SIDE BY SIDE · FACTS ONLY

Axonius vs runZero: asset inventory facts side by side

SHORT ANSWER

Axonius describes 3 of the five approaches on the pages we read and runZero describes 3; they differ on Agent-based inventory and Exposure management. On collection, Axonius works without new agents and runZero works without new agents. Many estates run two of these approaches together, so the question is often which pair, not which one; we do not score either.

By The Inventory Desk · CAASM Finder · Published 2026-10-11

Desk research from public vendor pages read on 27 September and 11 October 2026. Profiles follow our published method; we did not run the products.

How do their approaches compare?

Top bar: Axonius
Lower bar, lighter: runZero

Full bar: described on the vendor's pages we read
Hatched bar: described with a condition (another product, a higher tier, or part of the approach)
Stub: not in our sources (it may exist; we did not find it)

The bars show what each vendor's own pages describe, or how your answers weigh the five approaches. They are not a measure of how well a product works.

What are the facts, side by side?

From each vendor's own pages. Differs marks rows where the recorded status or check value differs.
Fact	Axonius	runZero
Positioning	Axonius grew out of cyber asset attack surface management (CAASM) into a broader asset intelligence platform. Axonius describes the Axonius Asset Cloud: it connects to the tools a company already runs through adapters (its directory lists 1,306), correlates what each one reports into one record per asset, and acts on gaps through workflows and bi-directional integrations.	An asset discovery platform that runZero describes as CAASM: active scanning, passive discovery for fragile OT networks and integrations, with each asset profiled against nearly 1,000 attributes.
Deployment	Hosted SaaS, or self-managed on-premises or in your own cloud. The hosted option runs on an AWS EC2 instance separated from other customers' environments. Source: Axonius pricing · Read 11 Oct 2026	SaaS or on-premises, including air-gapped environments; no agents, authentication or appliances required. Source: runZero platform · Read 27 Sep 2026
CAASM aggregation	Described Its adapter directory lists 1,306 adapters to security and IT tools; correlating what each reports into one record per asset is the core of the product. Source: Axonius adapter directory · Read 11 Oct 2026	Described Describes itself as CAASM: integrations with ServiceNow, CrowdStrike, Intune, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Entra ID, Tenable, Rapid7, Qualys and others combine with its own scan data. Source: runZero integrations · Read 27 Sep 2026
Agent-based inventoryDiffers	Not in our sources Not described on the pages we read.	With a condition Collects its own data by active scanning and passive discovery, without agents. Source: runZero platform · Read 27 Sep 2026
External attack surface management	Not in our sources Not described on the pages we read.	Not in our sources Not described on the pages we read.
CMDB-centred inventory	With a condition Works alongside a CMDB rather than replacing it: the ServiceNow adapter fetches CMDB tables for reconciliation, and enforcement actions create, update or remove ServiceNow assets. Source: Axonius docs: ServiceNow adapter · Read 11 Oct 2026	With a condition Enriches a ServiceNow CMDB rather than acting as one. Source: runZero integrations · Read 27 Sep 2026
Exposure managementDiffers	Described A smart prioritization engine and single or multi-step workflows sit on the correlated inventory; prioritization draws on findings from the tools you connect. Source: Axonius platform · Read 27 Sep 2026	Not in our sources Not described on the pages we read.
Servers and network devicesDiffers	Partly Network devices are covered through adapters to network tools; a native network scanner is not described. Source: Axonius platform · Read 27 Sep 2026	Matches Active scanning of IT, OT, IoT, cloud, mobile and remote assets. Source: runZero platform · Read 27 Sep 2026
Cloud workloads	Matches Cloud is a listed asset type. Source: Axonius platform · Read 27 Sep 2026	Matches Cloud assets, with AWS, Azure and Google Cloud integrations. Source: runZero integrations · Read 27 Sep 2026
SaaS applicationsDiffers	Matches Discovers sanctioned, unsanctioned and unmanaged SaaS, including shadow apps, OAuth tokens and risky extensions. Source: Axonius: SaaS applications · Read 27 Sep 2026	Not in our sources
Identities as assetsDiffers	Matches Human and non-human identities, including service accounts, API keys and automation identities. Source: Axonius: identities · Read 27 Sep 2026	Partly Entra ID is a listed integration; identities are not described as an asset class. Source: runZero integrations · Read 27 Sep 2026
Off-network laptopsDiffers	Partly Devices are collected through the endpoint and management tools you connect, such as Microsoft Intune or CrowdStrike Falcon; no Axonius agent is described. Source: Axonius docs: Microsoft Intune adapter · Read 11 Oct 2026	Matches Remote assets are a listed class. Source: runZero platform · Read 27 Sep 2026
OT and IoT devices	Matches IoT and OT are listed asset types. Source: Axonius platform · Read 27 Sep 2026	Matches Passive discovery for OT. Source: runZero platform · Read 27 Sep 2026
Internet-facing discovery	Not in our sources	Not in our sources
Offers its own agentDiffers	Not in our sources	Not in our sources
Works without new agents	Matches Collects through adapters (API connections) to tools you already run; the pages we read describe no Axonius endpoint agent. Source: Axonius platform · Read 27 Sep 2026	Matches No agents, authentication or appliances. Source: runZero platform · Read 27 Sep 2026
Merges records from several sources	Matches Correlates data from every connected adapter into one record per asset. Source: Axonius platform · Read 27 Sep 2026	Matches Profiles each asset against nearly 1,000 attributes. Source: runZero homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026
Feeds or updates a CMDB	Matches Enforcement actions create, update, and disable or remove assets in ServiceNow, and can create ServiceNow incidents. Source: Axonius docs: ServiceNow adapter · Read 11 Oct 2026	Matches ServiceNow integration for CMDB enrichment. Source: runZero integrations · Read 27 Sep 2026
Cross-source queries and reportsDiffers	Matches Query Wizard for questions across all connected sources. Source: Axonius documentation · Read 27 Sep 2026	Partly AI-assisted reporting on the Platform plan. Source: runZero pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026
Workflows, tickets or actionsDiffers	Matches Workflows run single actions or multi-step sequences with ticket tracking; enforcement sets live in the Action Center. Source: Axonius platform · Read 27 Sep 2026	Not in our sources
Price or pricing basis published	Matches Device-based pricing is published: the pricing page shows a starting rate of $8.55 per asset for 15,000 to 24,999 assets, and each device seen by several tools counts once. Source: Axonius pricing · Read 11 Oct 2026	Matches Community Edition free for 100 or fewer assets; runZero Platform starts at $5,000. Source: runZero pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026
Free tier or trialDiffers	Not in our sources	Matches Free, full-featured 21-day trial. Source: runZero pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026
Platform it is part of	None	None
Integrations	1,306 adapters in its adapter directory, including documented adapters for CrowdStrike Falcon, Tenable Vulnerability Management, Rapid7 Nexpose and InsightVM, Microsoft Intune and Entra ID, and ServiceNow. We did not reproduce the full list. Source: Axonius adapter directory · Read 11 Oct 2026	ServiceNow, CrowdStrike, Intune, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Entra ID, Tenable, Rapid7, Qualys, VMware, Wiz, SentinelOne, Tanium and Splunk, plus a custom integration SDK. Source: runZero integrations · Read 27 Sep 2026
Price	Published: device-based pricing on unique, correlated devices, with tiers from under 500 devices to 10M+ and volume discounts in every tier. The pricing page shows "Starting at $8.55 per asset for 15,000-24,999 assets"; the billing period is not stated in what we read. AWS Marketplace listing: 500 assets for $90,625 on a 12-month contract. Source: Axonius pricing · Read 11 Oct 2026	Published: Community Edition free for 100 or fewer assets with 30-day retention; runZero Platform starts at $5,000 with 3-year retention; free 21-day trial. Source: runZero pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026

