Best Shodan Alternatives in 2026 (Free & Paid)

Security teams use internet-wide scanning tools to discover exposed assets and monitor their external attack surface. These platforms solve the challenge of identifying devices, services, and vulnerabilities visible from the public internet, often before attackers find them.

Shodan Alternatives: A Comparison

Shodan pioneered the concept of a search engine for internet-connected devices. It indexes banners, services, and metadata from various ports and protocols. Other platforms have emerged, offering different data sets, query capabilities, and pricing models. We compare Shodan with its primary shodan alternatives: Censys, ZoomEye, Fofa, and Secably.

Feature Comparison Table

Feature	Shodan	Censys	ZoomEye	Fofa	Secably
Primary Focus	IoT/OT, exposed services	Attack Surface Management, Certificate Data	Cybersecurity mapping, Web/IoT assets	Cyberspace mapping, Asset discovery	Continuous Attack Surface Monitoring, Vulnerability Scanning
Data Sources	Banners, network metadata	TLS certificates, IPv4, websites, cloud	Web, host, component data	IP, domain, port, service banners	Domains, subdomains, IPs, open ports, services, web apps
Query Language	Robust, filter-based	Field-based, Boolean operators	Keyword, field-based	Keyword, field-based	Simple filters, pre-built queries
Vulnerability Detection	Indirect (via banners)	Direct (CVE mapping), indirect	Indirect (via components)	Indirect (via banners)	Direct (CVE mapping), active scanning
Historical Data	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
API Access	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (paid only)	Yes
Integrations	Limited direct	SIEM, SOAR via API	Limited direct	Limited direct	Webhooks, API
Pricing Model	Free tier, paid subscriptions	Free tier, paid subscriptions	Free tier, paid subscriptions	Free tier, paid subscriptions	Free tools, paid monitoring plans
Continuous Monitoring	Via alerts	Via alerts, ASM platform	Via alerts	Via alerts	Core offering (scheduled scans, alerts)
Global Coverage	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent (Asia-centric initially)	Excellent (Asia-centric initially)	Global scanning infrastructure

Pricing

Understanding the cost structure for internet-wide scanners helps teams budget effectively. Most platforms offer a free tier with limited queries or data access, alongside various paid subscriptions. These paid plans typically scale with query volume, data access, or advanced features like API usage and real-time alerts.

Shodan provides a free account allowing basic searches and a limited number of results. Paid API subscriptions offer increased query credits, API access, and network monitoring features via Shodan Monitor, and an academic upgrade is available to students and researchers. Larger organizations require custom enterprise pricing for extensive data access and dedicated support. Shodan is notable for offering a one-time membership fee for baseline access, alongside usage-based API subscriptions for continuous data feeds.

Censys offers a free community tier for basic searches and limited historical data. Their paid plans are generally structured around usage, including data volume and API calls. Censys differentiates its offerings with specialized products for Attack Surface Management (ASM) and Search, which cater to different organizational needs. Enterprise plans provide comprehensive data access, integration capabilities, and dedicated support. Censys pricing aligns with its focus on broader ASM capabilities, often reflecting the depth of its certificate and host data.

ZoomEye maintains a free tier that permits a certain number of daily queries and data exports. Their paid plans expand these limits, offering more extensive search capabilities, API access, and advanced features like threat intelligence feeds. ZoomEye's pricing is competitive, particularly for users in Asia, where its data collection began. Organizations needing large-scale data access or continuous monitoring often opt for their enterprise solutions, which include higher query volumes and priority support.

Fofa also provides a free tier with daily query limits and basic search functionality. API access requires a paid subscription; those plans unlock higher query volumes and detailed asset information. Fofa's pricing model is generally usage-based, with different tiers for individual users and corporate clients. Like ZoomEye, Fofa has strong coverage in Asia, and its pricing reflects a balance between affordability and extensive data access. Enterprise customers can negotiate custom plans for specific data requirements and integration needs.

