Best Sherlock Alternatives in 2026
The top Sherlock alternatives are IBM i2 Analyst’s Notebook, OWASP Amass and BuiltWith: 15 OSINT tools our editors would look at instead of Sherlock, in our ranking order.
Sherlock: An open-source command-line tool for checking username and profile presence across sites. Where it falls short: focused on username and profile checks, not domain or IP lookup.
Switching from Sherlock? For most osint tools buyers the best Sherlock alternative is IBM i2 Analyst’s Notebook, built for analysts mapping complex entity relationships. On a budget, Netlas starts at $40.83/mo. OWASP Amass has a free plan.
Why People Look for a Sherlock Alternative
- Focused on username and profile checks, not domain or IP lookup
- Does not provide monitoring alerts or link analysis
- No API access
- No domain & IP lookup — 5 of the alternatives below have it
- No monitoring & alerts — 5 of the alternatives below have it
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallIBM i2 Analyst’s Notebook9.2
Analysts mapping complex entity relationships
Visit IBM i2 Analyst’s Notebook - Lowest priceNetlas7.6
Paid plans from $40.83/mo
Visit Netlas - Best free optionOWASP Amass8.8
Has a free plan
Visit OWASP Amass - Best for domain & ip lookupIntelligence X7.7
Domain & IP lookup (Sherlock: no)
Visit Intelligence X
All 15 Sherlock Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
-
Best forAnalysts mapping complex entity relationships
- Better than Sherlock:
- Link analysis
- API access
- Editor score 9.2 vs 6.5
A Windows desktop tool for charting connections, flows and events in investigations.
- Link analysis
- Data export
- API access
9.2/10★★★★★Visit IBM -
Best forFree, self-hosted external asset reconnaissance
- Better than Sherlock:
- API access
- Editor score 8.8 vs 6.5
A self-hosted OSINT framework for mapping internet-facing assets and relationships.
- API access
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit OWASP Amass -
Best forTechnology-focused web reconnaissance
- Better than Sherlock:
- API access
- Editor score 8.6 vs 6.5
A technographic research tool for profiling websites and building technology-based lead lists.
- API access
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit BuiltWith -
Best forContinuous external attack-surface investigations
- Better than Sherlock:
- API access
- Editor score 8.2 vs 6.5
Continuous asset discovery and exposure monitoring for security-focused teams.
- API access
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Censys -
Best forAffordable domain and IP lookups
- Better than Sherlock:
- Editor score 7.8 vs 6.5
A focused lookup service for domain and IP research, with browser tools and a query-based API.
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit ViewDNS.info -
Best forSearching indexed leaks and historical web data
- Better than Sherlock:
- Domain & IP lookup
- Monitoring & alerts
- API access
A broad OSINT search engine for indexed leaks and historical web data.
- Domain & IP lookup
- Monitoring & alerts
- Data export
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Intelligence X -
Best forInternet-wide domain and infrastructure research
- Better than Sherlock:
- API access
- Editor score 7.6 vs 6.5
Search scan, DNS, WHOIS, certificate and vulnerability data, with API and CLI access.
- API access
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Netlas -
Best forFree domain and organization reconnaissance
- Better than Sherlock:
- Domain & IP lookup
- Monitoring & alerts
- API access
A free, open-source tool for domain reconnaissance with local history, scheduling, and API access.
- Domain & IP lookup
- Monitoring & alerts
- Data export
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit theHarvester -
Best forSocial and open-web entity investigations
- Better than Sherlock:
- Domain & IP lookup
- Monitoring & alerts
- Link analysis
Combines social and open-web search with entity analysis, alerts, and exports.
- Domain & IP lookup
- Monitoring & alerts
- Link analysis
7.4/10★★★★☆Contact Social Links -
Best forAutomated entity reports and situational alerts
- Better than Sherlock:
- Monitoring & alerts
- Link analysis
- API access
A sales-led OSINT suite for automated entity reports, alerts, and link analysis.
- Monitoring & alerts
- Link analysis
- Social source search
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit Skopenow -
Best forEnterprise knowledge-graph investigations
- Better than Sherlock:
- Monitoring & alerts
- Link analysis
- API access
An enterprise investigation platform built around multi-source data and knowledge graphs.
- Monitoring & alerts
- Link analysis
- Social source search
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit DataWalk -
Best forPreserving web research as evidence
- Better than Sherlock:
- Editor score 7.1 vs 6.5
A focused evidence-capture tool for investigators who need searchable, exportable web records.
- Social source search
- Data export
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit Hunchly -
Best forInvestigator-led social-network research
- Better than Sherlock:
- Editor score 7.0 vs 6.5
Investigator-focused OSINT for teams analyzing public information and online relationships.
- Social source search
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit ShadowDragon -
Best forFree domain-focused DNS reconnaissance
- Better than Sherlock:
- Domain & IP lookup
- Link analysis
- Editor score 6.9 vs 6.5
A free, focused way to map a domain’s visible DNS infrastructure.
- Domain & IP lookup
- Link analysis
- Data export
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit DNSDumpster -
Best forFree email, phone and username lookups
- Better than Sherlock:
- Domain & IP lookup
- Editor score 6.8 vs 6.5
A free, web-based toolkit for investigating identities through public online data.
- Domain & IP lookup
- Social source search
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Epieos
Sherlock Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Sherlock?
IBM i2 Analyst’s Notebook: #1 in our OSINT Tools ranking, with an editor score of 9.2 out of 10. A Windows desktop tool for charting connections, flows and events in investigations.
Is there a free alternative to Sherlock?
Yes. OWASP Amass, BuiltWith, ViewDNS.info, Intelligence X and Netlas have a free plan or a free tier (9 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for Sherlock alternatives?
Focused on username and profile checks, not domain or IP lookup; Does not provide monitoring alerts or link analysis; No API access.
How do I switch from Sherlock?
Export your data from Sherlock (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Sherlock.
How to Switch from Sherlock
- Export your data from Sherlock (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Sherlock.
Sherlock vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Social source search | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Sherlock | Yes | Free | Yes | 6.5 |
| 1 | IBM i2 Analyst’s Notebook | No | No | 9.2 | |
| 2 | OWASP Amass | Yes | Free | 8.8 | |
| 3 | BuiltWith | Yes | $144/yr | 8.6 | |
| 4 | Censys Attack Surface Management | 8.2 | |||
| 5 | ViewDNS.info | Yes | 7.8 | ||
| 6 | Intelligence X | Yes | 7.7 | ||
| 7 | Netlas | Yes | $40.83/mo | 7.6 | |
| 8 | theHarvester | Yes | Free | No | 7.5 |
| 9 | Social Links | Yes | 7.4 | ||
| 10 | Skopenow | No | Yes | 7.3 | |
| 11 | DataWalk | Yes | 7.2 | ||
| 12 | Hunchly | Yes | Yes | 7.1 | |
| 13 | ShadowDragon | Yes | 7.0 | ||
| 14 | DNSDumpster | Yes | Free | No | 6.9 |
| 15 | Epieos | Yes | Free | Yes | 6.8 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update