Two tools, one overlapping domain
If you search for parcel information for a Dutch address, you will sooner or later come across two names: PlotSense and Dataquint. Both offer access to data about land and buildings in the Netherlands. Yet they are not direct competitors in the classic sense. The platforms are built for a different audience, with a different pricing structure and a different purpose. This article sets out the differences honestly, so you can decide for yourself which tool fits your situation. We are not trying to discredit Dataquint here — where we do not know something with certainty, we say so explicitly.
What is Dataquint?
Dataquint is a Dutch data platform reportedly aimed primarily at property professionals: estate agents, appraisers, investors and financial service providers. The platform typically offers broad access to property data, such as WOZ values, transaction history, regional market figures and property characteristics. For professionals who assess multiple properties every day, that broad access is valuable — a single subscription grants access to thousands of properties, without paying again per address.
Platforms aimed at the professional market typically operate on a subscription basis: a monthly or annual fee, regardless of how many addresses are actually consulted. For an estate agency handling dozens of valuations a month, that is a sensible model. For a private individual who wants to check a single plot once, a subscription quickly becomes an expensive solution to a small, one-off question.
We have not been able to verify a current, public price list for Dataquint, and therefore deliberately do not state exact figures. What can be said is that the platform is most likely set up as a professional tool, not as a one-off consumer service.
What is PlotSense?
PlotSense is the mirror image of that. The platform is built for the private user who wants to investigate one specific plot, once, in a targeted way — before a purchase, a renovation, or a dispute with neighbours. No subscription, no account required upfront, no learning curve. You enter an address, see the plot on the map immediately, and order a report if you wish.
There are two reports. The Parcel Report (€25) provides the full baseline information: cadastral boundaries on a current aerial photo, the construction year and intended use of the main building, the WOZ value per year and the last registered sale transaction, an elevation profile of the terrain, and a regional indication of soil type and foundation risk. The Build Options Report (€65) adds the full building analysis: exact distances from every façade to the plot boundary, a calculation of what may be built permit-free, and an explanation of the applicable zoning or environmental plan. Both reports together are available for €59.
Both reports are available as a PDF immediately after payment — a document you can bring to a viewing, share with a contractor or architect, or keep on hand when making an offer.
Where does each platform get its data?
At the level of source data, both platforms largely overlap. PlotSense draws exclusively on public Dutch registries: the Kadaster for boundaries and ownership data, the BAG for buildings, construction year and intended use, the BGT for topography, the AHN for elevation data and the BRO for the soil map, supplemented with CBS transaction data for market information. This data is public and, in principle, accessible to anyone. PlotSense mainly adds structure, calculation and plain-language explanation — not a proprietary data source.
We assume Dataquint uses comparable public sources, such as the Kadaster, the BAG and WOZ registrations, supplemented with its own market analyses and possibly additional data sources specifically relevant to valuation and investment work, such as extensive comparable-property analyses. Because we do not have access to the platform itself, we cannot confirm this with certainty. We report it explicitly as an assumption, not as an established fact.
Price comparison: transparent versus on request
On the point of price transparency, the distinction between the two platforms is clear. PlotSense uses fixed, publicly stated prices: €25 for the Parcel Report, €65 for the Build Options Report, or €59 for both combined. You see the price before you pay, and there is no subscription or notice period attached. Looking up an address is always free.
Platforms aimed at the professional market, reportedly including Dataquint, typically do not publish their rates on their website. That is not unusual for B2B software in itself: the price often depends on the number of users, the data volume, or the desired functionality, and is put together on request by an account manager. For a property professional who uses the service structurally, that is a workable model. For a private buyer who wants to know upfront exactly what a one-off check will cost, the on-request model is a practical downside: you must first make contact before knowing whether the offer fits your budget.
Quick comparison
| PlotSense | Dataquint | |
|---|---|---|
| Target audience | Private individuals, buyers, owners | Estate agents, appraisers, investors |
| Pricing model | Fixed amount per report, one-off | Subscription (reportedly, price on request) |
| Price | €25 (Parcel Report) / €65 (Build Options) / €59 (combined) | Not publicly stated |
| Address lookup | Free | Usually only within a subscription |
| Build options + exact setback distances | Yes — including façade distances and permit-free space | Reportedly limited or not the focus |
| Foundation risk indication | Yes — regional, based on soil and construction year | Not known as a core feature |
| Aerial photo with cadastral boundaries | Yes | Not known as a standard feature |
| WOZ and transaction data | Yes — baseline level | Yes — reportedly more extensive, with market analyses |
| Downloadable PDF report | Yes | Not known as a standard feature |
| Suited to bulk use (dozens of properties) | No — priced per address | Yes — reportedly the purpose of the subscription |
| Subscription required | No | Reportedly yes |
Concrete scenarios: when do you choose which tool?
Scenario 1 — you are about to make an offer
You have viewed a house and are considering an offer. You want certainty within a day about the cadastral boundaries, the foundation risk, and whether the existing shed is actually in the right place. For this one-off, time-critical question, PlotSense is the logical choice: no sign-up process, no subscription, results within minutes for €25.
Scenario 2 — you are an estate agent handling twenty properties a month
Your office continuously needs up-to-date market data for valuations and sales advice: comparable transactions, value development per neighbourhood, extensive property history. At this usage pattern, a subscription is more cost-effective than twenty separate reports. A platform like Dataquint, reportedly built for this kind of ongoing, professional use, fits this workflow better than a series of individual PlotSense reports.
Scenario 3 — you want to build a garage or extension
You want to know how many square metres you can build permit-free, and at what distance from the plot boundary. This is exactly the question the PlotSense Build Options Report answers: the exact dimensions of your plot, combined with the national permit-free building scale. Generic property data platforms are typically not built for this.
Scenario 4 — you are an investor screening an entire neighbourhood on market value
You are comparing dozens of properties in a neighbourhood on WOZ development, transaction history and rental potential, as preparation for an acquisition strategy. That is exactly the kind of volume and market work professional platforms like Dataquint are positioned for. PlotSense is priced per address and therefore less suited when you want to screen dozens of properties at once.
What PlotSense uniquely offers
Beyond the target audience, there are a number of features where PlotSense stands apart from generic property data platforms, precisely because it is built specifically around the question "what can I do with this plot?":
- Foundation risk: a regional indication of soil type, drainage level and likely foundation type, based on construction year and BRO soil data. This is not a substitute for a foundation survey, but it is an early signal before the viewing.
- Build options: a concrete calculation of what may be built permit-free, based on the national scale and the existing buildings on the plot.
- Setback distances: a map showing the exact, measured distance from every façade to the plot boundary — the basis for any permit-free building calculation.
- PDF download: a complete, structured report available immediately after payment, which you can share with a notary, contractor or architect.
These are not features Dataquint necessarily lacks because it is a worse platform — they simply are not a core part of a tool built for valuation and market work rather than for build options at the individual plot level.
Conclusion
PlotSense and Dataquint solve a different problem, even though they may look similar at first glance. Dataquint is most likely the stronger platform for property professionals who need market data continuously, at volume. PlotSense is the logical choice for the private buyer or owner who wants to know, once, in a targeted way and without a subscription, what a specific plot allows — including build options, setback distances and foundation risk, delivered directly as a PDF. Which tool fits you best therefore mainly depends on how often you need the data and how deep you want to go into the technical building details.
Want to check a plot yourself? Enter your address at plotsense.app/zoek. Address lookup is free; you only pay when you order a report.