Secably offers a range of free website vulnerability scanner tools that require no signup, including a free port scanner and SSL/TLS certificate checker. These tools provide instant results for immediate checks. For continuous monitoring and full attack surface management, Secably offers paid plans starting at $19/month. These plans include scheduled scans, real-time alerts, and detailed reporting on discovered assets and vulnerabilities. Secably's focus is on providing actionable insights for external attack surface management without the need for complex query languages. You can explore full details on Secably pricing.

Features

Each shodan alternative offers distinct features catering to specific security needs. While all provide internet-wide scanning, their data collection methods, query capabilities, and analytical tools vary significantly.

Shodan excels at identifying exposed services and devices based on banner grabbing and network metadata. Its strength lies in finding industrial control systems (ICS), IoT devices, and network equipment. Shodan's query language is powerful, allowing users to filter by port, country, organization, product, and more. It also offers map visualizations and historical data for observed changes. Shodan users often look for specific vulnerabilities linked to service versions. The platform includes an alerting system for newly exposed assets matching predefined queries.

apache country:US port:8080 http.title:"Welcome to Apache"

Censys offers deep insights into IPv4 hosts, websites, and TLS certificates. Its certificate data is particularly rich, allowing users to track certificate usage, identify misconfigurations, and discover related domains. Censys also maps vulnerabilities (CVEs) to discovered assets, providing a more direct path to risk assessment. Its Attack Surface Management (ASM) platform provides continuous monitoring and inventory of an organization's external assets. Censys query language supports complex Boolean logic and field-specific searches, making it highly flexible for detailed investigations.

services.software.vendor: Microsoft and services.software.product: IIS

ZoomEye focuses on mapping web and host assets across the internet. It collects data on web components, operating systems, and open ports. ZoomEye's strength lies in its ability to identify specific web technologies, such as CMS platforms, web servers, and development frameworks. This makes it useful for web application security assessments and tracking technology adoption. Its query language supports keywords and field-based searches. ZoomEye also provides data visualizations and trend analysis for discovered assets.

app:nginx country:CN os:linux port:443

Fofa provides extensive data on IP addresses, domains, and open ports. It collects service banners, HTTP headers, and other metadata to identify running services and applications. Fofa's query language is versatile, allowing users to search by IP, domain, port, country, and specific service strings. It is widely used for reconnaissance, identifying exposed databases, and tracking specific vulnerabilities based on service versions. Fofa also offers a robust API for programmatic access to its data, which is useful for integrating with other security tools.

protocol=http && country="US" && title="Login"

Secably focuses on continuous external attack surface management and vulnerability scanning. It automatically discovers domains, subdomains (subdomain discovery tool), IP addresses, and open ports belonging to an organization. Secably performs active scans to identify vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and outdated software versions. It provides detailed reports on HTTP security headers (HTTP security headers checker), SSL/TLS configurations, and technology stacks (technology stack detector). Secably's strength lies in its automated, recurring scans and clear, actionable vulnerability reporting. It also offers specific tools like a CMS vulnerability scanner and DNS lookup tool. Read more about external attack surface management.

Ease of Use

The usability of these platforms varies, impacting the learning curve for new users and the efficiency for experienced practitioners. Factors include UI design, query language complexity, and the clarity of data presentation.

Shodan's interface is straightforward for basic searches. Its query language, while powerful, requires some learning to master advanced filters and operators. The results are presented clearly, with filters and maps. New users can quickly perform simple searches, but exploiting its full potential demands familiarity with its specific syntax and data fields. Shodan also provides a command-line interface, appealing to users who prefer terminal-based interactions.

Censys offers a clean, modern web interface. Its SQL-like query language can be intuitive for those familiar with database queries but might present a steeper learning curve for others. The platform provides extensive documentation and examples. Censys's ASM product aims for a more guided user experience, streamlining asset discovery and vulnerability management. Its data visualizations help in understanding complex relationships between assets.

