The internet is packed with valuable public data—you just need to know where to find it.
OSINT tools help you dig through this data to find exactly what you need, from company records to social media conversations.
You can use them to investigate security threats, analyze public sentiment, and spot important trends.
We’ve tested dozens of OSINT tools and put together this guide to the very best ones for 2025.
Whether you're a security analyst, researcher, or business owner looking to strengthen your digital intelligence, you'll find the perfect software for your needs.
What are OSINT tools?
Open-source intelligence tools (OSINT) are software that helps you collect and analyze information from publicly available sources. Think company websites, social media posts, news articles, government databases, forums, etc.
They started as basic search techniques and evolved into sophisticated platforms that can monitor anything from social media trends and geolocation data to dark web pages.
The best part?
You can use them to scan and organize multiple sources at once—instead of spending hours on manual research.
Some of the key OSINT software use cases include:
- Scanning social media for certain keywords or accounts
- Analyzing brand mentions and public sentiment
- Finding contact information and email addresses
- Mapping out connections between people or companies
- Checking if websites are using particular technologies
- Looking for security vulnerabilities
- Searching through historical versions of websites
- Detecting phishing campaigns and scam websites
Remember, OSINT tools make research easier—but they're only as good as the public, open data they can access.
Why do you need OSINT tools?
OSINT software can aid various teams and needs—whether you’re running a business, working in IT, or doing research. Here’s how:
- Security teams use OSINT techniques to spot potential threats and manage digital security risks. For example, if someone's planning to target your company, they might leave traces on forums or social media. OSINT tools can catch these early warning signs. They can also warn you if company data is leaked on the dark web.
- Businesses use OSINT to stay ahead of events and trends. It helps them track what people say about their brand, check out the competition, verify potential partners, and even find new customers. Plus, it can prevent various risks like online fraud.
- Researchers and journalists use OSINT tools because they cut down hours of manual digging. Instead of jumping between dozens of websites and databases, they can access everything in one place.
There are many other use cases and reasons for trying OSINT tools.
For example, you can leverage them when hiring new employees, checking out a potential business partner, or even making sure a website is legit before shopping there.
Now, let’s dive in and explore the best tools for your specific needs.
The top 15 OSINT tools to use in 2025
1. The OSINT tool by Talkwalker and Hootsuite
- Best for: AI-powered social media and web monitoring
- Who is it for: Security teams, government agencies, PR agencies, and brands
The OSINT solution by Talkwalker and Hootsuite scans millions of online sources to detect potential threats, track brand mentions, and analyze public sentiment.
It monitors an impressive 150M+ websites and 30+ social networks in 187 languages. It also alerts you to relevant content and emerging issues in real time.
And here’s the exciting bit:
This OSINT software goes beyond simple monitoring. It uses AI to analyze sentiment and predict how situations might develop.
For example, it can detect growing negative sentiment around certain topics. It will then forecast which discussions might escalate into larger issues within the next 90 days.
It also offers visual intelligence capability.
The platform identifies objects, logos, and even specific individuals in images and videos across social media—even when there's no text mentioning them.
Finally, the data this tool generates gets organized into customizable dashboards where teams can track different aspects of their monitoring.
All this makes Talkwalker perfect for various OSINT use cases, from tracking brand mentions to addressing security concerns.
Top features:
- Quick Search for tracking websites, news sites, forums, social media platforms, blogs, and more
- Blue Silk AI™ for trend prediction up to 90 days ahead and complex data analysis
- 100+ integrations with security tools like Proofpoint and Brolly
- AI-powered trend prediction, sentiment analysis, and threat assessment
- Real-time alerts for keywords and unusual activity
- Custom dashboards for different security monitoring needs
- Image and video monitoring even without text mentions
Price:
- Custom pricing based on your needs (contact for demo)
2. Maltego
- Best for: Cybercrime investigations and fraud detection
- Who is it for: Cybersecurity teams, fraud investigators, and law enforcement agencies i
Maltego is an investigation tool that visualizes connections between people, companies, and online data points.
It serves cybersecurity teams and fraud analysts to research suspicious activities and map out the complete attack surface of a target.
For example, analysts can input a suspicious email address in the tool when investigating a potential cybercrime.
Maltego will then automatically reveal all connected social media accounts, websites, other email addresses, and business registrations tied to that target.
The platform combines search capabilities across social media, dark web sources, and public databases with visual link analysis.
Think of it as creating an interactive map of connections that would be impossible to see when looking at data separately. Which is crucial when you need to understand the full network behind a threat.
