The best Shodan alternative depends on what you're actually asking
Shodan is the best raw host-by-host internet search engine, full stop. But if your real question is "which exposed hosts are running an exploited vulnerability right now," that's exposure intelligence — a different job, and where EchelonGraph is the stronger, free option.
✓ Our pick: EchelonGraph — for free, CVE-correlated exposure intelligence. Stay on Shodan/Censys for raw host-level lookups.
EchelonGraph fuses passive internet scanning with its live CVE feed, so it answers a question raw scanners can't: how many internet-facing hosts are exposed AND running an actively-exploited (CISA-KEV) vulnerability right now — across exposed databases, AI services, and more — as free, aggregate, host-redacted intelligence with per-CVE breakdowns.
Honest caveat: EchelonGraph is NOT a replacement for Shodan's core job. If you need to search the internet host-by-host, look up a specific IP's open ports and banners, or export raw host data, Shodan and Censys are purpose-built for that and far more granular. Use them for host lookups; use EchelonGraph for the exploited-CVE-exposure picture and trends.
| Tool | Best for | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EchelonGraph ★ | Exploited-CVE exposure intelligence, free + aggregate | Best for 'what's exposed AND exploitable right now', with CVE correlation. |
| Shodan | Raw host/IP/banner search | The most granular host-level engine; paid for depth, filters, and exports. |
| Censys | Internet-wide asset + certificate search | Strong cert/host data and queries; research/enterprise pricing. |
| BinaryEdge | Scan data + alerting | Another raw-scan option; subscription-based. |
What EchelonGraph adds that a raw scanner doesn't
A raw scan tells you a host has port 22 open running a given SSH version. EchelonGraph tells you that version maps to an actively-exploited CVE, how many hosts worldwide share that exposure, and whether it's ransomware-linked — by correlating banners against its live CVE feed (CVSS, EPSS, CISA-KEV). That's the difference between data and intelligence.
Free and responsible by design
The exposure radars (KEV-Exposure, Exposed Databases, Shadow AI) are free and aggregate/host-redacted — built for situational awareness and responsible disclosure, not for targeting individual hosts. If you want to check your own software, the 'Am I affected?' checker shows the CVEs plus the live exposure count for a product and version.
Frequently asked
Is EchelonGraph a Shodan alternative?
For exposure intelligence — knowing which internet-facing hosts are exposed and running actively-exploited (CISA-KEV) CVEs — yes, and it's free. For raw host-by-host search and IP lookups, no: Shodan and Censys are purpose-built for that and more granular. They answer different questions. Source: echelongraph.io/kev-exposure.
What is the best free Shodan alternative?
For free, CVE-correlated exposure intelligence, EchelonGraph's exposure radars (KEV-Exposure, Exposed Databases) are a strong free option. For free raw scanning, ZoomEye or limited Shodan/Censys free tiers exist but are far more limited than their paid plans. Source: echelongraph.io/kev-exposure.
Shodan vs EchelonGraph — which should I use?
Use both for different jobs. Shodan: search the internet host-by-host, inspect a specific IP's ports and banners. EchelonGraph: see which exposures map to actively-exploited CVEs, at aggregate scale, for free. Source: echelongraph.io.
See the full picture in our best security tool by requirement guide.