP.[4] Pick OpenCorporates for global reach. Pick Recordwire to have every formation and change in its states pushed to you as events.

Vendor facts from each vendor's own public pages, read 2026-10-16. Sources are listed below.

OpenCorporates vs Recordwire, side by side
OpenCorporatesRecordwire
ModelCompany lookup API and bulk files by SFTP, over 140+ registries worldwide.[1][3]Change feed plus lookup. Each new state file is compared with the last, and every difference is stored as a dated event. REST API, MCP server, and webhooks.[5]
U.S. state coverageAll 50 states and D.C., listed on its registers page; Texas comes from the Comptroller.[2]12 states. Florida, New York, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Connecticut, and Oregon from official bulk files and open data. Massachusetts, Idaho, Wyoming, and Missouri from the state's public search, new formations only. Delaware from a licensed data partner, new formations only.[4]
FreshnessSources are collected hourly to quarterly depending on type; all sources are checked every four days.[6]As often as each state publishes: daily in Florida, New York, Colorado, and Oregon, monthly in Pennsylvania, weekly in Virginia, nightly in Connecticut, every 3 hours in Massachusetts and Missouri, every 6 hours in Idaho, continuously in Wyoming, and several times a day in Delaware.[4]
Change events and historyNo change feed published. Lookups return statutory filings, previous names, and officer start and end dates.[7]Six event types: formed, renamed, status, address, registered agent, officers. Full change events in the seven file states; new formations only in the other five. Virginia and Florida include state-published history.[8][4]
WebhooksNone published.[7][3]Yes. Signed webhooks per subscription, filtered by state, event type, or up to 10,000 company IDs.[5]
MCP serverNone published by OpenCorporates.[7][1]Yes. Remote server at api.recordwirehq.com/mcp: five read tools and three for webhook subscriptions, one bearer key.[9]
OfficersYes, with registered agents as an officer position.[7]Where the state publishes them: Florida, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Wyoming; partly in New York, Virginia, Oregon. None in Colorado, Idaho, Missouri.[4]
Published pricing£225 a month for 500 calls, £660 for 2,500, £1,200 for 5,000; bulk by quote. Free for qualifying open data projects.[3][7]$100 a month for one state, $200 for any three, $500 for all. No free trial.[10]

When to pick OpenCorporates

You need companies outside the U.S., or U.S. states Recordwire does not cover. OpenCorporates spans 140+ registries, has a long record with large banks, and is free for qualifying open data projects.[1][7] Its data is under the Open Database License, which requires attribution; paid accounts remove the share-alike terms.[11][7]

When to pick Recordwire

You need to know what changed, not just what a record says today. Recordwire compares each state file with the last, so formations, status changes, and new registered agents arrive as dated events through webhooks, REST, or MCP, with no lookup per company. Prices are flat and published. It covers twelve states, so check the coverage page first.[8][10][4]

Questions

Does OpenCorporates cover all U.S. states?

Its registers page lists all 50 states and D.C. Texas comes from the Texas Comptroller rather than the Secretary of State.[2]

Does OpenCorporates have webhooks or change alerts?

None are published in its API reference or on its pricing page. The API returns filings, previous names, and officer start and end dates, which you can compare yourself.[7][3] Recordwire sends changes as signed webhooks.[5]

How fresh is OpenCorporates data?

OpenCorporates says it collects sources hourly to quarterly depending on type, and checks all sources every four days.[6] Recordwire reads each state as often as the state publishes.[4]

Can I use OpenCorporates data in a commercial product?

Yes, with conditions. The database is under the Open Database License: attribution is required, and combined data must be shared alike unless you buy a non-share-alike plan.[11][7]

Can I use OpenCorporates and Recordwire together?

Yes. Use Recordwire events to learn which companies changed in the states it covers, then use OpenCorporates for anything Recordwire does not cover.[4]

More comparisons

Sources

  1. OpenCorporates home page. https://opencorporates.com/. Accessed 2026-10-16.
  2. OpenCorporates registers. https://opencorporates.com/registers. Accessed 2026-10-16.
  3. OpenCorporates pricing. https://opencorporates.com/pricing/. Accessed 2026-10-16.
  4. Recordwire coverage by state. https://recordwirehq.com/states. Accessed 2026-10-16.
  5. Recordwire API docs. https://recordwirehq.com/docs. Accessed 2026-10-16.
  6. OpenCorporates: delivery latency explained. https://knowledge.opencorporates.com/knowledge-base/delivery-latency-explained/. Accessed 2026-10-16.
  7. OpenCorporates API reference. https://api.opencorporates.com/documentation/API-Reference. Accessed 2026-10-16.
  8. Recordwire change events. https://recordwirehq.com/change-events. Accessed 2026-10-16.
  9. Recordwire MCP server. https://recordwirehq.com/mcp. Accessed 2026-10-16.
  10. Recordwire pricing. https://recordwirehq.com/#pricing. Accessed 2026-10-16.
  11. OpenCorporates terms of use. https://opencorporates.com/terms-of-use/. Accessed 2026-10-16.

Something here out of date? Email brian@recordwirehq.com and it gets fixed.

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