# Smogcloud vs SurfaceDiff: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[Smogcloud](https://cybersectools.com/tools/smogcloud) is a free [external attack surface management](https://cybersectools.com/categories/external-asm) solution. [SurfaceDiff](https://cybersectools.com/tools/surfacediff) is a commercial [external attack surface management](https://cybersectools.com/categories/external-asm) solution by [SurfaceDiff](https://cybersectools.com/companies/surfacediff). 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, Google Mandiant Attack Surface Management and 4 more.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | Smogcloud | SurfaceDiff |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free | Commercial |
| Category | External Attack Surface Management | External Attack Surface Management |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | On-Premises | Cloud |
| Company size fit | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | 347 | – |
| Last commit | Jul 2020 | – |
| Company | – | SurfaceDiff |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Smogcloud | SurfaceDiff |
|---|---|---|
| Reconnaissance | Yes | Yes |
| AWS | Yes | – |
| Security Tools | Yes | – |
| DNS Security | – | Yes |
| Port Scanning | – | Yes |
| TLS | – | Yes |
| Subdomain Enumeration | – | Yes |
| Network Scanning | – | Yes |
| Security Scanning | – | Yes |
| Alerting | – | Yes |
| Visibility | – | Yes |
| Web Security | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Smogcloud**

No features listed.

**SurfaceDiff**

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

## Which one fits you

Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source.

- [Smogcloud](https://cybersectools.com/tools/smogcloud) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.
- [SurfaceDiff](https://cybersectools.com/tools/surfacediff) fits if you want a cloud product and you are a startup.

## Smogcloud vs SurfaceDiff FAQ

Common questions when comparing Smogcloud vs SurfaceDiff for external attack surface management.

### What is the difference between Smogcloud and SurfaceDiff?

**Smogcloud**: A Go-based tool for discovering and inventorying internet-facing AWS assets across single or multiple accounts to help maintain comprehensive cloud attack surface visibility.

**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.

### Who makes Smogcloud and SurfaceDiff?

**Smogcloud** is open-source with 347 GitHub stars. **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.

### Is Smogcloud a good alternative to SurfaceDiff?

Often, yes. Smogcloud and SurfaceDiff are both External Attack Surface Management products, and both cover Reconnaissance. Key differences: Smogcloud is Free while SurfaceDiff is Commercial, Smogcloud is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [Smogcloud vs DDactic Attack Surface Discovery](https://cybersectools.com/compare/ddactic-attack-surface-discovery-vs-smogcloud)
- [Smogcloud vs Attack Surface Scan](https://cybersectools.com/compare/attack-surface-scan-vs-smogcloud)
- [Smogcloud vs Trickest ASM - Attack Surface Management](https://cybersectools.com/compare/smogcloud-vs-trickest-asm-attack-surface-management)
- [SurfaceDiff vs DDactic Attack Surface Discovery](https://cybersectools.com/compare/ddactic-attack-surface-discovery-vs-surfacediff)
- [SurfaceDiff vs Attack Surface Scan](https://cybersectools.com/compare/attack-surface-scan-vs-surfacediff)
- [SurfaceDiff vs Trickest ASM - Attack Surface Management](https://cybersectools.com/compare/surfacediff-vs-trickest-asm-attack-surface-management)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Smogcloud alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/smogcloud)
- [See all SurfaceDiff alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/surfacediff)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/smogcloud-vs-surfacediff

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

More on Smogcloud and SurfaceDiff: 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