Global trade crossed $35 trillion for the first time in history in 2025 — up roughly 7%, or about $2.2 trillion, year on year, per UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Every one of those shipments leaves a paper trail, and the platforms that turn that trail into buyer and supplier lists have never been more valuable. Panjiva — now part of S&P Global Market Intelligence — is one of the best-known names in that space. It is also one of the most expensive, and for most small and mid-sized exporters it is overkill.
If you have been quoted a five-figure annual contract and bounced off it, you are in the right place. This guide breaks down the best Panjiva alternatives for 2026 — the strongest Panjiva competitors and adjacent trade data tools — with an honest, like-for-like comparison so you can match the platform to your budget and use case, not the other way around.
The 30-second version
- Panjiva (S&P Global, acquired 2018) carries 2 billion+ shipment records and 9 million companies — but pricing is quote-only and historically lands in the $15,000–$50,000+/year enterprise range per third-party comparisons.
- For SMEs, transparent-priced tools start far lower: ImportGenius lists plans from $229/month; Volza from about $1,500/year.
- Coverage varies wildly: from US-only (ImportYeti) to 200+ countries (Volza, Descartes Datamyne, ShipScout).
- ShipScout is the affordable SME pick: 11 billion+ records, 240+ countries, India and worldwide markets, contact intelligence where available, and a free trial.
- The right choice depends on three questions: which markets, do you need decision-maker contacts, and can you live with a quote-based contract.
What is Panjiva, and why look for alternatives?
Panjiva is a supply-chain intelligence platform that aggregates customs and carrier records into a searchable graph of who ships what to whom. S&P Global finalized its acquisition of Panjiva in February 2018, folding it into S&P Global Market Intelligence. Today the platform advertises 2 billion+ shipment records across 9 million companies, drawn from 22 customs and carrier sources including the United States, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Vietnam. It also offers decision-maker emails and phone numbers on over 1 million companies, plus delivery via API, Snowflake and S&P's Xpressfeed.
It is a genuinely powerful product. The catch is who it is built for. Panjiva sits inside an enterprise data house, its pricing is quote-only, and independent comparisons put historical contracts in the $15,000–$50,000+ per-year band. For a procurement team at a Fortune 500, that is rounding error. For an exporter trying to find their first ten buyers in a new market, it is a non-starter.
The question is rarely "is Panjiva good?" — it almost always is. The real question is whether you need an enterprise supply-chain graph, or simply a fast, affordable way to find verified buyers and suppliers.
The 7 best Panjiva alternatives in 2026
Below are the strongest competitors and complementary tools, positioned honestly. Where a vendor does not publish pricing, we say so rather than guess.
1. ShipScout — the affordable SME pick
ShipScout turns 11 billion+ shipment records across 240+ countries into ranked buyer and supplier lists, with contact intelligence where available and a self-serve free trial. It covers both worldwide markets and India (via mirrored licensed trade data), and is built for exporters who want results in minutes, not a procurement cycle. Browse the live company directory or jump straight to US importers.
2. ImportGenius — transparent US-first pricing
One of the longest-running US trade-data tools. ImportGenius lists its plans publicly: USA Essentials from $229/month, USA Pro from $449/month, and a Global Enterprise tier from $1,999/month covering 21+ countries. Strong on US bills of lading and daily updates; contact data is limited.
3. Volza — broad global coverage, mid-market price
UAE-based Volza advertises trade data across 203 countries and 2 billion+ records, bundling verified buyer/supplier contacts and 20+ shipment filters. Plans start around $1,500/year, making it a popular Panjiva alternative for globally-minded SMEs.
4. Tendata — high record volume, Asia strength
Shanghai-based Tendata markets access to over 10 billion trade records, 90 million buyers and 130 million decision-makers across 141 countries. Pricing is quote-based — Custom / contact sales.
5. Trademo — modern UI plus compliance
Trademo Intel covers 2 billion+ shipment records from 10 million+ traders, with granular transactional data from 16 countries and HS-classification reach into 140+ countries. It pairs trade discovery with sanctions and HS-code compliance tooling. Pricing is Custom / contact sales.
6. ImportYeti — free US sea-shipment search
ImportYeti collates 70 million+ US customs sea-shipment records into a free, searchable database (free search is by company name). Excellent for a quick competitor-supplier lookup; limited to US ocean imports, no contact data.
7. Descartes Datamyne — the widest market footprint
Descartes Datamyne covers 230 markets and adds 500 million+ records a year (around 60,000 US maritime bills of lading daily), covering an estimated 85% of world import and export trade by value. Enterprise-grade; pricing is Custom / contact sales.
Honest comparison: coverage, India data, contacts, price
| Platform | Coverage | India data | Contact intel | Pricing model | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ShipScout | 240+ countries, 11B+ records | ✓ | ✓ where available | Self-serve + free trial | SMEs wanting affordable global buyer lists |
| Panjiva (S&P) | 2B+ records, 9M companies | ✓ | ✓ 1M+ companies | Custom / contact sales (enterprise) | Large enterprises, supply-chain risk |
| ImportGenius | 21+ countries, US-first | ✓ | — limited | From $229/mo (public) | US-focused, price-transparent buyers |
| Volza | 203 countries, 2B+ records | ✓ | ✓ | From ~$1,500/yr | Global SMEs on a mid-market budget |
| Tendata | 141 countries, 10B+ records | ✓ | ✓ | Custom / contact sales | Asia-heavy outbound sales teams |
| Trademo | 140+ (HS), 16 transactional | ✓ | ✓ | Custom / contact sales | Teams needing trade + compliance |
| ImportYeti | US ocean imports only | — | — | Free tier | Quick free US supplier lookups |
| Descartes Datamyne | 230 markets | ✓ | ✓ | Custom / contact sales | Enterprises wanting widest footprint |
A note on US data specifically: US bills of lading are legally public records, which is why so many of these tools surface rich US import detail. Coverage of other markets depends on each vendor's licensing and sourcing.
Coverage at a glance
Country footprint is the single clearest way to compare like-for-like. Here is verified country coverage across the platforms that publish a clean number:
Raw country count is not the whole story — depth, freshness and contact data all matter — but it is a fair first filter. If you sell into many markets, the 200+-country platforms (ShipScout, Descartes Datamyne, Volza) shortlist themselves. If you only need US imports, a focused or free tool may be enough.
How to pick: three questions
Skip the feature-matrix paralysis and answer these:
1. Which markets? US-only? ImportYeti or ImportGenius. Many countries? ShipScout, Volza or Datamyne. Asia-weighted? Tendata.
2. Do you need decision-maker contacts? If outreach is the goal, prioritise platforms with contact intelligence — and treat coverage as "where available," not "every record." See our primer on how to find buyers for export.
3. Can you live with a quote? Enterprise tools (Panjiva, Datamyne, Tendata, Trademo) are quote-based. If you want to start today without a sales call, choose a self-serve, price-transparent option.
How ShipScout helps SME exporters
- Affordable, self-serve access — start on a free trial instead of waiting on an enterprise quote; scale only when it pays off.
- Buyers ranked by volume — 11B+ records across 240+ countries become a prioritised shortlist, not a raw data dump. Explore German buyers or Vietnam trade partners.
- India plus worldwide — find international buyers for Indian exports with data-backed targeting, alongside global market coverage.
- Contact intelligence where available — go from "who imports this" to "who to email," and learn the records behind it in our guide to reading bill of lading data.
The best Panjiva alternative is the one that fits your markets, your need for contacts, and your budget — without locking you into an enterprise contract you do not need yet. If that is you, Start a free trial and pull your first buyer list today.
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