Molfar Intelligence
Done-for-you investigations, due diligence and asset tracing.
Review →Best OSINT Companies in 2026: Top 10 Providers Compared
We compared the best OSINT companies of 2026, from investigation services to the platforms security teams run themselves, and scored ten of them on eight weighted criteria. Every sub-score is published, so you can re-weight the ranking for your own needs.
- 10 companies scored
- 8 weighted criteria
- Service providers and platforms
- Facts checked 6 October 2026
Our picks
The best OSINT company for a business that needs a verified answer is Molfar Intelligence (81.6/100), the investigation firm behind OSINT-S. Recorded Future (80.2) is the strongest platform for enterprise threat intelligence, Maltego the best tool for building an in-house team, Flashpoint the specialist for dark web intelligence, and Dataminr the fastest for real-time alerts.
Best OSINT Companies at a Glance
Recorded Future
Enterprise cyber threat intelligence, now owned by Mastercard.
Review →Sibylline
Strategic and security risk intelligence with embedded analysts.
Review →Maltego
Link analysis with public pricing from €0 to €7,500 a year.
Review →Flashpoint
Intelligence from criminal forums, markets and channels.
Review →Dataminr
Early alerts on breaking events and emerging risks.
Review →How We Scored the Best OSINT Companies
Eight criteria, weighted for a business buyer who needs usable answers from open sources. Evidence quality and delivery fit carry the most weight.
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence and verification | 20 | How findings are verified, sourced and separated from assessment |
| Delivery fit for business buyers | 18 | Whether you get an answer (done-for-you) or a tool your own analysts must run |
| Coverage | 14 | Sources, languages and regions the provider can reach |
| Track record and recognition | 12 | Customer base, published cases, awards and independent coverage |
| Speed to an answer | 10 | Time from question to usable output |
| Safeguards and lawful use | 10 | Published limits, data-protection posture and how the provider handles sensitive targets |
| Price and turnaround transparency | 8 | Whether prices, plans or delivery times are published |
| Corporate stability | 8 | Ownership, funding and the risk of disruption from M&A |
We scored each company from 0 to 10 on each criterion using its own published material, regulatory and corporate records, buyer-reported price data and reputable press, all checked on 6 October 2026. The weighted total is out of 100. We did not test the platforms hands-on for this edition, and we did not accept payment from any company listed.
Why delivery fit weighs so much. Most lists of OSINT companies are really lists of tools. A tool is only as good as the analyst using it, so a company that delivers a verified answer scores higher on fit than one that sells a license. If you are building your own team, lower that weight and the platforms move up: the full sub-scores are in the table below.
Conflict of interest. OSINT-S is operated by Molfar Intelligence, which ranks first.
The 10 Best OSINT Companies in 2026
Molfar Intelligence leads for done-for-you investigations; Recorded Future, Sibylline and Maltego follow, each strongest in a different job.
01
Molfar Intelligence · Operates OSINT-S
Best for: done-for-you OSINT investigations, due diligence and asset tracing, especially where records are thin or not in English
81.6of 100
- Type
- Service provider (investigations, due diligence, monitoring)
- HQ
- Kyiv and London; UK entity Molfar Limited
- Founded
- 2019
- Scale
- 7,000+ investigations; 100+ people; 750+ registers
- Turnaround
- From 1 business day to 1 month; urgent +50%
- Pricing
- Fixed quote after scoping
Molfar is a private intelligence company founded in Kyiv in 2019 by Artem Starosiek, with a UK entity incorporated in 2021. It runs due diligence, background checks, KYC and AML work, asset tracing, litigation support, cyber threat intelligence and dark web monitoring, and offers its Minos platform for ongoing monitoring. Its published cases include 34 sanctions dossiers delivered in under two weeks and asset mapping used as a basis for EU-level freezes.
