# Attack Surface Scan vs Shodan: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[Attack Surface Scan](https://cybersectools.com/tools/attack-surface-scan) is a commercial [external attack surface management](https://cybersectools.com/categories/external-asm) solution by [Attack Surface Scan](https://cybersectools.com/companies/attack-surface-scan). [Shodan](https://cybersectools.com/tools/shodan) is a free [external attack surface management](https://cybersectools.com/categories/external-asm) solution. 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

| | Attack Surface Scan | Shodan |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Commercial | Free |
| Category | External Attack Surface Management | External Attack Surface Management |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | Cloud | Cloud |
| Company size fit | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| Company | Attack Surface Scan | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Attack Surface Scan | Shodan |
|---|---|---|
| DNS Security | Yes | – |
| TLS | Yes | – |
| SSL | Yes | – |
| Subdomain Enumeration | Yes | – |
| Security Scanning | Yes | – |
| Alerting | Yes | – |
| Fingerprinting | Yes | – |
| DMARC | Yes | – |
| SPF | Yes | – |
| Security Reporting | Yes | – |
| Network Monitoring | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Attack Surface Scan**

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

**Shodan**

No features listed.

### Integrations

**Attack Surface Scan**

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

**Shodan**

No integrations listed.

## Which one fits you

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

- [Shodan](https://cybersectools.com/tools/shodan) fits if you need a free product.

## Attack Surface Scan vs Shodan FAQ

Common questions when comparing Attack Surface Scan vs Shodan for external attack surface management.

### What is the difference between Attack Surface Scan and Shodan?

**Attack Surface Scan**: Agentless external attack surface monitoring with continuous change detection. Built by Attack Surface Scan.

**Shodan**: A search engine for the Internet of Things (IoT) that discovers and monitors devices connected to the internet.

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

### Is Attack Surface Scan a good alternative to Shodan?

Often, yes. Attack Surface Scan and Shodan are both External Attack Surface Management products. Key differences: Attack Surface Scan is Commercial while Shodan is Free. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [Attack Surface Scan vs SurfaceDiff](https://cybersectools.com/compare/attack-surface-scan-vs-surfacediff)
- [Attack Surface Scan vs crt.guru](https://cybersectools.com/compare/attack-surface-scan-vs-crtguru)
- [Attack Surface Scan vs DDactic Attack Surface Discovery](https://cybersectools.com/compare/attack-surface-scan-vs-ddactic-attack-surface-discovery)
- [Shodan vs SurfaceDiff](https://cybersectools.com/compare/shodan-vs-surfacediff)
- [Shodan vs crt.guru](https://cybersectools.com/compare/crtguru-vs-shodan)
- [Shodan vs DDactic Attack Surface Discovery](https://cybersectools.com/compare/ddactic-attack-surface-discovery-vs-shodan)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Attack Surface Scan alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/attack-surface-scan)
- [See all Shodan alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/shodan)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/attack-surface-scan-vs-shodan

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

More on Attack Surface Scan and Shodan: 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
