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: 15 of 64 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

Global vs National Business Directories: verified directories, top 12 of 15 by editorial score
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
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
Baza Internetowa REGON poland government national Not a submission target Yes 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
Bundesanzeiger germany government national Not a submission target Yes No 90
Gemeinsames Registerportal der Länder germany government national Not a submission target Yes No 90
Registro Imprese italy government national Not a submission target Yes No 90
Care Quality Commission united-kingdom healthcare national Not a submission target Yes No 89
Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle france government national Not a submission target Yes No 89
USPTO Trademark Search united-states government national Not a submission target Yes No 89

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.

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.