Strengths
- You get a verified answer, not a tool to learn
- Published turnaround and urgency fee
- Deep local-language work in Ukraine, CEE and Russia-linked networks
- Reports separate confirmed facts, open questions and risks
Watch-outs
- No public price list
- No industry rankings such as Chambers found; recognition rests on cases and media coverage
- Smaller than the global platform vendors
- Ukraine-born and openly pro-Ukrainian, which some buyers will weigh
Verdict. The first choice in this comparison for a business that needs a defensible answer about a person, company or asset, without building an OSINT team. If you need a platform for your own analysts, look at Maltego or Recorded Future instead.
02
Recorded Future
Best for: enterprise threat intelligence for security teams
80.2of 100
- Type
- Threat intelligence platform plus Insikt Group research
- HQ
- Somerville, Massachusetts
- Founded
- 2009
- Owner
- Mastercard (deal completed 20 Dec 2024)
- Scale
- 1,900+ clients in 75 countries at acquisition
- Pricing
- AWS list: Threat Intelligence module (2 users) $281,250 for 36 months
Recorded Future describes itself as the world's largest threat intelligence company. Mastercard bought it for $2.65 billion, announced in September 2024 and completed in December 2024. Its Insikt Group publishes widely cited research, and its modules cover threat, brand, vulnerability and third-party intelligence.
Strengths
- Breadth of cyber threat data and research
- Backed by Mastercard
- List prices visible on AWS Marketplace
Watch-outs
- A platform for security teams, not a people or company investigation service
- Multi-year, module-by-module pricing adds up quickly
Verdict. The benchmark for cyber threat intelligence at enterprise scale. Choose it when you have a security team to use it; it is not built for due diligence on a person or deal.
03
Sibylline
Best for: strategic and security risk intelligence with embedded analysts
74.4of 100
- Type
- Service provider (risk intelligence, investigations, embedded analysts)
- HQ
- London; hubs in Singapore, Washington DC, Brazil, Ireland
- Founded
- 2010, by Justin Crump
- Scale
- Nearly 500 staff; serves 10%+ of the Fortune 500
- Recognition
- King's Award for Enterprise, 2025
- Pricing
- On request
Sibylline is a London-based risk intelligence firm that provides strategic assessments, investigations and analysts embedded in client teams. It won the King's Award for Enterprise in International Trade in May 2025, citing 370% export growth.
Strengths
- Analyst-led service rather than software
- Strong security and geopolitical risk practice
- Recognised UK firm with global hubs
Watch-outs
- No published prices or turnaround
- Built around enterprise security programs rather than one-off checks
Verdict. A strong service choice for corporate security teams that want ongoing analyst support on geopolitical and physical risk.
04
Maltego
Best for: link analysis and graph investigations run by your own analysts
73.4of 100
- Type
- Platform vendor (link analysis, data integrations)
- HQ
- Munich, Germany
- Founded
- 2008
- Corporate
- Charlesbank invested $100M (2023); acquired Hunchly (May 2025); launched Maltego One (Oct 2025)
- Users
- Law enforcement, government, finance and corporate teams
- Pricing
- Basic €0; Entry €3,000/yr; Professional €7,500/yr; Enterprise on request
Maltego is the standard graph tool for investigators, connecting people, companies, domains and accounts through data integrations. It is one of the few OSINT vendors with public pricing, and its 2025 purchase of Hunchly added web-capture to the platform.
Strengths
- Public, credit-based pricing
- Huge ecosystem of data integrations
- Hunchly capture now included in paid plans
Watch-outs
- A tool: the quality of the answer depends on your analyst
- Third-party data integrations can cost extra
Verdict. The best platform pick if you are building an in-house OSINT capability and want a recognized tool with transparent pricing.
