# Censys Attack Surface Management vs Shodan: 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). [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. ## 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 | Shodan | |---|---|---| | Pricing model | Commercial | Free | | Category | External Attack Surface Management | External Attack Surface Management | | Verified | No | No | | Deployment type | Cloud | Cloud | | Company size fit | Mid-Market, Enterprise | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | | Company | Censys | – | | Headquarters | – | – | ### Use cases and capabilities | | Censys Attack Surface Management | Shodan | |---|---|---| | Reconnaissance | Yes | – | | Network Discovery | Yes | – | | Blue Team | Yes | – | | Network Monitoring | – | Yes | ### Core features **Censys Attack Surface Management** 10 features listed. Sign in on the page to see them. **Shodan** No features listed. ### Integrations **Censys Attack Surface Management** 16 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 are a small business and you need a free product. ## Censys Attack Surface Management vs Shodan FAQ Common questions when comparing Censys Attack Surface Management vs Shodan for external attack surface management. ### What is the difference between Censys Attack Surface Management and Shodan? **Censys Attack Surface Management**: Internet intelligence platform for asset discovery and attack surface mapping. Built by Censys. **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 Censys Attack Surface Management a good alternative to Shodan? Often, yes. Censys Attack Surface Management and Shodan are both External Attack Surface Management products. Key differences: Censys Attack Surface Management is Commercial while Shodan is Free. 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) - [Shodan vs CyCognito EASM Platform](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cycognito-easm-platform-vs-shodan) - [Shodan vs Attaxion](https://cybersectools.com/compare/attaxion-vs-shodan) - [Shodan vs Driftnet Explore](https://cybersectools.com/compare/driftnet-explore-vs-shodan) ## Alternatives to each - [See all Censys Attack Surface Management alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/censys-attack-surface-management) - [See all Shodan alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/shodan) --- Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/censys-attack-surface-management-vs-shodan 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 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