D&B is the global enterprise standard. UKDataAPI is the developer-friendly UK alternative — same core data, no DUNS numbers, 100x cheaper.
Dun & Bradstreet is the world's largest commercial credit bureau, with data on 500M+ businesses globally. Their DUNS Number is the de facto standard for supplier identification in enterprise procurement. For UK companies, D&B enriches Companies House data with proprietary credit scores, payment history, and trade data. But D&B pricing is enterprise-only — annual contracts typically start at £5,000-20,000+, with individual reports costing £15-40. UKDataAPI delivers the same underlying Companies House data, enriched with FCA cross-referencing, Gazette monitoring, and a transparent Corporate Distress Score, for £0.002-0.03 per call. You won't get D&B's proprietary trade payment data or DUNS numbers, but for UK-focused company intelligence, UKDataAPI covers 90% of the use case at 1% of the cost.
| Feature | UKDataAPI | Dun & Bradstreet |
|---|---|---|
| Company profile (name, status, SIC, address) | Included | Included with DUNS number |
| Officers & directors | Full list with appointment dates | Key executives with enrichment |
| Credit score | Corporate Distress Score (0-100) with factor breakdown | D&B Rating, Failure Score, Delinquency Score |
| Trade payment data | Not included | ✓Proprietary payment history from trade contributors |
| DUNS Number | Not included | ✓Universal business identifier used in global procurement |
| FCA regulatory status | ✓Cross-referenced automatically | Not standard — separate compliance products |
| Gazette notices (insolvency warnings) | ✓Real-time from The Gazette | Monitoring available on premium tiers |
| Government contracts | ✓From Contracts Finder | Not included |
| Global coverage | UK only | ✓500M+ businesses in 200+ countries |
| Output format | ✓Structured JSON API | API, web portal, batch file delivery |
| Batch processing | ✓Up to 500 req/min | Batch via enterprise integration |
| AI agent access (MCP/x402) | ✓Native support | Not available |
UKDataAPI
From £0.002/call (summary) to £0.03/call (full). Pay-as-you-go. No contract. Free tier: 200 credits/month.
Dun & Bradstreet
Enterprise contracts from ~£5,000-20,000+/year. Individual reports £15-40. Volume discounts on multi-year agreements.
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \ "https://www.ukdatapi.com/api/v1/entity/00445790?depth=full" # Returns: company profile, officers, PSCs, filings, charges, # FCA status, Gazette notices, government contracts, Distress Score # Cost: 16 credits (£0.03)
200 free credits. No contract. No credit card.
What Is a Company Credit Check? The Developer's Guide
Learn how to run UK company credit checks via API. Understand Corporate Distress Scores, red flags, and how to automate due diligence. Guide with free tool and code examples.
BusinessHow to Check if a UK Company Is Solvent
Learn how to check if a UK company is solvent. Understand insolvency warning signs, Gazette notices, Companies House status codes, and Corporate Distress Scores.
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