Top features:
- Cross-platform activity monitoring (social media, dark web, public records)
- Connection mapping between accounts, domains, and business entities
- Visual investigation graphs
- Anonymous investigation mode
- Team collaboration workspace
Price:
- Community Edition: Free (limited features)
- Professional: Custom pricing (up to 5 users)
- Organization: Custom pricing (unlimited users)
3. Intelligence X
- Best for: Deep search of online data including darknet, data leaks, and historical content
- Who is it for: Intelligence analysts, cybersecurity researchers, and corporate investigators
Intelligence X is a search engine that finds and archives data from public sources, the dark web, and historical records.
It works with specific identifiers like email addresses, domains, cryptocurrency addresses, and phone numbers to find information.
The platform also maintains historical archives of this data, similar to the Wayback Machine (a digital library of Internet sites) but for a broader range of content.
Why could this tool be useful for your OSINT needs?
Because it can search across multiple hard-to-access sources simultaneously and find information typically hidden from regular search engines.
For example, it can help track cryptocurrency transactions, monitor dark web mentions, or investigate data breaches by searching through historical data leaks.
Top features:
- Advanced selector-based search system
- Dark web and data leak monitoring
- Historical data archive access
- Real-time data processing
- Automated alert system
Price:
- Free: Limited searches/day
- Enterprise: €2,500-20,000/year
- Custom plans available for larger organizations
4. Crimewall by Social Links
- Best for: Full-cycle OSINT investigations from data collection to final reporting
- Who is it for: Law enforcement agencies, cybersecurity teams, and corporate investigators
Crimewall by Social Links is an investigation tool that collects data from over 500 open sources, including social media, messaging apps, blockchains, and dark web content.
It lets you visualize connections, collaborate with team members, and generate reports all within one platform.
This OSINT tool also offers automated data processing and flexible visualization options.
For example, you can automatically collect all relevant social media profiles, dark web mentions, and blockchain transactions.
You can then visualize how they're connected (with graphs, tables, maps, etc.) and collaborate on this analysis in real time.
Top features:
- 500+ data source integrations (social media, messengers, dark web)
- Three visualization modes (graph, table, map)
- Machine learning data analysis
- Team collaboration workspace
- Automated monitoring and alerts
Price:
- Custom pricing (contact for demo)
5. Liferaft
- Best for: Physical security threat monitoring and early risk detection
- Who is it for: Security teams at organizations looking to protect their assets and people
Liferaft is a threat intelligence tool that detects physical security risks and threats before they materialize.
It monitors social media, blogs, forums, deep web, and dark web sources to identify potential risks to business operations, facilities, or personnel.
For example, imagine someone planning a protest near your company's location or discussing potential threats to your executives. Liferaft will detect and alert you to these risks.
Its key feature is geographical awareness—the platform can visualize your physical assets (like offices or warehouses) on a map and correlate nearby threats.
It also provides real-time alerts about relevant events like demonstrations, natural disasters, or criminal activities that could impact your operations.
Top features:
- Real-time threat monitoring across public sources and the dark web
- Geographic threat visualization and mapping
- Asset and facility security monitoring
- Automated risk alerts and notifications
- Identity resolution for threat actors
Price:
- Custom pricing (contact for demo)
6. Shodan.io
- Best for: Internet device discovery and network security monitoring
- Who is it for: Security teams, IT administrators, and researchers
Shodan is a search engine for Internet-connected devices. It covers everything from servers and webcams to industrial control systems and IoT devices.
Shodan scans the entire Internet every week to find devices, maps what services they're running, and detects potential security vulnerabilities. Unlike traditional search engines that only index websites.
It can even find devices most people don't realize are connected to the Internet.
For example, it can discover industrial control systems in power plants, unsecured security cameras, or exposed databases.
Organizations use it to monitor their network exposure and ensure their devices aren't accidentally exposed to the Internet. And researchers use it to understand global technology trends.
It also has fun features—for example, Shodan 2000 is a retro-futuristic interface that lets you explore device data with an 80s cyberpunk aesthetic and synthwave music.
Top features:
- Global device and service discovery
- Network exposure monitoring
- Real-time alerts for new devices
- Vulnerability detection
- IP enrichment and intelligence
Price:
- Free: Limited searches
- Professional plans: $69-$1,099/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
7. SEON
- Best for: Digital footprint analysis and fraud prevention through OSINT
- Who is it for: Financial services, gaming companies, and online businesses
SEON is a fraud prevention tool that creates detailed digital footprints of users by analyzing their email addresses, phone numbers, and IP addresses.
SEON examines a person's entire online presence—their social media accounts, digital activities, and device behaviors. This helps it verify if they're legitimate or potentially fraudulent.
Even before asking users for official documents, SEON can analyze over 100 digital and social signals to spot suspicious patterns.
For example, imagine someone signs up with an email address that has no social media presence or uses device settings typically associated with fraud.
SEON can flag this for review or block the account automatically.