ZoomEye features a user-friendly interface with clear search bars and filters. Its query language is keyword and field-based, similar to traditional search engines, making it relatively easy to pick up. The platform offers various data views, including maps and charts, which aid in visualizing internet assets. ZoomEye's documentation is available in multiple languages, supporting a broader user base. Its focus on web components makes it accessible for web-centric investigations.

Fofa's interface is functional and efficient. Its query syntax is powerful but requires users to understand the available fields and operators. Fofa provides a query builder to assist in constructing complex searches. The results are presented in a list format, with options for detailed views and data export. While not as visually rich as some competitors, Fofa prioritizes raw data access and query flexibility, which appeals to experienced security researchers. It offers good documentation with examples.

Secably prioritizes ease of use with an intuitive dashboard and automated workflows. Users define their target assets (domains, IPs), and Secably handles the scanning and monitoring. The platform presents findings in clear, actionable reports, detailing identified vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. No complex query language is required for its core monitoring features. Its free tools are instant and require no account, making them highly accessible for quick checks. Secably aims to reduce the operational overhead of continuous attack surface management. Learn more about continuous attack surface management.

API/Integrations

API access and integration capabilities are crucial for automating tasks, incorporating data into existing security workflows, and building custom solutions. All major shodan alternatives offer APIs, but their scope and ease of use differ.

Shodan provides a well-documented REST API, allowing programmatic access to its vast dataset. Users can automate searches, retrieve host information, and set up custom alerts. The API supports various programming languages and is widely used by researchers and developers for integrating Shodan data into scripts, SIEMs, or custom dashboards. Shodan's API is a core component of its value proposition for advanced users, enabling deep data analysis and correlation. Example API call:

curl https://api.shodan.io/shodan/host/8.8.8.8?key=YOUR_API_KEY

Censys offers a comprehensive API for its Search and ASM platforms. The API allows users to query data, retrieve host and certificate details, and manage assets within their ASM inventory. Censys's API is designed for integration with enterprise security tools, including SIEM, SOAR, and vulnerability management systems. Its API documentation is thorough, with examples and SDKs for popular languages. This facilitates building automated workflows for threat intelligence, asset discovery, and compliance monitoring. Censys's focus on structured data makes its API particularly powerful for analytical tasks.

# Example using the current Censys Search library
from censys.search import CensysHosts
h = CensysHosts(api_id="YOUR_API_ID", api_secret="YOUR_API_SECRET")
for page in h.search("services.service_name: HTTP", per_page=5, pages=1):
    print(page)

ZoomEye provides an API that enables programmatic access to its internet mapping data. Users can perform searches, retrieve host details, and access historical information. The API supports various parameters, allowing for detailed queries. ZoomEye's API is useful for security researchers looking to automate reconnaissance or integrate its data into custom threat intelligence platforms. While not as extensively documented for third-party integrations as some Western counterparts, it serves its purpose for automated data retrieval. Example API call:

curl -X GET "https://api.zoomeye.org/host/search?query=app:apache&page=1" -H "Authorization: JWT YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"

Fofa offers a powerful API for accessing its cyberspace mapping data. The API supports complex queries, enabling users to retrieve information on IPs, domains, ports, and services. Fofa's API is widely used for automating asset discovery, vulnerability research, and threat intelligence gathering. Its flexibility allows for integration into custom scripts and security frameworks. The API documentation provides clear examples for making requests and parsing responses, making it accessible for developers. Fofa's API is particularly strong for users building their own data correlation engines.

curl -H "X-FOFA-TOKEN: YOUR_TOKEN" "https://fofa.info/api/v1/search/all?qbase64=cHJvdG9jb2w9aHR0cCAmJiBjb3VudHJ5PSJVUyIgJiYgdGl0bGU9IkxvZ2luIg=="

Secably provides a REST API for managing monitored assets, retrieving scan results, and configuring alerts. The API allows organizations to integrate Secably's continuous monitoring data into their existing security operations. This includes pushing vulnerability findings to ticketing systems, feeding asset inventories into CMDBs, or triggering actions based on security alerts. Secably also supports webhooks for real-time notifications, simplifying integration with chat platforms, incident response tools, and custom scripts. Its API design focuses on actionable data relevant to attack surface management, making it straightforward to consume. For more information, see what is attack surface management explained for security practitioners.

