HailBytes ASM vs Detectify
A self-hosted, source-available Detectify alternative for security teams, MSSPs, and pen-test firms that want continuous external reconnaissance, without per-asset pricing or scan infrastructure controlled by a third party.
TL;DR
Detectify is a SaaS attack-surface monitoring platform with strong web-application vulnerability scanning and a curated finding-quality story. HailBytes ASM is a self-hosted, source-available alternative built on the reNgine reconnaissance engine, priced on infrastructure rather than asset count, and designed for teams that want full ownership of the scan pipeline.
- Pick HailBytes ASM if you have a large or fast-changing attack surface, run an offensive-security firm, want unlimited scans without credit consumption, or need full data sovereignty.
- Stay with Detectify if you primarily care about web-app vulnerability depth (EASM + DAST in one product) and don’t want to manage infrastructure.
Pricing & Cost Model
| Dimension | HailBytes ASM | Detectify |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing axis | Infrastructure ($0.24/vCPU/hour) | Per asset / per domain (tier-based) |
| Annual cost (small surface) | ~$4,200 | $5,000–$15,000 |
| Annual cost (mid surface, hundreds of subdomains) | ~$4,200–$8,400 | $25,000–$60,000+ |
| Annual cost (large surface, thousands of assets) | ~$8,400–$17,000 (4–8 vCPU) | $80,000+ (custom enterprise) |
| Free trial | 30 days via AWS / Azure Marketplace | 2 weeks (limited scope) |
| Procurement path | Cloud marketplace (counts toward EDP / MACC) | Direct SaaS contract |
The pricing gap widens as the attack surface grows. HailBytes scales on VM size (linear and cheap), while per-asset pricing scales with asset count (faster and more expensive).
Architecture & Control
| Dimension | HailBytes ASM | Detectify |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Self-hosted in your AWS / Azure account | SaaS (Detectify-hosted) |
| Source code access | Full ELv2 source-available (built on reNgine) | Closed source |
| Data residency | Whatever cloud region you pick | Detectify-controlled regions |
| Scan engine | 30+ open-source recon tools orchestrated | Detectify proprietary + crowdsourced |
| Custom scan logic / wordlists | ✅ Full control | 🟡 Limited |
| Per-tenant isolation | One VM per tenant | Multi-tenant SaaS |
Capability Comparison
| Capability | HailBytes ASM | Detectify |
|---|---|---|
| Subdomain enumeration | ✅ Multi-source (CT logs, brute, passive DNS) | ✅ |
| Port & service scanning | ✅ Full | ✅ |
| CVE matching | ✅ | ✅ |
| Web-app DAST / vuln research | 🟡 OSS-toolchain breadth | ✅ Crowdsourced ethical-hacker depth |
| Unlimited scans | ✅ | ❌ Tier / asset-count limited |
| Custom wordlists | ✅ Unlimited | 🟡 Limited |
| AI-powered analysis | ✅ OpenAI + Ollama (local GPU) | 🟡 Limited |
| MCP server / AI-agent tooling | ✅ Built-in (Claude / Cursor / Windsurf) | ❌ |
| SIEM integration | ✅ Splunk, Sentinel, Elastic, Chronicle | ✅ |
| Jira / Slack routing | ✅ | ✅ |
| Government cloud (GovCloud / Azure Gov) | ✅ Both | 🟡 Limited |
| White-label for client deliverables | ✅ Built-in | ❌ |
When HailBytes ASM Wins
- Large or fast-growing attack surfaces. Per-asset pricing punishes growth; infrastructure pricing absorbs it. Continuous monitoring blog post.
- Pen-test firms reselling continuous monitoring. Flat per-instance cost is what makes the white-label deliverable pencil out. Pen-test firm playbook.
- Teams that want full source visibility. Auditing your scan pipeline, building custom detection rules, and integrating internal tools all require source access; ELv2 gives it.
- Government and regulated industries. AWS GovCloud and Azure Government deployments keep data inside your own tenancy.
- AI-agent-driven recon workflows. The built-in MCP server lets Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf orchestrate scans, triage findings, and pivot deeper without leaving the IDE.
When Detectify Wins
- Web-application vulnerability depth is your priority. Detectify’s crowdsourced research network produces high-quality web-app findings that pure recon-tooling won’t catch.
- You want EASM and DAST in one product and are willing to pay for the convenience.
- Small, slow-changing attack surfaces. If your asset count is genuinely small and stable, per-asset pricing can come in cheaper than the marketplace VM at the low end.
Try HailBytes ASM
The AWS and Azure Marketplace listings include a 30-day free trial covering the underlying VM. Run it against your own attack surface alongside your Detectify deployment and compare findings, scan cadence, and triage workflow side by side.
Related Comparisons
Other external attack-surface and recon platforms usually evaluated alongside Detectify:
- vs Censys — internet-wide certificate and port intelligence.
- vs Shodan — the original device search engine.
- vs Microsoft Defender EASM — Azure-native external ASM.
- vs runZero — asset inventory and network discovery.
- Full ASM comparison matrix — every vendor side by side, plus the HailBytes ASM product page.
See HailBytes ASM in Action
Skip the slide deck. Watch the product run end-to-end before you book a call.
Try HailBytes ASM Free
Get a free trial deployment on AWS or Azure. Our team will walk you through setup and help you run your first reconnaissance scan within 30 minutes.
- ✓ 30-day free trial on AWS or Azure
- ✓ Guided onboarding from our security team
- ✓ No credit card required to start
- ✓ 30+ security tools pre-configured