# DNS Assistant vs Shodan: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[DNS Assistant](https://cybersectools.com/tools/dns-assistant) is a commercial [external attack surface management](https://cybersectools.com/categories/external-asm) solution by [DNS Assistant](https://cybersectools.com/companies/dns-assistant). [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

| | DNS Assistant | 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 | DNS Assistant | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | DNS Assistant | Shodan |
|---|---|---|
| DNS Security | Yes | – |
| Alerting | Yes | – |
| RBAC | Yes | – |
| Multi Tenancy | Yes | – |
| REST API | Yes | – |
| MFA | Yes | – |
| Configuration Management | Yes | – |
| Misconfiguration | Yes | – |
| Network Monitoring | – | Yes |

### Core features

**DNS Assistant**

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

**Shodan**

No features listed.

### Integrations

**DNS Assistant**

3 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.

## DNS Assistant vs Shodan FAQ

Common questions when comparing DNS Assistant vs Shodan for external attack surface management.

### What is the difference between DNS Assistant and Shodan?

**DNS Assistant**: DNS posture mgmt platform for real-time DNS & WHOIS change monitoring. Built by DNS Assistant.

**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 DNS Assistant a good alternative to Shodan?

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

## Related comparisons

- [DNS Assistant vs SOC Radar DNS Monitoring](https://cybersectools.com/compare/dns-assistant-vs-soc-radar-dns-monitoring)
- [DNS Assistant vs Detectify Surface Monitoring](https://cybersectools.com/compare/detectify-surface-monitoring-vs-dns-assistant)
- [DNS Assistant vs Cyber Exposure Manager](https://cybersectools.com/compare/dns-assistant-vs-galileo-security)
- [Shodan vs SOC Radar DNS Monitoring](https://cybersectools.com/compare/shodan-vs-soc-radar-dns-monitoring)
- [Shodan vs Detectify Surface Monitoring](https://cybersectools.com/compare/detectify-surface-monitoring-vs-shodan)
- [Shodan vs Cyber Exposure Manager](https://cybersectools.com/compare/galileo-security-vs-shodan)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all DNS Assistant alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/dns-assistant)
- [See all Shodan alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/shodan)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/dns-assistant-vs-shodan

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

More on DNS Assistant 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