Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse is a commercial external attack surface management solution by Palo Alto Networks. SurfaceDiff is a commercial external attack surface management solution by SurfaceDiff. 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.
Active attack surface mgmt solution for discovering & remediating unknown risks
Continuous external attack surface monitoring that shows what changed between scans.
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.
SurfaceDiff fits if you are a startup or a small business.
Common questions when comparing Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse vs SurfaceDiff for external attack surface management.
Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse: Active attack surface mgmt solution for discovering & remediating unknown risks. Built by Palo Alto Networks.
SurfaceDiff: Continuous external attack surface monitoring that shows what changed between scans. Built by SurfaceDiff.
The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ.
Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse is made by Palo Alto Networks. SurfaceDiff is made by SurfaceDiff. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.
Often, yes. Palo Alto Networks Cortex Xpanse and SurfaceDiff are both External Attack Surface Management products, and both cover Reconnaissance. 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