05
Flashpoint
Best for: deep and dark web threat intelligence
73.0of 100
- Type
- Threat intelligence platform and data
- HQ
- Washington, DC
- Owner
- Audax Private Equity (majority since 2021)
- Scale
- 800+ customers including 50+ governments
- Pricing
- AWS list: Ignite Cyber Threat Intelligence $100,000/yr (0–5k employees)
Flashpoint collects intelligence from illicit online communities, forums and markets, and packages it for cyber, fraud and physical security teams. Its 2026 Global Threat Intelligence Report counted 3.3 billion compromised credentials and cloud tokens harvested by infostealers.
Strengths
- Depth in criminal communities and leaked-data markets
- Covers cyber, fraud and physical security
- List prices visible on AWS Marketplace
Watch-outs
- Enterprise pricing
- A platform: you still need analysts to act on it
Verdict. The specialist choice when your main concern is what is being traded or planned in criminal communities.
06
Dataminr
Best for: real-time alerts on breaking events and risks
70.4of 100
- Type
- Platform vendor (real-time event and risk alerting)
- HQ
- New York
- Founded
- 2009
- Corporate
- Acquired ThreatConnect for $290M (announced Oct 2025)
- Customers
- More than two-thirds of the Fortune 50; 100+ US government agencies
- Pricing
- Not public; buyer-reported median about $22,000/yr (Vendr)
Dataminr detects early signals of events in public data and pushes alerts to corporate security, newsrooms and government. In 2025 it bought ThreatConnect to add cyber threat intelligence, and in August 2026 it announced a five-year, $318 million US Department of War contract.
Strengths
- Speed: often the first alert on a breaking event
- Large public- and private-sector customer base
- Now combines event and cyber intelligence
Watch-outs
- Alerts, not investigations
- Alert volume needs a team to triage
Verdict. Best when minutes matter, for example for travel security and crisis teams. Pair it with an investigation provider for deep dives.
07
Skopenow
Best for: automated OSINT reports on people and companies for corporate teams
70.0of 100
- Type
- Platform vendor (automated investigations, identity resolution)
- HQ
- New York
- Founded
- 2016
- Customers
- 1,500+, including 20% of the Fortune 500
- Recognition
- Frost & Sullivan Global Company of the Year 2026 (second year)
- Pricing
- Not public; buyer-reported median $23,760/yr (Vendr)
Skopenow automates the collection of public records, social media and web data into investigation reports, and is used by corporate security, fraud, compliance and due diligence teams.
Strengths
- Fast automated reports
- Built for corporate rather than only government users
- Strong analyst-firm recognition
Watch-outs
- Automation still needs human verification for high-stakes findings
- No public price list
Verdict. A good fit for teams that run many routine checks and want automation, with an analyst reviewing the important ones.
08
ShadowDragon
Best for: social media and online investigations by trained investigators
63.8of 100
- Type
- Platform vendor (Horizon, SocialNet)
- HQ
- United States
- Founded
- 2015–2016 (sources differ)
- Data
- SocialNet covers 200+ sources
- Users
- Law enforcement, government, corporate security, fraud
- Pricing
- Not public
ShadowDragon makes Horizon and SocialNet, tools for collecting and analyzing social media and online data. It is widely used by public-sector investigators and appears in almost every list of top OSINT tools.
Strengths
- Broad social and online data coverage
- Established with investigators
- Integrates with Maltego
Watch-outs
- Built for trained investigators
- No public pricing; many buyers are public bodies
Verdict. A solid tool for investigation teams focused on social media; less suited to buyers who want a finished report.
09
OSINT Combine
Best for: OSINT training and a managed platform for public-sector teams
63.4of 100
- Type
- Hybrid: NexusXplore platform, training, managed intelligence
- HQ
- Sydney, Australia (remote-first)
- Founded
- 2018
- Corporate
- Merged with Kaseware (Nov 2025), backed by The Riverside Company
- Users
- National security, law enforcement, military and corporate teams
- Pricing
- Not public
OSINT Combine is known for tool-agnostic OSINT training and its NexusXplore platform, and it also provides managed intelligence. In November 2025 it joined Kaseware, an investigations case-management company.
