Qualys External Attack Surface Management vs runZero

Qualys External Attack Surface Management gives security teams an outside-in view of internet-facing infrastructure and continuously monitors connected assets. It discovers domains, subdomains, cloud workloads, web applications, APIs, certificates, and exposed services, then identifies organizational ownership and maps asset relationships. The service can flag unapproved cloud services, test environments, abandoned assets, and other unmanaged resources, as well as changes to existing services and newly exposed assets. Qualys TruRisk scores prioritize discovered assets using vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, asset criticality, and external exposure. Assets can be added to inventory and scanned with VMDR. Listed native integrations include Certificate View, Policy Compliance, and Web Application Scanning. CSAM with EASM can produce PCI-DSS and FedRAMP asset security health reports and offers bidirectional ServiceNow CMDB integration. The managed service is accessed through a browser and needs no local server or software installation. A no-cost CSAM with EASM offer is listed at free for 30 days; other pricing is on request. Shodan-based discovery on leased IPv4 netblocks requires contacting a Qualys Technical Account Manager.

runZero is an attack surface and exposure management platform for inventorying IT, OT, IoT, cloud, mobile, and remote assets. It combines active scanning, passive traffic sampling, and API integrations to keep the inventory updated. Tracked information can include assets, services, screenshots, software, vulnerabilities, certificates, wireless devices, users, and groups. Reports include layer-2 topology maps and asset risk; alerts can appear in-product or arrive by email or webhook, including Slack. The service can run as hosted SaaS or on-premise using Consoles, distributed Explorers, and a command-line tool. runZero says it operates without agents, authentication, or appliances. Prebuilt integrations span cloud providers, EDRs, MDMs, vulnerability scanners, ITSM systems, and detection platforms, with an API and scripts for custom integrations. Community Edition is free for up to 100 assets, one organization, 10 recurring tasks, and 30 days of data retention. The Platform costs what you agree with the maker. Self-hosting the console requires a Platform license with runZero Care explicitly enabled.