Global Database vs. Dun & Bradstreet (DNB): The Ultimate Business Data Comparison | Top Competitors & Alternatives

Introduction: Why Choosing the Right Business Data Provider Matters

Access to accurate, real-time company data is essential for businesses that rely on sales intelligence, compliance, risk assessment, and market expansion.

Dun & Bradstreet (DNB) is one of the oldest business data providers, founded in 1841, but its reliance on third-party data sources, slow updates, and restrictive licensing agreements has made it increasingly difficult for modern businesses to scale effectively.

Global Database, founded in 2015, identified a more innovative approach to business data acquisition:

✅ First-party data sourced directly from 100+ government registries

✅ In-house data enrichment tools for full firmographics, financials & digital insights

✅ No restrictions on resale, modifications, or usage across territories

✅ Unlimited data views, downloads, and API integrations

This article will compare Global Database vs. DNB across key areas that impact business success:

1. First-party data ownership vs. third-party reliance
2. Data accuracy & real-time updates
3. Legal restrictions & usage rights
4. Scalability: Unlimited access vs. pay-per-record
5. Innovation & adaptability

1. Data Ownership: First-Party vs. Partner-Dependent Data

✅ Global Database: First-Party Data with Direct Government Registry Integration

1. Owns and maintains data on 300 million companies worldwide.
2. Direct integration with 100+ government registries, ensuring unmatched accuracy.
3. No third-party resellers—all data is verified, controlled, and enriched in-house.
4. In-house enrichment tools add:
5. Firmographics (industry classification, employee count, digital insights, website & social profiles)
6. Financial data (up to 20 years of company reports, credit scores, risk indicators)
7. Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) mapping & corporate linkages
8. Verified executive contact details

❌ Dun & Bradstreet: Heavy Reliance on Third-Party Partners

1. Only owns data in US, UK, Nordics, and Canada.
2. For other countries, DNB relies on local data partners, such as:
3. Spain → Informa
4. Italy → Crif
5. Germany → Creditreform
6. Data quality varies by country due to third-party dependence.
7. Must pay royalties to local providers, leading to restricted resale rights and increased costs.

2. Data Accuracy & Real-Time Updates

✅ Global Database: Live Updates & Full Firmographic Enrichment

1. Real-time updates from official government sources, ensuring businesses access the most accurate data available.
2. Data enrichment includes:Ownership transparency with real-time UBO tracking
3. Financial performance (balance sheets, profit/loss, revenue trends)
4. Industry classification, employee size, website traffic insights
5. Verified direct contact details of key decision-makers
6. Unlimited online views & data exports, ensuring businesses always work with fresh, accessible data.

❌ Dun & Bradstreet: Aggregated Data with Delayed Updates

1. Updates depend on partner availability, leading to inconsistent refresh rates.
2. No full-firmographic enrichment—focuses more on credit risk data than complete business intelligence.
3. Pay-per-record model means businesses must purchase updates separately, instead of having continuous access to real-time information.

3. Legal Restrictions: Who Gives You More Freedom?

✅ Global Database: No Restrictions on Data Usage or Territories

1. Businesses have full ownership of the data they purchase, with no restrictions on resale, modifications, or geographic distribution.
2. Companies can integrate, resell, and create derivative works from the data without legal barriers.
3. Supports AI, SaaS, CRM, and fintech integrations, allowing businesses to seamlessly embed data into their products.
4. No royalty payments or third-party approvals needed, ensuring full data control and global scalability.

❌ Dun & Bradstreet: Strict Licensing, Territorial Restrictions & Legal Limitations

DNB enforces two types of licenses, each with severe restrictions:

1️⃣ Internal Use License:

1. Businesses cannot resell, modify, or create derivative products using the data.
2. Data is strictly for internal decision-making, making it useless for SaaS, fintech, and AI applications.
3. Even if a company enhances or combines DNB data with its own, it cannot be redistributed.

2️⃣ External Use License:

1. Allows companies to resell data to customers, but with strict limitations.
2. End customers cannot resell, modify, or create derivative products from the data.
3. Even if a company builds a proprietary analytics tool, DNB data cannot be embedded for commercial use without additional licensing.
4. Territorial restrictions:
5. Companies cannot resell DNB data in countries where DNB has local partnerships (e.g., Spain, Italy, Germany).
6. Even with an external use license, resale and redistribution are limited based on region.

These restrictions severely limit business scalability, making it difficult for companies to distribute, integrate, or monetize DNB data globally.

By contrast, Global Database offers unrestricted usage rights—allowing businesses to own, integrate, resell, and distribute data across any territory without limitations.

4. Flexibility & Usage: Unlimited Access vs. Pay-Per-Record

✅ Global Database: Unlimited Online Views & Data Exports

1. No pay-per-record limitations—access all company data without restrictions.
2. Unlimited online searches and downloads → no extra fees for exporting records.
3. Seamless API integration into CRMs, financial systems, and sales platforms.

❌ Dun & Bradstreet: Pay-Per-Record Model with Limited Access

1. Charges per report, download, or data block.
2. Users must pay separately for each financial report, UBO data, or corporate linkage.
3. Even API access is tiered, meaning companies must pay extra to access deeper data insights.

This makes DNB far less scalable for businesses that need continuous data access for AI, sales intelligence, and compliance automation.

5. Innovation & Adaptability: Legacy vs. Modern Business Intelligence

✅ Global Database: A Modern Approach to Business Intelligence

1. Founded in 2015, Global Database identified a more efficient and innovative approach to business data acquisition.
2. First-party data sourcing eliminates accuracy issues common with aggregators like DNB.
3. Designed for real-time API integration, making it the ideal choice for AI, fintech, and automation-driven industries.

❌ Dun & Bradstreet: A Legacy Provider Struggling to Innovate

1. Founded in 1841, DNB is the oldest business data provider in the industry.
2. Due to its complex partner network and outdated business model, DNB has been slow to innovate.
3. Rigid licensing, slow updates, and lack of enriched data make it less competitive compared to modern, first-party providers like Global Database.

6. Ideal Use Cases: Which Provider is Best for Your Needs?

Final Thoughts: Why Businesses Are Choosing Global Database Over DNB

🚀 Global Database gives businesses more control, flexibility, and accuracy by providing:

✅ First-party, real-time business intelligence from official government sources.

✅ Full firmographic enrichment (financials, UBO, executive contacts, tech insights).

✅ Unlimited online views and exports with unrestricted data usage.

✅ Scalable API for automation, compliance, and AI-driven analytics.

For businesses that need full transparency, deeper insights, and unrestricted access, Global Database is the clear choice over Dun & Bradstreet’s partner-restricted model.

🔍 Want to see the difference?

📩 Request a demo today and unlock the power of real-time, first-party business intelligence.