Strengths
- Training and platform from one provider
- Strong public-sector following
- Clear focus on tradecraft
Watch-outs
- Smaller provider going through a merger
- No public pricing
Verdict. Worth a look if you want to train a team and give it a platform at the same time.
10
Social Links
Best for: OSINT data integrations and investigation workspace (SL Crimewall)
62.6of 100
- Type
- Platform vendor (SL Professional, SL Crimewall, API)
- HQ
- New York; R&D in Riga
- Founded
- 2015
- Scale
- 500+ clients in 80+ countries (company figure)
- Corporate
- Co-founder Ivan Shkvarun CEO since Jan 2024
- Pricing
- Individual quotes
Social Links sells data integrations for Maltego (SL Professional), its own investigation workspace SL Crimewall, launched in November 2023, and an API. Its customers are mainly law enforcement, government and corporate investigators.
Strengths
- Large catalog of data sources
- Works inside Maltego or on its own
- API for automation
Watch-outs
- Self-serve tool that needs trained users
- No public pricing
Verdict. A useful data layer for teams already working in Maltego or building their own workflows.
Full Sub-Scores
Re-weight the criteria for your own use: if you only need a tool, ignore delivery fit and the platform vendors close the gap.
| Company | Evidence | Delivery | Coverage | Track | Speed | Safeguards | Price | Corporate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Molfar Intelligence | 9 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 81.6 |
| 2. Recorded Future | 8 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 80.2 |
| 3. Sibylline | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 74.4 |
| 4. Maltego | 7 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 73.4 |
| 5. Flashpoint | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 73.0 |
| 6. Dataminr | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 70.4 |
| 7. Skopenow | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 70.0 |
| 8. ShadowDragon | 7 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 63.8 |
| 9. OSINT Combine | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 63.4 |
| 10. Social Links | 7 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 62.6 |
How Do the Top OSINT Companies Compare?
Two are service providers and eight sell platforms. Only Maltego publishes full list prices; several others have list prices on AWS Marketplace or buyer-reported medians.
| Company | Type | HQ | Best for | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molfar Intelligence | Service provider (investigations, due diligence, monitoring) | Kyiv and London; UK entity Molfar Limited | done-for-you OSINT investigations, due diligence and asset tracing, especially where records are thin or not in English | Fixed quote after scoping |
| Recorded Future | Threat intelligence platform plus Insikt Group research | Somerville, Massachusetts | enterprise threat intelligence for security teams | AWS list: Threat Intelligence module (2 users) $281,250 for 36 months |
| Sibylline | Service provider (risk intelligence, investigations, embedded analysts) | London; hubs in Singapore, Washington DC, Brazil, Ireland | strategic and security risk intelligence with embedded analysts | On request |
| Maltego | Platform vendor (link analysis, data integrations) | Munich, Germany | link analysis and graph investigations run by your own analysts | Basic €0; Entry €3,000/yr; Professional €7,500/yr; Enterprise on request |
| Flashpoint | Threat intelligence platform and data | Washington, DC | deep and dark web threat intelligence | AWS list: Ignite Cyber Threat Intelligence $100,000/yr (0–5k employees) |
| Dataminr | Platform vendor (real-time event and risk alerting) | New York | real-time alerts on breaking events and risks | Not public; buyer-reported median about $22,000/yr (Vendr) |
| Skopenow | Platform vendor (automated investigations, identity resolution) | New York | automated OSINT reports on people and companies for corporate teams | Not public; buyer-reported median $23,760/yr (Vendr) |
| ShadowDragon | Platform vendor (Horizon, SocialNet) | United States | social media and online investigations by trained investigators | Not public |
| OSINT Combine | Hybrid: NexusXplore platform, training, managed intelligence | Sydney, Australia (remote-first) | OSINT training and a managed platform for public-sector teams | Not public |
| Social Links | Platform vendor (SL Professional, SL Crimewall, API) | New York; R&D in Riga | OSINT data integrations and investigation workspace (SL Crimewall) | Individual quotes |
Pricing sources: Maltego, Recorded Future on AWS, Flashpoint on AWS, Vendr: Dataminr, Vendr: Skopenow. Vendr figures are medians of buyer-reported purchases, not list prices.
