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CMDB Alternatives Compare

OPTION · NETWORK DISCOVERY · RANK 3 OF 9

runZero review: agentless discovery with the least upkeep in the set

SHORT ANSWER

runZero ranks 3 of 9 at 69.3 out of 100. It leads on effort to maintain: no agents, credentials or appliances, with active scanning and passive discovery. Its link to the CMDB is enrichment rather than full sync, it has no workflows of its own, and Dragos announced its acquisition on 21 September 2026.

By The Record Desk · CMDB Alternatives Compare · Published 2026-10-11

RECORD SCORE

runZero is outscored on 6 of 7 criteria.

Company
runZero (acquired by Dragos, September 2026)
Type
Network discovery
Deployment
"Flexible SaaS and on-prem options, and even support for air-gapped environments"; "no agents, authentication, or appliances".
Pricing
Community Edition free for 100 or fewer assets (30-day retention). runZero Platform starts at $5,000. Free, full-featured 21-day trial.

Source: runZero pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026

Website
runzero.com

What does runZero do?

An agentless discovery platform that combines active scanning, passive discovery and integrations, with SaaS, on-premises and air-gapped options.

  • Discovery: Active scanning plus passive discovery for OT, across "IT, OT, IoT, cloud, mobile, and remote assets".

    Source: runZero platform · Read 27 Sep 2026

  • Asset profile: Profiles assets "against nearly 1,000 attributes".

    Source: runZero homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026

  • Integrations: ServiceNow (CMDB enrichment), CrowdStrike, Intune, AWS, Azure, GCP, Entra ID, Tenable, Rapid7, Qualys, VMware, Wiz, SentinelOne, Tanium, Splunk; Custom Integration SDK.

    Source: runZero integrations · Read 27 Sep 2026

  • Custom integrations: runZero 5.1 (10 September 2026) lets users generate integration scripts in Starlark with an AI provider of their choice, run in a sandbox on runZero Explorers.

    Source: runZero blog: AI-assisted custom integrations · Read 27 Sep 2026

  • Ownership change: Dragos announced on 21 September 2026 that it acquired runZero and NetRise; runZero's CEO will lead integration work while continuing to serve existing customers. No deal terms were disclosed.

    Source: Dragos press release: Dragos acquires NetRise and runZero · Read 27 Sep 2026

How does it score on each criterion?

runZero: score per criterion, with reason and source
CriterionWeightScoreWhySource
Completeness of discovery20%Active scanning, passive discovery and integrations across IT, OT, IoT, cloud, mobile and remote assets; SaaS apps are not covered.

Source: runZero platform · Read 27 Sep 2026

Data trust and reconciliation20%Profiles each asset against nearly 1,000 attributes and merges integration data into that profile.

Source: runZero homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026

Ownership mapping12%Entra ID and Active Directory data enriches device records; ownership is not a documented field.

Source: runZero integrations · Read 27 Sep 2026

Keeping the CMDB in sync16%The ServiceNow integration enriches the CMDB; creating or retiring CMDB records is not described.

Source: runZero integrations · Read 27 Sep 2026

Effort to maintain14%
Highest in set
No agents, authentication or appliances required; recurring scans plus always-on passive discovery.

Source: runZero platform · Read 27 Sep 2026

Actionability10%
Lowest in set
No workflow of its own is documented; findings move through integrations.

Source: runZero integrations · Read 27 Sep 2026

Pricing clarity8%Community Edition free for 100 or fewer assets, Platform from $5,000, and a free 21-day trial.

Source: runZero pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026

What does its record card show?

runZero record cardFOUND: Documented; MATCHED: Documented; OWNED: Partial; SYNCED: Partial; CURRENT: Documented. 4 of 5 lines documented.runZeroNETWORK DISCOVERYFOUNDDOCMATCHEDDOCOWNEDPARTSYNCEDPARTCURRENTDOC4 of 5 lines documented
  • Documented on the vendor's pages
  • Partial: in general terms, through another product or by integration only
  • Not documented on the pages reviewed
  • FOUND · Documented

    Active scanning, passive discovery and integrations; SaaS apps are not covered.

    Source: runZero platform · Read 27 Sep 2026

  • MATCHED · Documented

    Merges integration data into one profile per asset, against nearly 1,000 attributes.

    Source: runZero homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026

  • OWNED · Partial

    Entra ID and Active Directory data enriches device records.

    Source: runZero integrations · Read 27 Sep 2026

  • SYNCED · Partial

    The ServiceNow integration enriches the CMDB; creating or retiring CMDB records is not described.

    Source: runZero integrations · Read 27 Sep 2026

  • CURRENT · Documented

    Recurring scans plus always-on passive discovery.

    Source: runZero platform · Read 27 Sep 2026

A punched line means the vendor's own pages describe that part of keeping a record current. It does not measure how well it works on your estate.

How does it keep the record current?

runZero combines active scanning, passive discovery for fragile OT networks and integrations, and profiles each asset against nearly 1,000 attributes. It runs as SaaS, on-premises or air-gapped. Recurring scans and always-on passive discovery keep the record current without agents or credentials.

How does it work with a CMDB such as ServiceNow?

runZero's ServiceNow integration enriches the CMDB with what it discovers. Creating or retiring CMDB records is not described on the pages reviewed, so we score its sync as partial.

Where is it strong, and where are its limits?

Strengths

  • The least upkeep in this set: no agents, credentials or appliances.
  • A published starting price, a free tier and an air-gapped option.

Limits

  • SaaS apps are not covered on the pages reviewed.
  • No workflow or enforcement actions of its own; the CMDB link is enrichment only. Its new owner, Dragos, may change the roadmap.

How does it compare with the others?

Alternatives to runZeroCompare runZero with others

Visit runZero

Frequently asked questions

How much does runZero cost?

Community Edition is free for 100 or fewer assets with 30-day retention. The runZero Platform starts at $5,000, and there is a free, full-featured 21-day trial.

What does the Dragos acquisition change?

Dragos announced on 21 September 2026 that it acquired runZero and NetRise. runZero's CEO will lead integration work while continuing to serve existing customers. No deal terms were disclosed, and product plans after the deal are not described in the announcement.

Does runZero cover SaaS apps?

Not on the pages reviewed. It covers IT, OT, IoT, cloud, mobile and remote assets.