Global vs National Business Directories
How globally scoped directories differ from national registers, and when each is the right choice.
Introduction
The distinction this dataset draws is editorial scope, not company headquarters. A directory is national when its coverage is tied to one jurisdiction — almost always because it is a statutory register — and global when a business anywhere can use it identically.
That rule produces a result some readers find surprising: Crunchbase and Trustpilot are recorded as global rather than United States entries, because a German company's relationship with them is the same as an American one's. Conversely, a national register is national no matter how large the country.
Evidence base
Evidence base: 241 of 295 verified directories in the PetroHrys dataset are scoped to a single country rather than globally. Every figure and table on this page is generated from those records at build time. Fields that were never established are shown as Unknown rather than filled in.
National coverage in this dataset is currently thin: it is concentrated in statutory registers, with roughly one per country. That is a deliberate consequence of the verification standard rather than a claim that no other national directories are worth listing on.
Who should use these
Companies deciding where to invest listing effort, and anyone confused about why a US-headquartered platform is not filed under the United States.
Comparison
| Directory | Country | Category | Scope | Submission | Verification required | Review system | PetroHrys Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Companies House Register | united-kingdom | government | national | Not a submission target | Yes | No | 95 |
| Tenders Electronic Daily | european-union | government | supranational | Not a submission target | Unknown | No | 94 |
| ABN Lookup | australia | government | national | Not a submission target | Yes | No | 93 |
| Search ASIC registers | australia | government | national | Not a submission target | Yes | No | 92 |
| Register of Charities (England and Wales) | united-kingdom | government | subnational | Not a submission target | Unknown | No | 92 |
| DPMAregister | germany | government | national | Not a submission target | Unknown | No | 92 |
| BODACC | france | government | national | Not a submission target | Unknown | No | 92 |
| Canadian Trademarks Database | canada | government | national | Not a submission target | Unknown | No | 91 |
| FDIC BankFind Suite | united-states | finance | national | Not a submission target | Unknown | No | 91 |
| L'Annuaire des Entreprises | france | government | national | Not a submission target | Yes | No | 91 |
| Veřejný rejstřík a Sbírka listin | czech-republic | government | national | Not a submission target | Yes | No | 91 |
| Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy | poland | government | national | Not a submission target | Unknown | No | 91 |
How to read this list
Most companies need exactly one national entry — the statutory register of their country of incorporation, which they get automatically — plus a small number of global listings chosen for their sector. National directories beyond the register are rarely worth the effort unless the business is genuinely local.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a US company listed under Global?
Because country records editorial coverage, not headquarters. Filing a worldwide platform under the United States because its company is registered there would mislead every reader outside the United States.
Related reading
Editorial references
Every directory named on this page has its own page recording what was verified, when, by whom, and from which source. Scoring is documented in How the PetroHrys Score Works, and the verification standard in How Directories Are Verified.