Documented by Censys ASM only: none.
Documented by Hadrian only: PROVEN and RECHECKED.
Documented by both: FOUND and ROUTED.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Censys ASM vs Hadrian: which ASM tool takes an exposure further?
THE SHORT ANSWER
Hadrian scores higher overall on our weights, 6.60 to 5.15. Censys ASM scores higher on Fits the enterprise stack; Hadrian scores higher on Routes to an owner, Proves exploitability, Closes the loop and Buying transparency; they tie on Finds the unlisted estate and Contains before the patch. The table below gives the reason for every score.
Censys ASM
Rank 9 of 10
Best for: Threat intelligence and hunting teams that want raw internet scan evidence
Hadrian
Rank 4 of 10
Best for: Teams replacing periodic external pentests with continuous, agent-based proof
Which tool scores higher on each criterion?
| Criterion | Censys ASM | Hadrian | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|
Finds the unlisted estate 15%WhyCensys ASM: First-party scanning across all 65K ports, expanding from seeds the customer adds. Hadrian: Scans hourly or on events to keep the external inventory current; subsidiary mapping is not documented. | 7 / 10 | 7 / 10 | Tie |
Routes to an owner 10%WhyCensys ASM: Assets found beyond your seeds appear under a "Found by Censys" tab; attribution logic is not described in detail. Hadrian: Machine learning confirms whether an asset belongs to the organization. | 6 / 10 | 7 / 10 | Hadrian |
Proves exploitability 20%WhyCensys ASM: Confirms reachability and applies EPSS and KEV context; active exploitation testing is not documented. Hadrian: Agentic AI exploits issues to prove impact; Hadrian states it proves exploitability within 15 minutes. | 5 / 10 | 9 / 10 | Hadrian |
Contains before the patch 20%WhyCensys ASM: No compensating control is described. Hadrian: No edge rule, playbook or other compensating control is described. | 2 / 10 | 2 / 10 | Tie |
Closes the loop 15%WhyCensys ASM: Auto-creates, routes and tracks remediation tasks; no retest after a fix is described. Hadrian: Remediation guidance, automatic tickets and automatic regression testing after a fix. | 6 / 10 | 9 / 10 | Hadrian |
Fits the enterprise stack 10%WhyCensys ASM: Names Jira, ServiceNow ITSM and CMDB, Tenable VM, Google Security Operations, Microsoft Sentinel, Axonius, Brinqa, Slack, Webex and the three major clouds. Hadrian: Names Jira, ServiceNow, GLPI, Slack, Microsoft Teams, SentinelOne, Datadog, Zendesk and HubSpot plus an API. | 8 / 10 | 6 / 10 | Censys ASM |
Buying transparency 10%WhyCensys ASM: A free platform account and credits from $100 exist; ASM itself is contact sales. Hadrian: NOVA pentests from 1,250 euros per test excluding VAT, and ATLAS on AWS Marketplace at $50,000 per 12 months for up to 250 assets. | 4 / 10 | 7 / 10 | Hadrian |
Which steps does each tool document?
Censys ASM
- FOUNDDocumented
65K-port first-party scanning, expanding from seeds.
- OWNEDNot documented
Attribution logic not described in detail.
- PROVENPartial
Reachability confirmation with EPSS and KEV; no exploitation.
- CONTAINEDNot documented
No compensating control described.
- ROUTEDDocumented
Auto-creates and routes remediation tasks.
- RECHECKEDNot documented
Retest after a fix not described.
Hadrian
- FOUNDDocumented
Hourly or event-triggered external scanning.
- OWNEDPartial
Ownership confirmed by machine learning; subsidiary mapping not described.
- PROVENDocumented
Agentic exploitation; proof within 15 minutes, per Hadrian.
- CONTAINEDNot documented
No edge rule or compensating control described.
- ROUTEDDocumented
Automatic ticket creation.
- RECHECKEDDocumented
Automatic regression testing after fixes.
Partial counts as not documented for these three lines.
What do they cost?
Censys ASM
Not published
ASM: contact sales. A free Censys platform account exists, and platform credits start from $100.
To start: Seeds you add in the console or through the API.
Hadrian
NOVA agentic penetration test: from 1,250 euros per test excluding VAT. ATLAS on AWS Marketplace: 250 assets (domains, IP addresses and certificates) $50,000 per 12 months.
To start: Not specified on the pages reviewed.
Which should you choose?
Choose Censys ASM if
- it matters most to you that it fits the enterprise stack (8/10)
- it matters most to you that it finds the unlisted estate (7/10)
Choose Censys ASM if your threat intelligence or hunting team wants raw scan evidence and broad integrations. Look elsewhere if you need exploitation proof or containment.
Choose Hadrian if
- it matters most to you that it proves exploitability (9/10)
- it matters most to you that it closes the loop (9/10)
Choose Hadrian if you want continuous, attack-based proof in place of periodic external pentests, with a price you can see. Look elsewhere if you need edge mitigation or attribution across many subsidiaries.
Frequently asked questions
Which proves exploitability better, Censys ASM or Hadrian?
Hadrian scores higher on our proof criterion (Censys ASM 5/10, Hadrian 9/10). Censys ASM: Confirms reachability and applies EPSS and KEV context; active exploitation testing is not documented. Hadrian: Agentic AI exploits issues to prove impact; Hadrian states it proves exploitability within 15 minutes.
Can Censys ASM or Hadrian contain an exposure before the patch?
Censys ASM: not documented on the pages reviewed Hadrian: not documented on the pages reviewed Contain scores: Censys ASM 2/10, Hadrian 2/10.
Which is easier to buy, Censys ASM or Hadrian?
Censys ASM: contact sales. A free Censys platform account exists, and platform credits start from $100. Hadrian: NOVA agentic penetration test: from 1,250 euros per test excluding VAT. ATLAS on AWS Marketplace: 250 assets (domains, IP addresses and certificates) $50,000 per 12 months. Buying transparency scores: Censys ASM 4/10, Hadrian 7/10.
Read next
- Censys ASM profile
Scores, sources and pricing
- Hadrian profile
Scores, sources and pricing
- Beyond Censys ASM: alternatives
Eight alternatives ranked
- Beyond Hadrian: alternatives
Eight alternatives ranked
- Line them up
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