Registry Lookup vs North Data
North Data is a German company-data provider focused on entities registered in Germany, Austria, and other DACH-region jurisdictions. It offers a web search interface, a JSON/XML data API, and bulk data exports priced per country.
Pricing comparison
What it actually costs to use Registry Lookup vs North Data.
Registry Lookup
Free — 5,000 API calls/month, instant API key, month-to-month. Enterprise plan is custom-priced with no fixed minimum commitment.
North Data
Data API: €500/month minimum + per-request fees, includes 5,000 free requests per month, 12-month minimum contract. Data + Widget API: €500/month capped at 1,000 requests. Bulk Data Export: €2,250/quarter per country. Free for verified journalists on request.
North Data’s €500/month entry covers DACH-region data with 5,000 free requests included — comparable in volume to Registry Lookup’s free tier, but with a €6,000/year commitment vs Registry Lookup’s $0 and a much narrower geographic scope.
Source: northdata.com/_data
Beyond DACH
North Data is a strong DACH specialist. Registry Lookup gives you the same German, Austrian, and Swiss registry data plus 306 other jurisdictions in a single API — and it’s free.
- Global coverage — North Data is DACH-focused; Registry Lookup covers all 309 jurisdictions including the same German Handelsregister data
- Free API tier with 5,000 calls/month — North Data starts at €500/month with a 12-month minimum contract
- No multi-month commitment to evaluate the data — instant API key, no procurement cycle
- Enterprise plan adds firmographics, ESG, ownership chains, and supply chain mapping for global entities, not just DACH
How to migrate from North Data to Registry Lookup
A step-by-step path to switch your integration. Engineering work is typically a day or two; full validation depends on the depth of data you’re replacing.
- 1
Sign up for a Registry Lookup API key
Create a free account at registry-lookup.com — instant key, no contract, no minimum commitment. The free tier is enough to evaluate German entity coverage before any decision.
- 2
Map Handelsregister queries
For German entities, search by company name or HRB number via GET /v1/companies/search?q={query}&jurisdiction=de. The search endpoint returns each match with its full registry_number and jurisdiction_code, which you can then use for direct lookup. Note that German HRB numbers are issued at the local court (Amtsgericht) level rather than nationally, so the same number can identify different companies — using the search endpoint disambiguates them. Austrian entities use jurisdiction=at, Swiss entities use jurisdiction=ch.
- 3
Replace per-country bulk exports with a single API
North Data’s €2,250/quarter per-country bulk export model means each new jurisdiction adds a new line item. Registry Lookup’s Enterprise plan supports global feeds in a single contract — useful when DACH workflows expand into adjacent markets.
- 4
Migrate JSON/XML response parsing
Both APIs return structured company data with similar fields (legal name, registry number, address, status). Field naming differs — see /docs and /api/openapi.json for the Registry Lookup schema.
- 5
Cancel the 12-month North Data commitment when it lapses
Run both data sources in parallel until your North Data contract ends, then cut over. The free Registry Lookup tier supports the full 12-month evaluation window without cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Registry Lookup free?
Yes. Registry Lookup offers 5,000 free API calls per month with no credit card required and no contract. North Data’s API starts at €500/month with a 12-month minimum commitment.
How does Registry Lookup compare to North Data?
North Data is a DACH-region specialist (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) with deep Handelsregister coverage. Registry Lookup is a global provider covering 309 jurisdictions including the same DACH data. For pure DACH workflows requiring daily refreshes, North Data is a strong specialist; for global workflows or any cross-border use case, Registry Lookup is the single source.
Does Registry Lookup cover German Handelsregister data?
Yes. Registry Lookup includes data from the German Handelsregister (HRB/HRA numbers), Austrian Firmenbuch, and Swiss Zefix registry. You can search by company name, registry number, or address. The free tier supports the full DACH dataset.
Can I migrate from North Data to Registry Lookup?
Yes. Both APIs return structured German company data with comparable fields. The migration involves mapping field names (Registry Lookup uses registry_number, jurisdiction_code, status, etc.) and updating endpoint paths. Most teams cut over in 1–2 days. Run in parallel until the existing 12-month North Data commitment lapses.
How fresh is the German data in Registry Lookup?
Registry Lookup refreshes German data weekly. North Data refreshes daily. For workflows requiring same-day Handelsregister filing visibility (e.g. real-time German entity onboarding), North Data’s daily refresh is an advantage; for due-diligence, prospecting, or research where weekly is acceptable, Registry Lookup’s broader scope wins.
Does Registry Lookup have DACH ownership data like North Data?
Yes, on the Enterprise plan. Registry Lookup covers ownership chains, parent companies, and beneficial ownership for DACH entities and the other 306 jurisdictions globally. North Data’s ownership product is DACH-focused; Registry Lookup’s scope is global.
Is the €500/month North Data API actually equivalent to the free Registry Lookup tier?
Volume-wise, yes — both include 5,000 requests per month. Coverage-wise, no — North Data’s €500/month plan is DACH-focused, while Registry Lookup’s free tier covers all 309 jurisdictions including DACH. The €500/month North Data plan is also locked into a 12-month commitment (€6,000 minimum spend). Registry Lookup’s free tier is month-to-month with no commitment.
Other comparisons
Try Registry Lookup Free
5,000 free API calls per month. No credit card required. Start searching 521M+ legal entities in minutes.
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