Documented by CyCognito only: OWNED, PROVEN, ROUTED and RECHECKED.
Documented by Tenable ASM only: none.
Documented by both: FOUND.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
CyCognito vs Tenable ASM: which ASM tool takes an exposure further?
THE SHORT ANSWER
CyCognito scores higher overall on our weights, 6.90 to 5.40. CyCognito scores higher on Finds the unlisted estate, Routes to an owner, Proves exploitability, Closes the loop and Buying transparency; Tenable ASM scores higher on Contains before the patch and Fits the enterprise stack. The table below gives the reason for every score.
CyCognito
Rank 3 of 10
Best for: Teams that want proof and a retested fix, starting from nothing but a company name
Tenable ASM
Rank 7 of 10
Best for: Tenable One customers who want external assets in the same exposure view
Which tool scores higher on each criterion?
| Criterion | CyCognito | Tenable ASM | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|
Finds the unlisted estate 15%WhyCyCognito: Starts from the organization's name with no IP ranges or asset lists, covering subsidiaries, brands and business units. Tenable ASM: Draws on an attack surface map of more than 5 billion assets to find domains related to your inventory. | 9 / 10 | 7 / 10 | CyCognito |
Routes to an owner 10%WhyCyCognito: Each finding carries a trace of how it was found and which subsidiary, brand or business unit it belongs to. Tenable ASM: Adds context from 200+ metadata fields; subsidiary or owner attribution is not described. | 8 / 10 | 6 / 10 | CyCognito |
Proves exploitability 20%WhyCyCognito: Runs 100,000+ unauthenticated black-box tests across 30+ categories without state changes, and added Continuous AI Pentesting in June 2026. Tenable ASM: Tenable One adds attack path analysis across 150+ techniques; the ASM product does not document exploit testing. | 9 / 10 | 5 / 10 | CyCognito |
Contains before the patch 20%WhyCyCognito: No compensating control or automated mitigation is described; exposures wait for the owner's fix. Tenable ASM: Hexa AI orchestrates automated remediation in Tenable One; no edge control is described for ASM itself. | 2 / 10 | 4 / 10 | Tenable ASM |
Closes the loop 15%WhyCyCognito: Step-by-step guidance, owner-linked workflows and a retest after each fix. Tenable ASM: Workflow runs through Tenable One and its connectors rather than ASM alone; no retest described. | 9 / 10 | 5 / 10 | CyCognito |
Fits the enterprise stack 10%WhyCyCognito: Names ServiceNow, Jira, Splunk and Zendesk for remediation workflows; edge and SOAR connections are not named on the pages reviewed. Tenable ASM: External findings land in Tenable One beside Tenable's vulnerability data, with Tenable One Connectors for third-party sources. | 6 / 10 | 9 / 10 | Tenable ASM |
Buying transparency 10%WhyCyCognito: Publishes its pricing basis and an AWS Marketplace price: $30,000 per 12 months for ASM covering up to 250 assets. Tenable ASM: ASM is quote-only, although Tenable lists prices for adjacent products such as Tenable One Vulnerability Management. | 6 / 10 | 3 / 10 | CyCognito |
Which steps does each tool document?
CyCognito
- FOUNDDocumented
Seedless discovery from the organization's name.
- OWNEDDocumented
Subsidiary, brand or business unit with a trace per finding.
- PROVENDocumented
100,000+ black-box tests; Continuous AI Pentesting since June 2026.
- CONTAINEDNot documented
No compensating control or automated mitigation described.
- ROUTEDDocumented
Owner-linked workflows into ServiceNow, Jira, Splunk and Zendesk.
- RECHECKEDDocumented
Retest after each fix.
Tenable ASM
- FOUNDDocumented
Domains related to your inventory from a 5 billion+ asset map.
- OWNEDNot documented
Subsidiary or owner attribution not described.
- PROVENNot documented
Attack path analysis in Tenable One; no exploit testing documented for ASM.
- CONTAINEDPartial
Hexa AI automated remediation, through Tenable One.
- ROUTEDPartial
Through Tenable One connectors, not ASM alone.
- RECHECKEDNot documented
Retest after a fix not described.
Partial counts as not documented for these three lines.
What do they cost?
CyCognito
Pricing basis published: total asset volume for ASM; active IPs and web applications for exposure validation. AWS Marketplace: CyCognito ASM 250 (up to 250 assets) $30,000 per 12 months; 24-month contracts "save up to 8%", 36-month "save up to 11%".
To start: The organization's name. "No IP ranges, no asset lists."
Tenable ASM
ASM: quote only. Tenable One is sold in two packages, Foundation and Advanced, both "Request a quote". Tenable lists some adjacent products online, for example Tenable One Vulnerability Management at $3,700 for one year for up to 250 assets.
To start: Demo request; no ASM trial listed.
Which should you choose?
Choose CyCognito if
- it matters most to you that it proves exploitability (9/10)
- it matters most to you that it finds the unlisted estate (9/10)
Choose CyCognito if you have no reliable asset list and want proof and a verified fix for each finding. Look elsewhere if you need exposures blocked at the edge before the patch lands.
Choose Tenable ASM if
- it matters most to you that it fits the enterprise stack (9/10)
- it matters most to you that it finds the unlisted estate (7/10)
Choose Tenable ASM if Tenable One is already your exposure platform. Look elsewhere if you want an ASM tool that proves and contains exposures on its own.
Frequently asked questions
Which proves exploitability better, CyCognito or Tenable ASM?
CyCognito scores higher on our proof criterion (CyCognito 9/10, Tenable ASM 5/10). CyCognito: Runs 100,000+ unauthenticated black-box tests across 30+ categories without state changes, and added Continuous AI Pentesting in June 2026. Tenable ASM: Tenable One adds attack path analysis across 150+ techniques; the ASM product does not document exploit testing.
Can CyCognito or Tenable ASM contain an exposure before the patch?
CyCognito: not documented on the pages reviewed Tenable ASM: not documented on the pages reviewed Contain scores: CyCognito 2/10, Tenable ASM 4/10.
Which is easier to buy, CyCognito or Tenable ASM?
CyCognito: Pricing basis published: total asset volume for ASM; active IPs and web applications for exposure validation. AWS Marketplace: CyCognito ASM 250 (up to 250 assets) $30,000 per 12 months; 24-month contracts "save up to 8%", 36-month "save up to 11%". Tenable ASM: quote only. Tenable One is sold in two packages, Foundation and Advanced, both "Request a quote". Tenable lists some adjacent products online, for example Tenable One Vulnerability Management at $3,700 for one year for up to 250 assets. Buying transparency scores: CyCognito 6/10, Tenable ASM 3/10.
Read next
- CyCognito profile
Scores, sources and pricing
- Tenable ASM profile
Scores, sources and pricing
- Beyond CyCognito: alternatives
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- Beyond Tenable ASM: alternatives
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