# Censys Attack Surface Management vs Puredns: side-by-side comparison (2026) [Censys Attack Surface Management](https://cybersectools.com/tools/censys-attack-surface-management) is a commercial [external attack surface management](https://cybersectools.com/categories/external-asm) solution by [Censys](https://cybersectools.com/companies/censys). [Puredns](https://cybersectools.com/tools/puredns) 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. ## Our take What our shortlists say about the one we picked. ### [Censys Attack Surface Management](https://cybersectools.com/tools/censys-attack-surface-management) Best for: Teams wanting broad internet data behind discovery It is on the list because discovery rests on a map of the whole internet that Censys keeps current, and the same data serves threat hunting, which suits a team that wants one source for both jobs. It fits mid-market and enterprise companies. Ask how it ranks risk for your assets, since a broad map is only as useful as the order it puts findings in. From [Best Attack Surface Management Solutions for Business](https://cybersectools.com/shortlists/best-attack-surface-solutions), Fall 2026. Reviewed by [Nika (Nikoloz) Kokhreidze](https://cybersectools.com/about). 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 | | Censys Attack Surface Management | Puredns | |---|---|---| | Pricing model | Commercial | Free | | Category | External Attack Surface Management | External Attack Surface Management | | Verified | No | No | | Deployment type | Cloud | On-Premises | | Company size fit | Mid-Market, Enterprise | Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | | GitHub stars | – | 1,982 | | Last commit | – | Nov 2024 | | Company | Censys | – | | Headquarters | – | – | ### Use cases and capabilities | | Censys Attack Surface Management | Puredns | |---|---|---| | Reconnaissance | Yes | – | | Network Discovery | Yes | – | | Blue Team | Yes | – | | Security Research | – | Yes | ### Core features **Censys Attack Surface Management** 10 features listed. Sign in on the page to see them. **Puredns** No features listed. ### Integrations **Censys Attack Surface Management** 16 integrations listed. Sign in on the page to see them. **Puredns** No integrations listed. ## Which one fits you Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source. - [Censys Attack Surface Management](https://cybersectools.com/tools/censys-attack-surface-management) fits if you want a cloud product. - [Puredns](https://cybersectools.com/tools/puredns) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you are a startup or a small business, you need a free product and you want an open-source product. ## Censys Attack Surface Management vs Puredns FAQ Common questions when comparing Censys Attack Surface Management vs Puredns for external attack surface management. ### What is the difference between Censys Attack Surface Management and Puredns? **Censys Attack Surface Management**: Internet intelligence platform for asset discovery and attack surface mapping. Built by Censys. **Puredns**: A fast domain resolver and subdomain bruteforcing tool. The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ. ### Who makes Censys Attack Surface Management and Puredns? **Censys Attack Surface Management** is made by Censys. **Puredns** is open-source with 1,982 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit. ### Is Censys Attack Surface Management a good alternative to Puredns? Often, yes. Censys Attack Surface Management and Puredns are both External Attack Surface Management products. Key differences: Censys Attack Surface Management is Commercial while Puredns is Free, Puredns is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ. ## Related comparisons - [Censys Attack Surface Management vs CyCognito EASM Platform](https://cybersectools.com/compare/censys-attack-surface-management-vs-cycognito-easm-platform) - [Censys Attack Surface Management vs Attaxion](https://cybersectools.com/compare/attaxion-vs-censys-attack-surface-management) - [Censys Attack Surface Management vs Driftnet Explore](https://cybersectools.com/compare/censys-attack-surface-management-vs-driftnet-explore) - [Puredns vs CyCognito EASM Platform](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cycognito-easm-platform-vs-puredns) - [Puredns vs Attaxion](https://cybersectools.com/compare/attaxion-vs-puredns) - [Puredns vs Driftnet Explore](https://cybersectools.com/compare/driftnet-explore-vs-puredns) ## Alternatives to each - [See all Censys Attack Surface Management alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/censys-attack-surface-management) - [See all Puredns alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/puredns) --- Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/censys-attack-surface-management-vs-puredns For AI agents: each product above has its own Markdown page (add .md to its URL, for example https://cybersectools.com/tools/censys-attack-surface-management.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md. More on Censys Attack Surface Management and Puredns: 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