The main Panjiva alternatives are other shipment data platforms: ImportYeti (its core US import search was free when we checked in October 2026), Volza, ImportGenius, TradeAtlas and Eximpedia. Panjiva itself, part of S&P Global, has by its own count 9 million companies and over 2 billion shipment records covering 35% of global trade flows; prices are not published and access starts with a demo. Which alternative fits depends on one question first: do you need records of past shipments, or a list of companies that would buy from you now? Outfound does the second. It starts from the buyer you describe and researches each company on its website today.
In this comparison
- Panjiva alternatives at a glance
- Customs data or buyer research: which do you need?
- Panjiva and Outfound side by side
- Why "35% of global trade flows" matters
- Where shipment data falls short for finding buyers
- How Outfound finds buyers
- When Panjiva is the better choice
Panjiva alternatives at a glance
All five platforms below sell or show shipment records, like Panjiva. The differences are in which countries they cover, how far back the records go, how contacts work and whether you can see the price before you talk to sales.
| What it is | Coverage | Price (from its own site) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ImportYeti | Search engine over US Customs bills of lading | US sea imports; Mexico on paid plans | Core search free; paid price not shown on an open page (its FAQ, 11 Oct 2026) |
| Volza | Customs and shipment data platform | 182 countries on Startup, 200 on SME and Corporate, by its pricing page; many are mirror data | $1,500, $4,500 or $9,600 a year; 7-day free trial with $50 of credit |
| ImportGenius | US bills of lading, with other countries as add-ons | US on self-serve plans; 25+ countries on Enterprise | $229 a month or $2,198 a year (USA Essentials); Enterprise from $1,999 a month; no free trial |
| TradeAtlas | Customs data platform | Countries that publish customs records; EU data rebuilt from partner countries | See our comparison |
| Eximpedia | Shipment records and trade statistics | Customs data for 28 countries, bill of lading data for 58, by its own figures | See our comparison |
| Outfound | Buyer research and first outreach, not a shipment database | Any company with a presence on the web | From $99 a month; see pricing |
Volza prices from volza.com/pricing on 19 October 2026; ImportGenius prices from importgenius.com/pricing on 18 October 2026; ImportYeti from its FAQ on 11 October 2026; Eximpedia figures from its subscription page on 11 October 2026. All in US dollars. Prices change, so check the provider's page before you buy.
ImportYeti: a free starting point for US imports
ImportYeti puts US Customs bills of lading in a search engine: type a product, company or HS code and see who shipped what to whom by sea. If your target market is the US and you want to see which companies already import your product, it costs nothing to try. It does not cover Europe, the Gulf or most of Asia. Details in ImportYeti review and alternative.
Volza: many countries, yearly plans
Volza sells shipment data for most countries in one subscription, billed yearly, with a 7-day free trial. Detailed records exist for a smaller set of countries; for the rest it rebuilds data from partner countries. Plans, excluded countries and contact limits are in Volza pricing.
ImportGenius: deep US data, monthly option
ImportGenius is built on US bills of lading going back to 2006 on its Pro plan, with a monthly plan you can cancel anytime and other countries as paid add-ons or on Enterprise. See ImportGenius pricing.
TradeAtlas and Eximpedia
Both are customs data platforms with records for the countries that publish them and partial data for the rest. TradeAtlas sells one-year data plans; Eximpedia sells US import data on quarterly and yearly plans, with all countries on its higher plans.
Customs data or buyer research: which do you need?
Panjiva and the five tools above answer the same question: who shipped what, to whom, and when. That is the right question if you analyse supply chains, track a competitor's customers or check a company before you trust it.
An exporter looking for new buyers usually has a different question: which companies in my target market sell or use what I make, and would talk to me now? Shipment records answer part of it. They show companies that already import your product, through the countries that publish records. They do not show distributors that buy locally, companies that are about to add a product line, or who at the company to write to.
Choose a shipment data tool if you need shipment history, supplier names or trade volumes, in a country whose records it covers.
Choose buyer research if you need companies that fit your product today, the reason they fit, and the person to write to, in any market.
Use both if you sell to the US or another country with good records: shipment data to see who imports, buyer research to check fit and reach the right person.
The full list of differences is in customs data vs buyer research.
Panjiva and Outfound side by side
| Panjiva | Outfound | |
|---|---|---|
| What it shows | Shipment records and company activity: "9 million companies and over 2 billion shipment records" | Fit researched on the company's website today, with the reason |
| How current | Records published after the shipment | The day you search |
| Coverage | "35% of global trade flows", by its own site | Any company with a presence on the web |
| Companies that do not import today but could buy | Not visible | Found |
| Contacts | Decision-makers at over 1 million companies | Decision-maker found for each company that fits; email verified |
| First email and sending | Not described on the site | Written for each company in the buyer's language; separate sending domain with SPF, DKIM, DMARC and warm-up |
| Price | Not published; demo on request | From $99 / month, published; cancel anytime |
Panjiva figures from panjiva.com on 19 October 2026.
Why "35% of global trade flows" matters
Shipment data is only as wide as the records countries publish. Many markets, the European Union first among them, do not publish customs records with company names, and in the US public records cover sea freight only. A platform can be very large and still miss most of the companies in the market you are targeting. Before buying any shipment data, ask which records exist for your target country and product.
Where shipment data falls short for finding buyers
- It is the past. Records appear weeks or months after the shipment.
- The consignee is often a forwarder or broker, not the company that sells or uses the goods.
- Companies that buy locally are invisible, though they may be the easiest to win.
- Everyone sees the same big importers, and their inboxes fill up.
All twelve limits are in customs data vs buyer research.
How Outfound finds buyers
You describe your buyer: who sells or uses your product, in which country.
Each candidate's website is read today. Companies that fit come with the reason and a source link, including ones that do not import today.
The decision-maker is found and the first email written for that company, in the buyer's language, sent after your approval.
Sending is set up for you, with a separate domain, SPF, DKIM, DMARC and warm-up.
Plans start at $99 a month with no per-seat fee; the trial includes 20 company discoveries and 40 email drafts. See pricing.
When Panjiva is the better choice
- You analyse supply chains, sourcing risk or a competitor's shipments at scale.
- You need shipment-level history for the countries its records cover.
- You already work in S&P Global tools and want trade data delivered alongside them.
Last updated: · By: Tolga Tatar