CloudBrute is a free external attack surface management solution. Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse is a commercial external attack surface management solution by Palo Alto Networks. Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.
What our shortlists say about the one we picked.
Best for: Large companies wanting automated fixes for exposures
It earns a place because it goes past listing exposures, since automated playbooks close them without a ticket, which suits a large company with a sprawling footprint. It fits mid-market and enterprise teams. Agree up front which fixes the playbooks may run on their own, because automatic changes to live assets need an owner.
From Best Attack Surface Management Solutions for Business, Fall 2026
Reviewed by Nika (Nikoloz) Kokhreidze.
A black-box reconnaissance tool that discovers cloud infrastructure, files, and applications across major cloud providers for security testing purposes.
Active attack surface mgmt solution for discovering & remediating unknown risks
See more solutions in this category, or build a security stack from your picks.
Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source.
CloudBrute fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.
Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse fits if you want a cloud product.
Common questions when comparing CloudBrute vs Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse for external attack surface management.
CloudBrute: A black-box reconnaissance tool that discovers cloud infrastructure, files, and applications across major cloud providers for security testing purposes.
Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse: Active attack surface mgmt solution for discovering & remediating unknown risks. Built by Palo Alto Networks.
The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ.
CloudBrute is open-source with 1,042 GitHub stars. Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse is made by Palo Alto Networks. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.
Often, yes. CloudBrute and Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse are both External Attack Surface Management products, and both cover Reconnaissance. Key differences: CloudBrute is Free while Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse is Commercial, CloudBrute is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.
Need the answer fast? Best Attack Surface Management Solutions for Business picks Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse, Microsoft Defender EASM, Mandiant Attack Surface Management and 4 more.See the shortlist