Top features:
- Digital footprint analysis across 50+ platforms
- Real-time device fingerprinting
- Social media presence verification
- Behavioral pattern detection
- Custom fraud detection rules
Price:
- Trial: 500 checks/month
- Starter: Custom pricing with additional features
- Premium: Enterprise-level with unlimited checks
8. Paliscope
- Best for: Online evidence collection and digital investigation analysis
- Who is it for: Law enforcement agencies, investigators, and corporate security teams
Paliscope is an investigation tool that helps analyze digital evidence from various online sources.
It documents exactly how and when digital evidence was collected, making sure it can be used in legal proceedings.
When an investigator finds something important online—like a social media post or message—Paliscope automatically records this data.
For example, it tracks who captured it and when, and proves it hasn't been altered since collection.
The platform combines advanced search features with AI analysis and covers data sources like Telegram exports, social media content, and various document formats.
Top features:
- Secure evidence collection browser
- Multi-format data analysis (text, image, audio)
- AI-powered entity recognition
- Chain of custody tracking
- Automated investigation reporting
Price:
- Community: Free (for verified investigative organizations)
- Professional: $3,995/year
- Advanced: Custom pricing
9. Spiderfoot
- Best for: Automated OSINT data collection and correlation
- Who is it for: Cybersecurity teams, IT security researchers, and professional penetration testers
SpiderFoot is an open-source intelligence automation tool that can gather information about various targets—from IP addresses and domains to email addresses and usernames.
It has an ecosystem of over 200 modules that can query everything from social media platforms to dark web sources.
Its correlation engine can also automatically find relationships between different pieces of information.
For example, when investigating a domain, SpiderFoot can automatically map out all connected IP addresses, email accounts, and social media profiles. It can even find data breaches involving your target.
It's essentially like having over 200 different OSINT tools combined into one platform.
Top features:
- Over 200 OSINT modules for data collection
- Visual correlation of discovered information
- Built-in web interface and command line options
- Integration with major threat intelligence platforms
- Automated scanning and monitoring capabilities
Price:
- Open source: Free (self-hosted)
- SpiderFoot HX: Commercial version with additional features
10. Hunchly
- Best for: Web investigation documentation and evidence collection
- Who is it for: Investigators, journalists, and researchers
Hunchly is an automated web investigation tool that records everything you see during your online research.
Unlike traditional OSINT tools that actively search for information, Hunchly works in the background while you browse.
It automatically captures every webpage you visit, complete with timestamps and digital signatures to prove authenticity.
This is crucial when tracking information that might be deleted later or when you need to prove exactly how you found certain information for legal purposes.
Top features:
- Automatic webpage capture and timestamping
- Evidence preservation with digital signatures
- Organized case management system
- Court-ready report generation
- Local or cloud storage options
Price:
- Classic (local storage): $109.99/year
- Cloud version: $199.99/year or $19.99/month
- Free 30-day trial available
11. Babel Street
- Best for: Multi-language threat intelligence and identity investigation
- Who is it for: Government agencies, security teams, and compliance departments
Babel Street’s OSINT tool analyzes content across over 200 languages to access identity information and spot potential threats.
It uses AI to find connections in multilingual data from social media, the deep web, and public records.
This is especially useful when you need to build a comprehensive intelligence picture, considering cultural and linguistic variations in how names and identities are recorded.
It can also process information from over 220 countries and perform 700 million daily watchlist checks.
All this makes Babel a great tool for companies with international operations.
Top features:
- Multi-language analysis across 200+ languages
- AI-powered identity matching and verification
- Global data source integration
- Automated threat detection and monitoring
- Cross-language network analysis
Price:
- Custom enterprise pricing (contact for demo)
12. Recon-ng
- Best for: Information gathering and penetration testing
- Who is it for: Security professionals and penetration testers
Recon-ng is another powerful free tool.
It’s an open-source framework that helps security teams gather initial intelligence about their targets. It works similarly to other security testing tools.
For example, you can use it to find all websites owned by a company, discover email addresses of employees, or map out an organization's online presence.
Instead of being a single-purpose tool, it provides a platform where different modules can be added to extend its capabilities.
To illustrate, when researching a company, you can load modules to find all their domains, gather contact information, discover corporate social media accounts, etc.
Top features:
- Modular framework with marketplace
- Built-in database for findings
- Command-line interface
- Multiple reporting formats
- API key management system
Price:
- Free (open source)
13. PimEyes
- Best for: Face-based reverse image search and online photo monitoring
- Who is it for: Individuals and organizations wanting to track where their photos appear online for identity protection and copyright monitoring
PimEyes is a facial recognition search engine that finds where a person's face appears across the internet.
It uses AI to find photos containing the same face, even in different contexts or backgrounds.
For example, it can find photos of a person even if they have a different hairstyle, are in a different location, or the photo has been modified.
The platform also offers monitoring capabilities to alert users when new photos of a face appear online.
