Scrutex vs UpGuard: An Honest Comparison for Security Teams
UpGuard and Scrutex CyberInsights both address external risk management, but they approach it from different angles. This comparison lays out exactly what each tool does, where each falls short, and which is the better fit for different organisational needs.
A note on methodology before we begin: this comparison is written by the Scrutex team, which means we have an inherent interest in the outcome. We have done our best to represent both platforms accurately and have noted where UpGuard is the stronger choice. If you find any factual errors, contact us and we will correct them.
Feature and pricing comparisons last verified: 20 March 2026. UpGuard's capabilities and pricing may have changed since this date. We recommend verifying current features directly with UpGuard before making purchasing decisions.
With that said, let's be direct. UpGuard and CyberInsights by Scrutex are not the same product. They overlap in some areas and differ significantly in others. The right choice depends on what you are trying to solve.
What UpGuard Does
UpGuard is primarily a vendor risk management and attack surface management platform. Its core strengths are:
- Vendor risk management: UpGuard's BreachSight product includes vendor risk assessments and third-party security ratings at scale
- Attack surface management: external-facing asset discovery and vulnerability identification
- Security questionnaires: a library of questionnaire templates for vendor assessment workflows
- Data breach notifications: alerts when your organisation or your vendors appear in known breach datasets
UpGuard is a well-established product with a large customer base, particularly among mid-to-enterprise companies that need to manage vendor risk at scale. It has been in the market since 2012 and has developed substantial breadth in the vendor risk domain.
What CyberInsights Does
CyberInsights by Scrutex is a CTEM platform covering five modules: Vulnerability Insights, Data Exposure Insights, Brand Insights, Vendor Insights, and Threat Insights. It is designed to provide complete external risk visibility from a single platform, with a freemium entry point and modular paid tiers.
Head-to-Head Feature Comparison
| Capability | CyberInsights (Scrutex) | UpGuard |
|---|---|---|
| External attack surface / vulnerability scanning | Full (Vulnerability Insights module) | Full (BreachSight) |
| Dark web credential monitoring | Full: stealer logs, breach dumps, paste sites, ransomware | Partial: breach notifications, limited stealer log coverage |
| Brand impersonation / typosquatting | Full: domains, social profiles, fake apps, phishing pages | Not included as of March 2026; verify with UpGuard for current capabilities |
| Automated brand takedowns | 5/month (Standard) / Unlimited (Enterprise) | Not included as of March 2026; verify with UpGuard for current capabilities |
| Vendor risk assessments | ISO 27001, NIST CSF, SOC 2 templates / 3/month (Standard) | Extensive questionnaire library / Scale advantage |
| Vendor security ratings | Partial: risk scoring based on scan data | Full: UpGuard's primary strength |
| Threat intelligence / IOC feeds | Full (Threat Insights module) | Not included as of March 2026; verify with UpGuard for current capabilities |
| Ransomware leak site monitoring | Included in Threat + Data Exposure modules | Not included as of March 2026; verify with UpGuard for current capabilities |
| Monthly report (per module) | Automated PDF, board-presentable | Manual export / custom reporting |
| Freemium tier | All 5 modules, up to 100 assets, free forever | No free tier |
| Module-by-module pricing | $100/module/month, start with one | Bundled annual contracts from ~$5,400/year |
| Enterprise continuous monitoring | Real-time + AI (Enterprise plan) | Partial: continuous scanning on paid plans |
| SIEM integration | Enterprise tier | Partial: API available |
| Multi-tenant MSSP support | Partner programme with revenue share | Partial: available but not a primary use case |
Pricing Comparison
This is one of the most significant differences between the two platforms.
UpGuard pricing starts at approximately $5,400/year for the BreachSight product (external attack surface only). Vendor risk management capabilities are additional. There is no free tier. Annual contracts are the norm. Pricing scales significantly with the number of vendors monitored and the breadth of features required.
CyberInsights starts completely free with all five modules, up to 100 assets, no credit card. The Standard plan is $100/module/month, meaning a single module like Vulnerability Insights is $1,200/year, significantly less than UpGuard's entry price. All five Standard modules at $500/month is $6,000/year, comparable to UpGuard's entry price but covering substantially broader scope.
Pricing information is based on publicly available data and may not reflect current rates, promotional offers, or custom enterprise pricing. Contact each vendor directly for accurate, up-to-date pricing.
Price for equivalent external risk coverage:
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UpGuard (EASM + vendor risk): $15,000-$30,000+/year (custom pricing at scale)
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CyberInsights (all 5 Standard modules): $6,000/year / Enterprise: custom pricing
Where UpGuard is the Better Choice
Being honest: there are scenarios where UpGuard is the right tool.