Verdict

Choosing the right tool among shodan alternatives depends heavily on your team size, budget, and specific use cases. No single tool fits every scenario perfectly.

For small teams or individual researchers with a tight budget, Shodan, Censys, ZoomEye, and Fofa all offer free tiers suitable for occasional searches. If your primary need is quick reconnaissance of specific exposed services or IoT devices, Shodan is a strong contender. If you need to identify web technologies or look for specific vulnerabilities linked to service banners, ZoomEye or Fofa might be more efficient. For continuous, automated monitoring of your own external assets, Secably's free tools and affordable paid plans ($19/month) provide a dedicated solution without complex query requirements.

For mid-sized teams with a moderate budget focusing on proactive security and attack surface management, Censys stands out with its robust ASM platform and rich certificate data. It offers a more structured approach to inventory and vulnerability mapping. Secably also provides a strong offering here, with its focus on continuous scanning, clear vulnerability reports, and active vulnerability testing. If your team needs to integrate internet-wide data deeply into existing SIEM or SOAR systems, Censys and Shodan's comprehensive APIs are valuable.

For large enterprises with flexible budgets requiring extensive data access, deep integrations, and dedicated support, all platforms offer enterprise-grade solutions. Censys's ASM platform is particularly geared towards comprehensive organizational attack surface management. Shodan remains essential for deep dives into IoT and OT environments. Fofa and ZoomEye excel for global data, especially when analyzing assets with an Asian presence. For organizations prioritizing automated, continuous, and actionable vulnerability scanning of their known external assets, Secably provides a streamlined solution that directly maps to an organization's perimeter security.

Where Secably Fits

Secably positions itself as a practical solution for continuous external attack surface management (EASM) and vulnerability scanning. Unlike Shodan or Censys, which focus on providing a vast internet-wide dataset for exploration, Secably's core strength lies in monitoring and securing an organization's specific external digital footprint. We help teams understand what an external vulnerability scanner tells you.

While Shodan and its alternatives are excellent for broad reconnaissance and threat intelligence gathering, they require security teams to actively query and interpret raw data. Secably automates this process for your defined assets. You tell Secably which domains and IPs belong to you, and it continuously scans them for misconfigurations, open ports, outdated software, and known vulnerabilities. This frees up security analysts from constant manual searching and allows them to focus on remediation.

We acknowledge the power of tools like Shodan for discovering the unexpected or performing ad-hoc research. Shodan's ability to find obscure devices or unique banner grabs is unparalleled. However, for a security team's day-to-day operational needs—ensuring their own public-facing assets are secure and compliant—Secably offers a more direct, less noisy approach. Our platform translates raw scan data into actionable vulnerability reports, complete with remediation guidance.

Secably complements these internet-wide search engines. You might use Shodan to research a new threat or observe global trends, then use Secably to verify if your organization's assets are exposed to that specific threat. Our free tools, like the free website vulnerability scanner, offer instant checks that can quickly validate findings from broader internet scans. Secably provides continuous assurance, acting as an always-on sensor for your external perimeter. We believe in trustworthy open-source attack surface management principles, even with our commercial offerings. Our paid plans, starting at $19/month, deliver ongoing monitoring and alerts, making continuous security accessible for teams of all sizes. For general internet-wide search and threat intelligence, tools like Zondex also provide valuable insights into exposed services and reconnaissance data.