Where do they differ?

Agent-based inventory: Axonius is not in our sources; runZero describes it with a condition.
Exposure management: Axonius describes it; runZero is not in our sources.
Servers and network devices: Axonius partly matches; runZero matches.
SaaS applications: Axonius matches; runZero is not in our sources.
Identities as assets: Axonius matches; runZero partly matches.
Off-network laptops: Axonius partly matches; runZero matches.
Cross-source queries and reports: Axonius matches; runZero partly matches.
Workflows, tickets or actions: Axonius matches; runZero is not in our sources.
Free tier or trial: Axonius is not in our sources; runZero matches.

Can they work together?

Neither vendor's pages we read name the other as an integration. That does not mean they cannot work together; ask both vendors.

Choose Axonius if

You already run many security and IT tools and they disagree about what exists
You need SaaS apps and identities in the same inventory as devices, with workflows to close gaps

Choose runZero if

You need to find unmanaged devices on the network, including OT, without agents
You want a published price and a free tier to start

Which limits should you check?

Axonius

Coverage depends on the tools you connect: each adapter needs API access and credentials, and no agent or native network scanner of its own is described.
External (internet-facing) discovery is not described on the pages we read.
No free tier or trial is listed on the pages we read, and the AWS Marketplace listing prices 500 assets at $90,625 for 12 months.

runZero

SaaS applications are not covered on the pages we read.
No workflow or enforcement actions of its own are described; action happens in ServiceNow or other tools.
Ownership changed in September 2026 (Dragos acquisition); roadmap effects are not yet published.

Put Axonius and runZero in the asset census with others Run the finder

Questions people ask

Is Axonius or runZero better?

Neither is scored on this site. Axonius describes 3 of five approaches and runZero 3 on the pages we read, and they differ on 9 recorded facts. Which fits depends on where your assets live, whether you can install agents, your CMDB and your tools; the finder checks those.

Do Axonius and runZero work with a CMDB?

Axonius: Matches. Enforcement actions create, update, and disable or remove assets in ServiceNow, and can create ServiceNow incidents. runZero: Matches. ServiceNow integration for CMDB enrichment.

Do Axonius or runZero publish prices?

Axonius: Published: device-based pricing on unique, correlated devices, with tiers from under 500 devices to 10M+ and volume discounts in every tier. The pricing page shows "Starting at $8.55 per asset for 15,000-24,999 assets"; the billing period is not stated in what we read. AWS Marketplace listing: 500 assets for $90,625 on a 12-month contract. runZero: Published: Community Edition free for 100 or fewer assets with 30-day retention; runZero Platform starts at $5,000 with 3-year retention; free 21-day trial.