At-scale vendor risk programmes: if your primary requirement is managing a large portfolio of vendor relationships (100+ vendors) with sophisticated questionnaire workflows, UpGuard's depth in this area is significant. Their vendor risk management capabilities have been built over more than a decade and are particularly strong for enterprise procurement and compliance teams.
If you're already deeply embedded in the UpGuard ecosystem: switching costs are real. If your team's workflows, integrations, and historical data are in UpGuard, the benefit of switching needs to be meaningfully larger than the cost of migration to justify it.
US enterprise compliance-heavy environments: UpGuard has broader adoption in enterprise compliance contexts in the US and has certifications and integrations that matter in large enterprise procurement processes.
Where CyberInsights is the Better Choice
Broader risk coverage at lower cost: if you need vulnerability scanning, dark web monitoring, brand protection, vendor risk, and threat intelligence in one platform, CyberInsights covers more ground for less. UpGuard does not include brand protection, threat intelligence, or comprehensive dark web monitoring.
Starting from scratch or limited budget: the ability to start free, prove value, and expand module by module makes CyberInsights significantly more accessible for organisations that cannot commit to an annual enterprise contract without having experienced the product first.
Brand protection is a priority: if your organisation has had issues with brand impersonation, phishing, or typosquatting, UpGuard simply does not cover this. CyberInsights Brand Insights is a distinct capability with no equivalent in the UpGuard product suite.
Threat intelligence integration: CyberInsights Threat Insights provides IOC feeds, ransomware monitoring, and threat actor profiling that UpGuard does not. For security teams that need to contextualise their vulnerability findings against real-world threat actor activity, this is a meaningful difference.
MSSPs and consultancies: CyberInsights' multi-tenant architecture and partner programme with revenue share is built specifically for MSSPs. UpGuard can be used by MSSPs but is not optimised for multi-client management.
The Module-by-Module Philosophy
One of the most meaningful differences between the two platforms is the approach to pricing and packaging. UpGuard sells a bundled product: you buy the platform and get what's in it. CyberInsights sells individual modules: you pay for what you use and add more as your needs evolve.
For organisations that know exactly what they need, bundled pricing can be efficient. For organisations that are still mapping their exposure management programme, or that want to prove ROI on one capability before committing to broader spend, the modular approach is materially better. A $100/month trial of the Vulnerability Insights module is a decision a security manager can make without a procurement process. A $15,000/year commitment is not.
Summary: Which Platform for Which Organisation?
| If you are... | Consider |
|---|---|
| A large enterprise with 100+ vendors to assess and an existing compliance programme | UpGuard (stronger vendor risk depth) |
| A mid-market company needing broad external risk coverage across multiple domains | CyberInsights |
| An organisation that has experienced brand impersonation or phishing targeting customers | CyberInsights (UpGuard has no brand module) |
| A security team that needs threat intelligence alongside vulnerability data | CyberInsights (UpGuard has no threat intel module) |
| An MSSP managing multiple client environments | CyberInsights (purpose-built multi-tenant support) |
| An organisation with no security budget approved yet | CyberInsights Freemium (UpGuard has no free tier) |
| Already using UpGuard and happy with vendor risk management | Consider CyberInsights for dark web + brand coverage alongside UpGuard |
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Scrutex compare to UpGuard?
Scrutex CyberInsights covers five security modules (vulnerability scanning, dark web monitoring, brand protection, vendor risk, and threat intelligence) from a single platform with a free tier. UpGuard focuses primarily on vendor risk management and attack surface management, with deeper capabilities in large-scale vendor questionnaire workflows. CyberInsights offers broader external risk coverage at a lower price point, while UpGuard has more mature tooling for enterprise procurement teams managing 100+ vendor relationships.
Does Scrutex offer dark web monitoring?
Yes. CyberInsights Data Exposure Insights monitors stealer log repositories, dark web markets, breach dumps, paste sites, Telegram channels, and ransomware leak sites for credentials and data associated with your domain. This is a significant differentiator from UpGuard, which offers breach notifications but does not include comprehensive stealer log coverage or ransomware leak site monitoring as of March 2026.
Which platform is better for small security teams?
CyberInsights is the stronger choice for small teams because of its modular pricing ($100/module/month), free tier with all five modules, and breadth of coverage from a single platform. Small security teams benefit from consolidated visibility rather than managing multiple point tools. UpGuard's minimum annual commitment and bundled pricing model is better suited to larger teams with dedicated vendor risk management resources.
Is there a free tier available?
CyberInsights offers a free tier that includes all five modules with up to 100 monitored assets, no credit card required, available indefinitely. UpGuard does not offer a free tier. The CyberInsights free plan gives organisations meaningful external risk visibility and is designed to let teams prove value before committing to paid modules.
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