SpiderFoot
SpiderFoot is an open-source OSINT automation tool, founded in 2005 and based in Tallinn, Estonia, used by security and investigation teams for automated data collection, web reconnaissance, and relationship mapping.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersTallinn, Estonia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What SpiderFoot does
SpiderFoot is a privately held open-source intelligence (OSINT) software provider founded in 2005 and based in Tallinn, Estonia. The company's flagship product, also named SpiderFoot, is an automation tool designed to conduct automated data collection, web-based reconnaissance, and mapping of relationships between data points, supporting use cases in cyber threat intelligence, digital investigations, and attack surface management. According to available source material, the tool is positioned alongside other OSINT platforms such as Maltego, ShadowDragon, and Shodan within the practitioner ecosystem, rather than as a competing standalone enterprise suite.
Operationally, SpiderFoot operates with a very small team (1–10 employees) and distributes its product as open-source. The source data does not disclose a commercial pricing tier, a subscription model, or an enterprise license, nor does it identify any paying customers, channel partners, or resellers. There is no disclosed funding history, parent company, or acquisition activity, and the company does not appear to publish certifications, patents, or compliance attestations in the available sources. Effectively, the public footprint is consistent with a single-maintainer or small-team open-source project with a long operating history rather than a venture-backed commercial software vendor.
The addressable customer base for SpiderFoot overlaps with security operations teams, threat intelligence analysts, and digital forensic investigators who require automated OSINT collection. However, the input data provides no customer logos, segment mix, or revenue figures that would allow quantification of market penetration, customer count, or commercial traction. The single mention of SpiderFoot in third-party source material is its inclusion in a list of OSINT tools relevant to investigations and threat intelligence work; no proprietary platform integration, leadership team, or growth metrics are documented.
SpiderFoot firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SpiderFoot
- Website
- https://spiderfoot.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SpiderFoot is an open-source OSINT automation tool, founded in 2005 and based in Tallinn, Estonia, used by security and investigation teams for automated data collection, web reconnaissance, and relationship mapping.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SpiderFoot industry classification
Industry- Product category
- OSINT and Cybersecurity Software
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital/Online Investigations & OSINT (Non-cyber) (BPAKAEAF)
Keywords
Where SpiderFoot is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tallinn
- HQ country
- Estonia
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
SpiderFoot business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations
SpiderFoot product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SpiderFoot is an open-source intelligence (OSINT) automation tool designed for investigations and threat intelligence work. It automates data collection from public sources, performs web-based reconnaissance, and maps relationships between data points to support security analysts and digital investigators. The tool is used alongside other OSINT platforms such as Maltego, ShadowDragon, and Shodan.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SpiderFoot
Companies that use SpiderFoot
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
SpiderFoot technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SpiderFoot partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves2 records
Expansion highlights1 record
SpiderFoot competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Maltego: Maltego is a widely used OSINT and link-analysis tool explicitly referenced alongside SpiderFoot. Both target investigators and security analysts with graph-based data relationship mapping, making Maltego the closest direct comparator in product category and buyer profile.
- Shodan: Shodan is a search engine for internet-connected devices and a core OSINT/reconnaissance tool. It is named alongside SpiderFoot as part of the same investigator toolkit, targeting similar security research and attack-surface-discovery use cases.
- ShadowDragon: ShadowDragon provides OSINT and digital investigations tooling for law enforcement, corporate security, and intelligence teams. It is referenced alongside SpiderFoot and targets an overlapping buyer persona of investigators and threat intelligence practitioners.
Broad incumbents
- Intel 471: Intel 471 is a commercial cyber threat intelligence and attack surface management vendor with a much broader product portfolio (Verity471 platform) and analyst-driven HUMINT operations. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with SpiderFoot's threat-intel and ASM orientation but at vastly greater scale and scope.
- Recorded Future: Recorded Future is a large-scale threat intelligence platform ingesting OSINT, dark web, and technical data to deliver finished intelligence. It competes for the same enterprise CTI/ASM budgets that SpiderFoot's capabilities could serve, but at significantly greater scale and with a paid commercial model.
- Babel Street: Babel Street provides OSINT and identity intelligence platforms used by government, defense, and commercial security teams. It addresses the same digital investigations and OSINT aggregation use cases as SpiderFoot but with an enterprise SaaS model and broader data-source coverage.
- DomainTools: DomainTools offers internet asset and OSINT data products for investigations, threat hunting, and brand protection. It is comparable to SpiderFoot in the investigations and reconnaissance workflow space, with a mature commercial offering.
- Anomali: Anomali is a threat intelligence platform that aggregates and operationalizes OSINT, commercial feeds, and internal telemetry. It competes in the same threat intelligence management category that SpiderFoot's outputs feed into.
Emerging players
- Recon-ng: Recon-ng is an open-source web reconnaissance framework with similar command-driven OSINT collection to SpiderFoot. It targets similar low-budget analysts and hobbyists and represents the closest open-source substitute in capability.
- OSINT Framework: OSINT Framework is a curated directory of open-source intelligence tools and resources. It is comparable to SpiderFoot as a free OSINT utility but focuses on tooling discovery rather than automated reconnaissance, so it is partial overlap rather than direct competition.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
SpiderFoot social profiles
Digital presenceSpiderFoot financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SpiderFoot leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
SpiderFoot funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SpiderFoot M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SpiderFoot
What does SpiderFoot do?
SpiderFoot is an open-source intelligence (OSINT) automation tool designed for investigations and threat intelligence work. It automates data collection from public sources, performs web-based reconnaissance, and maps relationships between data points to support security analysts and digital investigators. The tool is used alongside other OSINT platforms such as Maltego, ShadowDragon, and Shodan.
When was SpiderFoot founded?
SpiderFoot was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SpiderFoot based?
SpiderFoot is headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia, in the Europe region.
Who are SpiderFoot's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Maltego, Shodan and ShadowDragon. Broad incumbents are Intel 471, Recorded Future, Babel Street, DomainTools and Anomali. Emerging players are Recon-ng and OSINT Framework.
Does SpiderFoot have an API?
No public API is recorded for SpiderFoot.
What industry is SpiderFoot in?
SpiderFoot's product category is OSINT and Cybersecurity Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAKAEAF, Digital/Online Investigations & OSINT (Non-cyber). Its NAICS code is 5192.