Censys Attack Surface Management vs Shodan: side-by-side comparison (2026)
Censys Attack Surface Management is a commercial external attack surface management solution by Censys. Shodan is a free external attack surface management 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
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, Fall 2026
Reviewed by Nika (Nikoloz) Kokhreidze.
KnocknocSponsored
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VisitInternet intelligence platform for asset discovery and attack surface mapping
A search engine for the Internet of Things (IoT) that discovers and monitors devices connected to the internet.
Side-by-side comparison
Feature
Censys Attack Surface Management
Shodan
Pricing model
Commercial
Free
Category
External Attack Surface Management
External Attack Surface Management
Deployment and fit
Deployment type
Cloud
Cloud
Company size fit
Mid-Market, Enterprise
SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise
Company
Company
Censys
–
Use cases and capabilities
Reconnaissance
Yes
No
Network Discovery
Yes
No
Blue Team
Yes
No
Network Monitoring
No
Yes
Core features
10 features listed
No features listed
Integrations
16 integrations listed
No integrations listed
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