Best Threat Intelligence APIs Compared (2026): The Complete Guide

Choosing the right threat intelligence API can make or break your security pipeline. The market offers everything from free community platforms to enterprise solutions costing tens of thousands of dollars per year. This guide compares the six most widely used threat intelligence APIs in 2026, with honest assessments of where each one excels — and falls short.

The Contenders

We're comparing six platforms that security teams most frequently evaluate:

isMalicious — Unified IP, domain, and URL reputation API
VirusTotal — Multi-AV file scanning and threat intelligence (Google)
AbuseIPDB — Community-driven IP reputation database
AlienVault OTX — Open threat intelligence community (AT&T)
Shodan — Internet-wide device and service scanner
URLhaus — Free malicious URL database (abuse.ch)

Each serves a different primary purpose. The right choice depends on your specific use case, budget, and technical requirements.

Feature Comparison Matrix

| Feature | isMalicious | VirusTotal | AbuseIPDB | OTX | Shodan | URLhaus | | :---------------------- | :---------: | :--------: | :-------: | :-------: | :--------: | :-----: | | IP Reputation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | No | | Domain Reputation | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Partial | | URL Scanning | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | | File Analysis | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | | Device Discovery | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | | Bulk API | Yes | Enterprise | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Streaming API | Yes | Premium | No | No | Enterprise | No | | Webhooks | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | | Monitoring/Alerting | Yes | LiveHunt | No | Pulses | Monitor | No | | STIX/TAXII | Enterprise | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | | SDKs | 4 languages | Community | Community | Community | Community | No | | Sub-$50/mo Plan | Yes | No | Yes | Free | Yes | Free |

Pricing Comparison

Platform Deep Dives

isMalicious

Best for: Production-grade IP, domain, and URL reputation at scale

isMalicious aggregates threat intelligence from 600+ curated sources into a database of 500M+ threat records. Its API-first design makes it straightforward to integrate into any security workflow — from application middleware to SIEM enrichment.

Standout features:

Unified entity API — IPs, domains, URLs, emails, and file hashes through one endpoint
Streaming API — Real-time threat event push with less than 5-second latency, delivering 100,000+ events per day
Webhooks — Event-driven notifications when threat status changes
Built-in monitoring — Watchlists with real-time alerting included in the Pro plan
Sub-100ms response times — Designed for inline security decisions
Official SDKs — Python, Node.js, Go, and Rust

Limitations:

No file upload and analysis (not an AV scanner)
No device/service discovery (not an attack surface tool)
Smaller free tier than some competitors

Pricing: Free (100/month), Basic $9/month (2,000/month), Pro $29/month (10,000/month), Enterprise custom.

Ideal users: Development teams, SMB security, MSSPs, and security-conscious startups that need affordable, production-grade threat intelligence.

VirusTotal

Best for: File-based malware analysis and multi-AV scanning

VirusTotal is the industry standard for checking whether a file is malicious. It submits files and URLs to 70+ antivirus engines and security services, providing a unified report of detection results.

Standout features:

70+ AV engine aggregation for file scanning
YARA-based LiveHunt and Retrohunt for threat hunting
Deep integration with Google Threat Intelligence
Extensive file metadata and behavioral analysis
Large community with comments and votes on samples

Limitations:

Enterprise pricing starts around $10,000/year
API rate limits are restrictive on the free tier
Response times of 1-5 seconds for many queries
No built-in monitoring for IP/domain reputation changes
No webhooks or streaming at lower tiers

Pricing: Free (~500/day, limited), Enterprise ~$10,000+/year.

Ideal users: Malware researchers, enterprise SOC teams, and organizations with significant file analysis requirements.

AbuseIPDB

Best for: Community-driven IP abuse reporting and checking

AbuseIPDB is a community-powered database where system administrators and security tools report malicious IP addresses. Its straightforward API makes IP reputation checks simple and affordable.

Standout features:

Active community of contributors reporting real-world IP abuse
Generous free tier (1,000 lookups/day)
Abuse confidence scoring based on report frequency
CIDR range checking for network block assessment
Very affordable paid plans

Limitations:

IP addresses only — no domain, URL, or file coverage
Community-reported data varies in quality
No streaming API or real-time push
No monitoring or alerting features
Limited enrichment (no WHOIS, DNS history, or SSL data)

Pricing: Free (1,000/day), $5-150/month paid tiers.

Ideal users: System administrators, hosting providers, and teams that primarily need IP reputation at minimal cost.

AlienVault OTX

Best for: Community threat intelligence sharing and research

AlienVault OTX (Open Threat Exchange) is a community platform where security researchers share threat data through "pulses" — structured collections of IOCs with context, analysis, and MITRE ATT&CK mappings.

Standout features:

Large community of security researchers sharing threat intelligence
Pulse system provides human-authored context and analysis
STIX/TAXII support for standards-based data exchange
MITRE ATT&CK mapping for threat categorization
Free access to community intelligence

Limitations:

Full value requires AT&T's USM ecosystem
Data quality varies by contributor
No streaming API
API not optimized for high-volume production lookups
Pulse-based model is better for research than automated blocking

Pricing: Free (community), Enterprise pricing via AT&T USM.

Ideal users: Threat researchers, teams in the AT&T security ecosystem, and organizations that value community-driven intelligence.

