Detectify vs Qualys
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Detectify is an application security platform that performs dynamic vulnerability scanning across external attack surfaces, testing domains, IPs, APIs, and applications with payload-based techniques rather than relying solely on static signature matching. Its Surface Monitoring product continuously discovers and maps external assets while testing them for exploitable vulnerabilities. Detectify's API scanning uses Dynamic AI Fuzzing to test REST and GraphQL endpoints, and its Application Scanning performs deep, authenticated DAST testing with AI-powered fuzzing and crawling. A distinctive part of the platform is its Crowdsource network of more than 400 ethical hackers who feed newly discovered vulnerabilities, including many without an assigned CVE, into Detectify's scanner within minutes of research.
Qualys is an enterprise cyber risk and security platform built to help organizations "measure, communicate, and eliminate cyber risk." Its flagship VMDR (Vulnerability Management, Detection and Response) product continuously and automatically discovers assets across a network, including endpoints, servers, cloud workloads, containers, and IoT devices, then scans and prioritizes vulnerabilities for remediation. The platform emphasizes consolidation, positioning itself as a way for organizations to streamline and automate security and compliance work onto a single cloud platform rather than juggling multiple point tools, aiming for greater agility, better outcomes, and lower cost. Qualys does not publish list pricing on its site; prospective customers request pricing through the company's sales team based on organization size and needed modules.
- Crowdsourced ethical hacker research surfaces vulnerabilities before they get a CVE
- Very fast turnaround from new research to live scanner test
- Combines surface monitoring, API, and application scanning in one platform
- Payload-based testing reduces false positives from static matching
- Broad asset discovery covering endpoints, cloud, containers, and IoT
- Platform consolidation reduces the need for multiple separate security tools
- Strong brand recognition and long track record in vulnerability management
- Continuous, automated scanning rather than one-off assessments
- Pricing is not published and requires a demo or trial request
- Crowdsource-driven findings mean coverage depends partly on researcher activity
- Best suited to organizations with dedicated security or AppSec staff to act on findings
- No public pricing is available; requires contacting sales for a quote
- Full feature depth of individual modules is not detailed on the general homepage
- Best suited to organizations with dedicated security teams to act on findings
More alternatives & similar tools
Alternatives to Detectify
View all →Vulnerability assessment scanner that finds, prioritizes, and helps remediate security weaknesses.
Alternatives to Qualys
View all →Vulnerability assessment scanner that finds, prioritizes, and helps remediate security weaknesses.
The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataDetectify focuses on external application and API security with AI‑driven and crowdsourced testing, while Qualys offers broad, continuous vulnerability management across all asset types.
Key differences
- •Detectify specializes in external web/app and API scanning using payload‑based AI fuzzing; Qualys covers endpoints, cloud, containers, IoT.
- •Detectify leverages a crowd of 400+ ethical hackers for fast new‑research integration; Qualys relies on its own vulnerability database.
- •Detectify emphasizes API testing (REST, GraphQL) and AI researcher Alfred; Qualys emphasizes unified compliance reporting and risk prioritization.
- •Both are cloud SaaS with no published pricing; only Detectify mentions CI/CD pipeline integration explicitly.
Pricing & value
Both require contacting sales; no public pricing, so value cannot be directly compared.
Ease of use / learning curve
Qualys offers continuous automated discovery across many asset types, likely reducing setup complexity versus Detectify's focused API configuration.
Features & depth
Detectify provides AI‑driven dynamic fuzzing, Alfred AI researcher, and crowdsourced vulnerability updates within 15 minutes.
Integrations & ecosystem
Detectify explicitly mentions CI/CD pipeline integration for API testing; Qualys lists no specific integration details.
Collaboration
Detectify’s crowdsource network surfaces findings before CVE assignment, enabling proactive collaboration with ethical hackers.
Scalability
Qualys scans endpoints, cloud, containers, and IoT at scale; Detectify focuses on external web assets and APIs.
Support
Both provide demo/ trial request support; no further support details are given.
Choose Detectify if…
Teams needing dedicated external web/app and API security with AI and crowd‑sourced research.
Choose Qualys if…
Enterprises requiring broad, continuous vulnerability management across diverse asset classes.
Common questions
Is pricing publicly available for either tool?
No. Both Detectify and Qualys require contacting sales for a quote.
Which solution covers internal assets like servers and containers?
Qualys includes endpoints, cloud, containers, and IoT; Detectify focuses on external web and API assets.
Do either platform integrate with CI/CD pipelines?
Detectify explicitly mentions CI/CD pipeline integration for API testing; Qualys does not specify such integrations.

