# aquatone vs Detectify Surface Monitoring: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[aquatone](https://cybersectools.com/tools/aquatone) is a free [external attack surface management](https://cybersectools.com/categories/external-asm) solution. [Detectify Surface Monitoring](https://cybersectools.com/tools/detectify-surface-monitoring) is a commercial [external attack surface management](https://cybersectools.com/categories/external-asm) solution by [Detectify](https://cybersectools.com/companies/detectify). Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

Need the answer fast? [Best Attack Surface Management Solutions for Business](https://cybersectools.com/shortlists/best-attack-surface-solutions) picks Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse, Microsoft Defender EASM, Mandiant Attack Surface Management and 4 more.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | aquatone | Detectify Surface Monitoring |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free | Commercial |
| Category | External Attack Surface Management | External Attack Surface Management |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | On-Premises | Cloud |
| Company size fit | Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | 5,845 | – |
| Last commit | May 2019 | – |
| Company | – | Detectify |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | aquatone | Detectify Surface Monitoring |
|---|---|---|
| Port Scanning | Yes | – |
| DNS Security | Yes | Yes |
| CVE | – | Yes |
| Misconfiguration | – | Yes |
| Subdomain Enumeration | – | Yes |

### Core features

**aquatone**

No features listed.

**Detectify Surface Monitoring**

10 features listed. Sign in on the page to see them.

### Integrations

**aquatone**

No integrations listed.

**Detectify Surface Monitoring**

7 integrations listed. Sign in on the page to see them.

## Which one fits you

Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source.

- [aquatone](https://cybersectools.com/tools/aquatone) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you are a startup, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.
- [Detectify Surface Monitoring](https://cybersectools.com/tools/detectify-surface-monitoring) fits if you want a cloud product.

## aquatone vs Detectify Surface Monitoring FAQ

Common questions when comparing aquatone vs Detectify Surface Monitoring for external attack surface management.

### What is the difference between aquatone and Detectify Surface Monitoring?

**aquatone**: A tool for domain flyovers.

**Detectify Surface Monitoring**: Monitors internet-facing subdomains for vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. Built by Detectify.

The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ.

### Who makes aquatone and Detectify Surface Monitoring?

**aquatone** is open-source with 5,845 GitHub stars. **Detectify Surface Monitoring** is made by Detectify. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is aquatone a good alternative to Detectify Surface Monitoring?

Often, yes. aquatone and Detectify Surface Monitoring are both External Attack Surface Management products, and both cover DNS Security. Key differences: aquatone is Free while Detectify Surface Monitoring is Commercial, aquatone is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [aquatone vs DDactic Attack Surface Discovery](https://cybersectools.com/compare/aquatone-vs-ddactic-attack-surface-discovery)
- [aquatone vs SurfaceDiff](https://cybersectools.com/compare/aquatone-vs-surfacediff)
- [aquatone vs Cyber Exposure Manager](https://cybersectools.com/compare/aquatone-vs-galileo-security)
- [Detectify Surface Monitoring vs DDactic Attack Surface Discovery](https://cybersectools.com/compare/ddactic-attack-surface-discovery-vs-detectify-surface-monitoring)
- [Detectify Surface Monitoring vs SurfaceDiff](https://cybersectools.com/compare/detectify-surface-monitoring-vs-surfacediff)
- [Detectify Surface Monitoring vs Cyber Exposure Manager](https://cybersectools.com/compare/detectify-surface-monitoring-vs-galileo-security)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all aquatone alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/aquatone)
- [See all Detectify Surface Monitoring alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/detectify-surface-monitoring)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/aquatone-vs-detectify-surface-monitoring

For AI agents: each product above has its own Markdown page (add .md to its URL, for example https://cybersectools.com/tools/aquatone.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md.

More on aquatone and Detectify Surface Monitoring: funding, momentum, hiring and news, plus the full product and company record, are available through the Mandos MCP Server (paid plans), which connects to AI assistants: https://mandos.io/mcp?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=compare-md