Shodan

Best for: Internet-wide device discovery and attack surface mapping

Shodan continuously scans the internet to identify what devices and services are exposed. It answers the question "What's running on this IP?" rather than "Is this IP malicious?"

Standout features:

Internet-wide scanning of devices and services
Service fingerprinting with software version identification
CVE correlation based on detected service versions
IoT and ICS (industrial control system) discovery
Historical data showing how services change over time
Shodan Monitor for attack surface tracking

Limitations:

Not a threat reputation tool — doesn't tell you if an IP is malicious
No domain reputation or URL scanning
No threat categorization (phishing, malware, C2)
Expensive for teams that primarily need reputation checking
Different use case than traditional threat intelligence

Pricing: Free (100/month), $59-899/month paid tiers.

Ideal users: Penetration testers, red teams, and security teams responsible for attack surface management and asset discovery.

URLhaus

Best for: Free malicious URL intelligence

URLhaus is a project from abuse.ch that tracks malicious URLs used for malware distribution. It's completely free and provides a valuable dataset for URL-focused threat detection.

Standout features:

Completely free with no rate limits
Focused, high-quality malicious URL data
STIX/TAXII export support
Regular data dumps available
Community-driven submissions from security researchers

Limitations:

URL-focused only — limited domain coverage, no IP reputation
No SLA or guaranteed uptime
Community-dependent update cycle
No streaming API, webhooks, or monitoring
Basic API with limited enrichment data

Pricing: Free.

Ideal users: Teams that need URL-specific threat intelligence at zero cost, often as a supplementary data source.

Choosing the Right Tool by Use Case

"I need to block malicious IPs and domains in my application"

Recommended: isMalicious

You need fast, reliable reputation checks for IPs and domains in your application workflow (user registration, transaction processing, email filtering). isMalicious provides sub-100ms lookups, a unified API for all entity types, and SDKs that reduce integration time to minutes.

"I need to analyze suspicious files and malware samples"

Recommended: VirusTotal

File analysis with multiple AV engines is VirusTotal's core strength. If your primary need is determining whether a specific file, executable, or document is malicious, VirusTotal is the clear choice.

"I need to check IP reputation on a tight budget"

Recommended: AbuseIPDB (free) or isMalicious (paid, broader coverage)

AbuseIPDB's free tier gives you 1,000 IP lookups per day. If you also need domain and URL coverage, isMalicious's $9/month plan provides a unified solution.

"I need to map my organization's attack surface"

Recommended: Shodan

Shodan is purpose-built for discovering what your organization exposes to the internet — open ports, running services, vulnerable software, and IoT devices.

"I need threat intelligence for research and incident investigation"

Recommended: AlienVault OTX + isMalicious

OTX's pulse system provides human-authored context and threat actor attribution. isMalicious's API provides fast, automated reputation checks during live investigations.

"I need real-time threat feeds for my security pipeline"

Recommended: isMalicious

The Streaming API delivers 100,000+ threat events per day with under 5-second latency. Webhooks provide event-driven notifications. No other platform in this comparison offers real-time push at the $29/month price point.

"I need a free URL blocklist for my email gateway"

Recommended: URLhaus

URLhaus provides high-quality malicious URL data at no cost. Use it as a supplementary feed alongside your primary threat intelligence platform.

Building a Layered Threat Intelligence Stack

The most effective security programs don't rely on a single tool. Here's a practical stack combining the platforms covered in this guide:

This layered approach provides comprehensive coverage while keeping costs manageable. isMalicious serves as the core operational platform for real-time decisions, while the others fill specialized roles.

Key Takeaways

No single tool covers everything. Each platform has a specific strength and purpose.
Match the tool to the use case. File analysis, IP reputation, device discovery, and URL scanning are different problems requiring different solutions.
Price doesn't always correlate with value for your use case. A free tool might be perfect for URL checking, while a $29/month tool might deliver more value than a $10,000/year platform for IP reputation.
Real-time capabilities matter. Streaming APIs and webhooks enable proactive security that polling-based approaches can't match.
Developer experience reduces total cost. Well-documented APIs, official SDKs, and interactive playgrounds reduce integration time and ongoing maintenance.

Conclusion

The threat intelligence API market in 2026 offers strong options at every price point and for every use case. The key is understanding what each tool does best and selecting the right combination for your security program.

For teams that need a modern, affordable, production-grade threat intelligence API for IP, domain, and URL reputation — with real-time streaming, monitoring, and a developer-first experience — isMalicious fills a gap that enterprise platforms overserve and free tools underserve.

Start building your threat intelligence stack today. Try isMalicious free — check any IP or domain against 500M+ threat records with no credit card required.

Best Threat Intelligence APIs Compared (2026): The Complete Guide

The Contenders

Feature Comparison Matrix

Pricing Comparison

Platform Deep Dives

isMalicious

VirusTotal

AbuseIPDB

AlienVault OTX

Shodan

URLhaus

Choosing the Right Tool by Use Case

"I need to block malicious IPs and domains in my application"

"I need to analyze suspicious files and malware samples"

"I need to check IP reputation on a tight budget"

"I need to map my organization's attack surface"

"I need threat intelligence for research and incident investigation"

"I need real-time threat feeds for my security pipeline"

"I need a free URL blocklist for my email gateway"

Building a Layered Threat Intelligence Stack

Key Takeaways

Conclusion

Detailed Comparisons

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