Shodan
Search engine for Internet-connected devices, open ports and the services running on them.
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About Shodan
Shodan is a search engine that indexes devices connected to the Internet rather than web pages. It crawls IP addresses and records the banners that servers, routers, webcams, industrial control systems and other devices return, so you can search for things like every exposed MongoDB server or every host running a vulnerable software version. Security teams use it to watch their own external exposure, researchers use it to measure the spread of vulnerabilities, and its Monitor product alerts you when something new appears on your networks. Searching needs Shodan's query syntax rather than plain language. Basic searches are free with an account, while downloading results, filters, on-demand scans and API use are paid through query and scan credits that come with a membership or API subscription. There is also an official command-line tool and Python library. Shodan is best known in its niche, but newer rivals such as Censys offer more frequent scanning and broader enterprise features.
Best for: Security researchers and IT teams checking what devices and services are exposed on the Internet.
Pros and cons
What works
- Long-established index of device banners across the Internet
- Official CLI and Python library for scripting searches
- Network monitoring alerts for your own IP ranges
Why people leave
- Requires learning its filter syntax to get useful results
- Filters, bulk downloads and scans consume paid credits
- Website blocks many automated requests, making some info hard to reach
Top Shodan alternatives
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Censys66.5Larger enterprise platform with frequent scans, certificate data and attack surface management.
Why people left Shodan
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Reviews
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Shodan: common questions
Is Shodan free?
Shodan has a free plan and paid plans.
Is Shodan open source?
No, Shodan is not open source.
What platforms does Shodan run on?
Shodan is available for Web.
What are the best alternatives to Shodan?
The highest-ranked Shodan alternatives right now are Censys. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.