PortWarden vs HostedScan

Side-by-side for small teams choosing affordable external attack surface management / exposure monitoring. Both are self-serve with published pricing. The better fit depends on footprint size, minimums, and whether you need internal scanning.

Criteria	PortWarden	HostedScan
Best for	Solo founders and small teams that want true per-IP external monitoring with no minimums	Teams okay with a 5-IP floor who want multi-engine scanning and broader MSP adoption
Starting price	$0 (first 3 IPs free, no time limit)	$0 trial (14-day); paid from ~$59/mo at 5-IP minimum
Unit pricing	~$10/IP after free tier	~$11.80/IP (example path); scales with targets
Minimums	None	5 IPs on common paid paths
Setup	Agentless, self-serve	Agentless external; internal scanning needs an in-network engine
Scan focus	External exposure + full port range (65,535) + multi-engine checks	Strong vulnerability scanning platform with attack surface monitoring features
Alerting / clarity	New port/service alerts, scan comparisons, AI + human-guided remediation on paid plans	Unlimited scans per target; reporting can feel technical for non-security staff
Support / maturity	Human guidance emphasized; newer entrant, shorter public track record	Larger installed base (MSPs/IT teams); more third-party integrations
Not ideal if	You need deep integrations or a long vendor track record first	You only have 1–4 IPs and do not want to pay a 5-IP floor

Prices verified: July 2026 on ScanReview review pages. Always confirm on the vendor site before buying.

Verdict

Pick PortWarden if…

You have a small external footprint and hate package minimums
You want first 3 IPs free without a short trial cliff
Full-port external visibility and change alerts matter most
You want remediation guidance aimed at lean teams

Pick HostedScan if…

You already have ~5+ IPs so the minimum is not waste
You care more about multi-engine vuln scanning heritage and MSP footprint
You may need internal network scanning later
Integrations (AWS, Azure, Vanta, Slack) are part of the decision

Plain call

For entry-level external-only monitoring with 1–4 assets, PortWarden fits better on price structure and minimums. HostedScan is the stronger pick when you are fine at 5+ targets and want a more established scanning platform with internal options. PortWarden is newer — if vendor tenure is your top filter, weight HostedScan higher and accept the minimum.

Visit PortWarden Visit HostedScan Entry-level tier reviews Small business tier

Prices verified: July 2026. Confirm current pricing on each vendor’s site before you buy.

How we rank: Best Choice badges follow our five criteria (setup time, scan quality, alert clarity, pricing transparency, support). Read the full methodology.

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