Introduction

Picking a company data API as a startup is about trade-offs: speed and uptime, breadth of coverage, freshness, lawful sources, and a pricing model you won’t outgrow in six months. This guide ranks popular options by what they’re best for, with links to official docs and pricing pages, plus a quick benchmarking snippet.

TL;DR: who to use when

API	Best for	Key data	Pros	Watch-outs	Pricing note
hellobrand.dev	Fast logos & brand basics for UI	Logo, favicon/OG, brand colors, basic firmographics	Very low latency; easy domain-in → asset-out	Not a fundraising/financials dataset	Usage-based; cache-friendly
Clearbit (by HubSpot)	Broad B2B firmographics for GTM	Industry, tech tags, employees, revenue bands	Mature enrichment; 100+ B2B fields	Enterprise leaning; pricing via sales	Part of HubSpot; enrichment product family. ([clearbit.com][1])
Brandfetch	Logos & brand identity at scale	Logos, colors, fonts, images, basic company	Simple brand/Logo APIs; good docs	Brand API metered separately from Logo API	Logo API free; Brand API from $99/mo. ([Brandfetch][2])
Crunchbase API	Funding & private-market intelligence	Funding rounds, investors, signals, predictions	Rich venture data; enterprise packages	API access via sales; custom licensing	API is read-only; pricing customized. ([Access Crunchbase Data][3])
People Data Labs	Large-scale person & company enrichment	Firmographics, social/domain signals	On-demand enrichment & data licensing	Credits vary by endpoint; model complexity	Credit-based pricing; endpoint-specific. ([People Data Labs][4])
OpenCorporates	Official registry data across jurisdictions	Legal names, officers, company numbers	Open data ethos; self-serve API plans	Varies by jurisdiction; not a GTM dataset	Self-serve plans available. ([api.opencorporates.com][5])
UK Companies House	Free UK company registry data	Company profile, officers, filings	Official, free, reliable	UK-only; rate limits apply	Public data API free of charge. ([API Catalogue][6])
Google Places API	Local business details (addresses, hours)	Place details, phone, hours, ratings	Great for physical locations	Not B2B firmographics; pay-as-you-go SKUs	Usage-based pricing; see Places billing. ([Google for Developers][7])

How to choose (evaluation checklist)

Coverage: Does it recognize your ICP’s domains and countries?
Freshness: How often is data refreshed? Are there validation headers you can use?
Latency: Is TTFB < 300ms from your region? Cacheable at the edge?
Fields you’ll actually use: Avoid hoarding attributes you won’t route or personalize on.
Licensing: Read ToS; some sources require custom/commercial licenses for API use. ([support.crunchbase.com][8])
Pricing model: per-call, per-record, or credit-based (endpoints priced differently). ([support.peopledatalabs.com][9])

Scenario-based picks

1) Faster signup UX (auto logos + brand colors)

Pick a brand-focused API (hellobrand.dev or Brandfetch). Render a 64–128px logo in your form confirmation and partner grid; cache for 7–30 days. ([Brandfetch][2])

2) Route & score B2B leads

Use an enrichment provider designed for GTM (Clearbit by HubSpot, People Data Labs). Map only the fields you’ll route on (industry, employees, country), and store a lastRefreshedAt. ([clearbit.com][1])

3) Investor & funding research

For intelligence on rounds and investors, go with Crunchbase’s API packages; expect to talk to sales for access. ([Crunchbase][10])

4) Regulatory/official names

For legal names/officers or KYB workflows, tap open registry data (OpenCorporates across jurisdictions; Companies House for the UK). ([opencorporates.com][11])

Quick benchmark script (Node.js)

Sanity-check latency from your region. Replace domains/URLs as needed.

import { performance } from 'node:perf_hooks';

const targets = [
  { name: 'hellobrand.dev logo', url: '[https://api.hellobrand.dev/logo/github.com?size=64](https://api.hellobrand.dev/logo/github.com?size=64)' },
  { name: 'Brandfetch brand', url: '[https://api.brandfetch.io/v2/brands/github.com](https://api.brandfetch.io/v2/brands/github.com)' },
  { name: 'Clearbit enrich', url: '[https://company.clearbit.com/v2/companies/find?domain=github.com](https://company.clearbit.com/v2/companies/find?domain=github.com)' }
  // add your own endpoints here
];

(async () => {
  for (const t of targets) {
    const t0 = performance.now();
    const r = await fetch(t.url, { method: 'GET' });
    const ms = Math.round(performance.now() - t0);
    console.log(`${t.name}: ${r.status} in ${ms}ms`);
  }
})();

Note: Some providers require keys/headers—add them before testing.

Vendor snapshots & sources

Clearbit (by HubSpot)

Real-time company enrichment with 100+ B2B fields; Clearbit is now part of HubSpot. ([clearbit.com][1])

Brandfetch

Logo API and Brand API for logos, colors, fonts, and more; Brand API pricing starts at $99/mo (Logo API free). ([Brandfetch][12])

Crunchbase API

Read-only REST API for private-market data; pricing and packages are customized via sales. ([Access Crunchbase Data][3])

People Data Labs

Company enrichment and search endpoints with credit-based pricing that varies by API. ([People Data Labs][4])

OpenCorporates

Open registry data API with self-serve plans. ([api.opencorporates.com][5])

UK Companies House

Free public data API for UK companies. ([API Catalogue][6])

Google Places API

Pay-as-you-go pricing for place details; useful for physical business info rather than B2B firmographics. ([Google for Developers][7])

FAQ

Can I mix multiple APIs?

Yes. Many teams blend a fast brand/metadata API for UX with a deeper enrichment API for routing, and a registry API for KYB/legal checks.

How do I control costs?

Cache aggressively, request only the fields you need, and run backfills in batches. For some providers, credits differ per endpoint—plan accordingly. ([support.peopledatalabs.com][9])

Can I store logos or data long-term?

Check each provider’s ToS; some allow hot-linking with cache headers, others require storage or attribution. Crunchbase access is licensed via sales. ([support.crunchbase.com][8])

Conclusion

There’s no single ‘best’ API for every startup. Choose the right API for your stage and use case: fast logos for UX polish, enrichment for routing, registry data for KYB, and funding intelligence when you need it. Start small, cache, and keep your mappings lean—then scale usage as ROI becomes clear.

Best Company Data APIs for Startups (Speed, Coverage, Price)

Ready to get started with HelloBrand API?