Acalvio ShadowPlex vs Zscaler Deception (Smokescreen): Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

Acalvio ShadowPlex: Deception platform using external-facing decoys for threat intel & recon detection. built by Acalvio Technologies. Core capabilities include External-facing decoys for web apps, APIs, and IPv6 IIoT services, Reconnaissance detection and early attack visibility, Credential abuse monitoring (password spraying, brute-force, credential stuffing)..

Zscaler Deception (Smokescreen): Deception platform using decoys to detect lateral movement & identity attacks. built by Smokescreen. Core capabilities include Endpoint deception with decoy files, credentials, and processes, Application deception with decoy SSH servers, databases, and file shares, Cloud deception with decoy web servers, file servers, and databases..

Both serve the Honeypots & Deception market but differ in approach, feature depth, and target audience.

Acalvio ShadowPlex differentiates with External-facing decoys for web apps, APIs, and IPv6 IIoT services, Reconnaissance detection and early attack visibility, Credential abuse monitoring (password spraying, brute-force, credential stuffing). Zscaler Deception (Smokescreen) differentiates with Endpoint deception with decoy files, credentials, and processes, Application deception with decoy SSH servers, databases, and file shares, Cloud deception with decoy web servers, file servers, and databases.

Acalvio ShadowPlex is developed by Acalvio Technologies. Zscaler Deception (Smokescreen) is developed by Smokescreen. Vendor maturity, funding stage, and team size can be important factors when evaluating long-term viability and support quality.

Acalvio ShadowPlex and Zscaler Deception (Smokescreen) serve similar Honeypots & Deception use cases: both are Honeypots & Deception tools. Review the feature comparison above to determine which fits your requirements.