isMalicious vs SecurityTrails
A detailed comparison of isMalicious and SecurityTrails for security teams choosing a threat intelligence platform.
Quick verdict
Choose SecurityTrails for DNS history and subdomain discovery. Choose isMalicious for real-time malicious verdicts, multi-source reputation scoring, CVE intelligence, and API-ready blocklists for firewalls and SOAR.
isMalicious
Real-time threat intelligence API with multi-source correlation, CVE intelligence, ransomware tracking, and dark web monitoring.
Best for: Automated threat intelligence at scale
SecurityTrails
SecurityTrails (now part of Recorded Future) provides historical DNS, subdomain discovery, WHOIS, and domain intelligence. It is widely used for domain research and attack surface mapping rather than real-time malicious verdict APIs.
Best for: DNS history research and subdomain enumeration
Feature Comparison
| Feature | isMalicious | SecurityTrails |
|---|---|---|
| Historical DNS / subdomain data | Partial | |
| WHOIS lookup | ||
| IP reputation verdict | ||
| Domain reputation | Partial | |
| URL scanner | ||
| Multi-source threat correlation | ||
| Ransomware tracking | ||
| CVE intelligence (CVSS, EPSS, KEV) | Partial | |
| Dark web monitoring | ||
| Streaming threat feed | ||
| STIX/TAXII export | ||
| Bulk API | ||
| Free tier available |
SecurityTrails — Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- Historical DNS records
- Subdomain discovery
- WHOIS and domain history
- Attack surface mapping
Limitations
- No real-time IP/domain reputation verdicts
- No URL malware scanning API
- No ransomware group tracking
- No dark web monitoring
- Enterprise pricing after Recorded Future acquisition
- Not optimized for SOC blocklist automation
Pricing
SecurityTrails
Paid plans from ~$99/month, enterprise via Recorded Future
Frequently Asked Questions
Is isMalicious a SecurityTrails alternative?
For threat intelligence and reputation scoring, yes. SecurityTrails remains stronger for deep DNS history and passive subdomain enumeration. isMalicious is better when you need malicious verdicts and automated security integrations.
Does isMalicious include DNS history?
isMalicious provides DNS records, WHOIS, and domain age as part of threat reports. For extensive historical DNS timelines and subdomain discovery at SecurityTrails depth, SecurityTrails remains the specialist.
Which is better after the Recorded Future acquisition?
SecurityTrails is increasingly bundled into enterprise Recorded Future offerings. isMalicious offers self-serve access and transparent pricing for teams that need API-first threat intelligence without enterprise contracts.
Can I replace SecurityTrails with isMalicious in a SOC?
For alert enrichment and blocklist automation, yes. For passive DNS research workflows, many teams keep SecurityTrails for discovery and use isMalicious for verdicts and feeds.
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30 API calls/month free. No credit card required.