Side by side

Cairn vs NodeZero

Both stand on penetration testing software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Cairn

Paid Self-hostedWeb

Cairn brings pentest operations, reporting, integrations, and client access into one platform. It offers flexible deployment and detailed security controls, but cloud use is seat-priced and the product states that formal third-party certifications are not yet in hand.

Visit Cairn

NodeZero

Free trial APILinuxSelf-hosted+1

NodeZero combines autonomous testing with attack-path analysis, evidence, and remediation direction. Its broad testing coverage and daily scheduling are useful for teams that can meet its deployment requirements and paid subscription terms.

Visit NodeZero

The facts

	Cairn	NodeZero
Free plan	No	A free trial
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Self-hosted, Web	API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web
Lowest paid plan	Starter: $99 a month	Free or on request
Plans published	4	4
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	cairnsecurity.com	horizon3.ai
On penetration testing software	#26 of 34	#22 of 34

Cairn: what it does well

Covers scoping through retesting
Approximately 2,476 curated findings
Imports 40 scanner formats
Self-hosted and air-gapped deployment
Client portal users are unlimited

What to know first

No free plan
Cloud pricing is per seat
Cairn is not yet certified
On-prem plan starts at 30000.00 USD yearly

NodeZero: what it does well

Covers internal, external, Kubernetes, and cloud testing
Can schedule tests daily
Prioritizes findings by demonstrated impact
Includes remediation guidance and evidence
Offers integrations with listed security and IT platforms

What to know first

Pricing is available only on request
No free plan is offered
Trial accounts become read-only after 30 days
Internal tests require a customer-managed Docker host or OVA

Alternatives to Cairn Alternatives to NodeZero The whole list