Comparison
The Companies Register vs a company report
The Companies Register is the official source and is free to search. A company report brings the register together with other public sources and adds monitoring. They work together rather than competing.
Updated 2026-06-20 · 5 min read
They are not rivals
The Companies Register is the authoritative public record of New Zealand companies and the source of truth for registration details. A report does not replace it; it reads the register and other public sources, puts them in one place, and watches for changes over time.
Side by side
| Companies Register | A company report | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The official public register | A consolidated read of public sources |
| Cost | Free to search | Paid, per check or by plan |
| Scope | Registration details for a company | Register plus other public signals |
| Format | One record at a time | One report you can keep and share |
| Monitoring | You re-check yourself | Continuous, with alerts |
| Best for | Confirming a single official detail | Repeatable checks and watching over time |
When to use which
For a quick, authoritative confirmation of one company detail, go straight to the official register. For repeatable checks across many companies, a record you keep on file, or watching a company over months, a consolidated report and monitoring do the gathering for you.
For anything that must be exactly current and official, the live register is always the final word. A report points you back to the live position for that reason.
Questions and answers
Is the Companies Register free?
Yes. The core company record on the official register is public and free to search yourself.
Does a report show more than the register?
A report brings the register together with other public sources and adds monitoring. For the official registration position, the live register remains the source of truth.
Check a company before you commit
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