It can be useful for both individuals and organizations when it comes to tracking and removing unwanted photos.
Top features:
- AI-powered facial recognition search
- Real-time monitoring and alerts
- Photo removal assistance
- PDF/CSV report generation
- Deep search and safe search capabilities
Price:
- Open Plus: $29.99/month
- PROtect: $39.99/month
- Advanced: $299.99/month
14. OpenSanctions
- Best for: Sanctions and politically exposed persons (PEP) screening and investigation
- Who is it for: Financial institutions, investigators, and compliance teams
OpenSanctions consolidates data from 245 global sources about sanctioned entities, politically exposed persons, and entities of criminal interest.
It creates a de-duplicated dataset by combining official sanctions lists, PEP data, and watchlists from around the world.
You can use OpenSanctipns to investigate both people and companies.
It provides access to information from multiple sanctions programs, regulatory watchlists, and politically exposed persons databases.
Top features:
- Global sanctions list consolidation
- Politically exposed persons database
- Criminal watchlist monitoring
- Entity relationship mapping
- Regular data updates
Price:
- Free for non-commercial use
- Commercial licensing available
- API access with a pay-as-you-go option
15. Google Dorks
- Best for: Advanced Google search techniques for finding sensitive or hidden information
- Who is it for: Security researchers, penetration testers, and investigators looking to discover exposed information through search engines
Google Dorks is a technique that uses advanced search operators to find specific types of information indexed by Google.
In other words, it means using specialized commands and filters to find information that might not be easily visible through normal browsing. Such as exposed server configurations, subdomains, sensitive documents, or vulnerable systems.
For example, with the search query site:example.com filetype:pdf confidential, you could find PDF files containing the word "confidential" on a specific website.
All you need to do is type it in a search engine (Google, Bing, or others) and add the target domain.
Here are other operators you can use:
- Site-specific searches:
site:example.com - File type searches:
filetype:pdf site:example.com - URL content searches:
inurl:login - Page title searches:
intitle:"index of" - Text content searches:
intext:"privacy policy" - Excluding terms:
site:example.com -inurl:www - Combining operators:
site:example.com intext:"contact us" filetype:pdf
Price:
- Free (requires understanding of search operators)
Other OSINT tools you can try
Finally, here are some other OSINT tools you can check for more specific use cases.
- Built with: A web technology profiler that checks what tools, frameworks, content management systems, and other technologies websites are using
- Email Hippo: An email verification service that helps you validate email addresses, improve deliverability, and protect against fraud by checking email syntax, domain validity, and mailbox existence
- PhoneInfoga: An open-source OSINT tool that gathers information about phone numbers, including carrier details, geographical location, and online footprints
- Have I Been Pwnd?: A free online service you can use to check if your email addresses or passwords have been compromised in data breaches
- RocketReach: A contact intelligence platform that helps you find email addresses, phone numbers, and social media profiles for individuals and businesses (primarily for lead generation)
You can also find more OSINT tools for various needs using Osint Framework. It’s a website that organizes links to different online OSINT tools and resources.
FAQs
How did we choose these OSINT tools?
We picked tools based on their online reviews, industry feedback, and overall performance. Our team members spent a lot of time investigating and checking each of them.
We also focused on covering various use cases and keeping this list diverse.
Which data sources can be used for OSINT?
Pretty much anything publicly available online—social media posts, company websites, government databases, news articles, forums, and even dark web sources.
This information has to be legally accessible to anyone without special permission. And yet, you might not be able to collect it without specialized software.
Is OSINT legal?
Yes, as long as you're accessing publicly available information. However, how you use this information also matters. Many organizations have policies about OSINT use, and some tools require proper licensing or authorization.
What are the key OSINT use cases?
These powerful tools can aid various needs and requirements. The most common ones are:
- Security (finding threats before they become problems)
- Business intelligence (understanding competitors and market trends)
- Investigations (connecting information to solve cases)
How to use OSINT tools?
Each OSINT software functions in its unique way based on the platform you choose.
For example, some of them are web-based while others have a desktop version and require installation on Windows or Linux.
Many OSINT tools, especially those on GitHub, also function via the command line. These often require some technical knowledge (e.g., Python) to set up and use.
Choose the best OSINT tool today
OSINT tools are essential for anyone looking to gather and analyze public information. Here are the key platforms you can use:
- The OSINT tool by Talkwalker & Hootsuite for comprehensive social media and web monitoring and threat detection
- Maltego for visualizing connections in investigations
- Spiderfood if you’re looking for an advanced free OSINT tool
- Shodan for discovering exposed devices and systems
- SEON for fraud prevention and digital footprint analysis
- Google Dorks to start with basic OSINT
Choose each tool depending on your specific needs, use cases, and requirements.
Ready to give it a try?