Censys alternatives
6 tools in the catalogue cover the same ground as Censys and can replace it depending on the need. Each one is reachable, re-checked daily, and listed with its pricing.
- ShodanfreemiumSearch engine for internet-exposed devices, services, and security-relevant banners.
- FOFAfreemiumChinese internet asset search engine similar to Shodan, indexing IP devices, services, and web apps with over 2 billion assets — particularly strong on Chinese and Asian infrastructure.
- ZoomEye.aifreemiumCyberspace search engine indexing internet-connected devices, services, and vulnerabilities globally. Provides AI-powered search via ZoomEyeGPT with support for ZoomEye dorks for targeted reconnaissance.
- OnyphefreemiumCyber defense search engine with internet scanning, threat intelligence, and attack surface management.
- Netlas.iofreemiumComprehensive internet scanning platform with OSINT, DNS, and WHOIS data. Free tier: 50 requests/day.
- BinaryEdge (R)paidCommercial security research platform with internet-wide scanning and module-based detection.
Head to head : Censys vs Shodan
Censys
Domain Name
Internet-wide scanner and search engine for hosts, certificates, and services.
RECOMMENDED USE
Certificate discovery, host enumeration, exposure monitoring
Launch Censys directly
Enter your target: the link opens with the query already filled in. Nothing is sent from this site.
Expected input: recherche
When to use this tool
Censys comes into play at these investigation steps, depending on your starting point.
- Collectionstarting point: domain or website · step 4 of 7
Observe the exposed services
Shodan and Censys index passively: you read their cache, you do not scan the target.
- Collectionstarting point: ip address · step 2 of 4
Locate the IP and its operator
Network attribution reveals the host, the country and sometimes the organisation.
Information
Video tutorials
Learn to use Censys
Suggested workflow
Chain these tools in order for a complete investigation
Combine with
These tools work great together
Similar tools
These tools can also help you
Hunter.how
Domain NameInternet-wide asset search engine: exposed services, certificates and technologies, with a syntax close to Shodan and different coverage.
ZoomEye.ai
Domain NameCyberspace search engine indexing internet-connected devices, services, and vulnerabilities globally. Provides AI-powered search via ZoomEyeGPT with support for ZoomEye dorks for targeted reconnaissance.
certgraph (T)
Domain NameCLI tool that crawls SSL certificates via Certificate Transparency logs to create a directed graph of domain relationships. Supports multiple drivers including crt.sh, Censys, HTTPS, and SMTP.
Criminal IP Search
Domain NameCyber threat intelligence search engine for exposed assets, domains, vulnerabilities, and risk indicators.
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