OSINT Service Provider or OSINT Platform: Which Do You Need?
Buy a service when the question is occasional, high-stakes or cross-border. Buy a platform when you have trained analysts and a steady volume of work.
| Your situation | Better fit | Examples from this list |
|---|---|---|
| One-off decision: a deal, hire, dispute or partner | Service provider | Molfar, Sibylline |
| Records in languages your team cannot read | Service provider | Molfar |
| A security team monitoring cyber threats every day | Platform | Recorded Future, Flashpoint |
| Analysts running many investigations a month | Platform | Maltego, ShadowDragon, Social Links, Skopenow |
| Crisis and travel teams that need minutes, not days | Platform | Dataminr |
| Building a capability from scratch | Training plus platform | OSINT Combine, Maltego |
Many organizations do both: a platform for routine volume and a service for the cases that matter. Our guide to hiring an OSINT investigator covers the service side.
Other OSINT Companies Worth Considering
Eight more companies that did not make the top ten for business buyers but lead in specific niches.
Fivecast
Adelaide, founded 2017. AI risk-detection platforms ONYX and MATRIX for national security and law enforcement; raised AU$30 million in 2023.
Babel Street
Washington, DC, founded 2009. Multilingual AI analysis of public data for defense, intelligence and commercial users; new CEO Benji Hutchinson since May 2025.
Penlink (incl. Cobwebs)
Lincoln, Nebraska, founded 1986. Digital investigation tools for law enforcement; acquired Cobwebs Technologies in 2023, now sold as Tangles.
Blackdot Solutions (Videris)
Cambridge, UK, founded 2013. Videris investigation platform for government, finance and risk consultancies; raised £4.5 million in February 2025.
OSINT Industries
London. Real-time lookups on an email, phone number or username; public plans from £19 to £99 a month.
LifeRaft
Halifax, Canada, founded 2014. Navigator threat-monitoring platform for corporate security; acquired by Securitas in March 2026.
Silobreaker
London. Threat intelligence and security-intelligence SaaS; majority-owned by Marlin Equity Partners since 2022.
Janes
Founded 1898, Croydon, UK. Defense and security open-source intelligence; owned by Montagu since 2019.
What Changed in the OSINT Market in 2025–2026?
Consolidation. Large buyers bought OSINT vendors, vendors bought each other, and one well-funded player failed.
- Mastercard completed its $2.65 billion purchase of Recorded Future in December 2024, putting the largest threat intelligence platform inside a payments network.
- Maltego bought Hunchly in May 2025 and launched Maltego One in October 2025.
- Dataminr bought ThreatConnect for $290 million (announced October 2025) and in August 2026 announced a five-year, $318 million US Department of War contract.
- OSINT Combine merged with Kaseware in November 2025; Securitas completed the purchase of LifeRaft in March 2026.
- Logically, a UK disinformation-analysis firm, went into administration and its assets were sold in July 2025 after it lost major platform contracts.
- Market size estimates vary widely: $12.7 billion for 2025 according to Global Market Insights and $16.7 billion according to IMARC. Treat any single figure with caution.
For buyers, consolidation means checking who now owns your provider, whether the product roadmap has changed, and where your data will be processed.
How to Choose an OSINT Company
Start from the question, not the vendor. Decide whether you need an answer or a tool, then test the shortlist on evidence, coverage, legality and price.
- Write the question and the decision. It tells you whether you need a service, a platform or both.
- Check coverage. Ask which countries, languages and source types the provider can actually reach for your case.
- Ask for a sample. A sample report or a demo on your own data shows more than any brochure.
- Test the method. How are findings verified and documented? Are facts separated from assessments?
- Check the limits. What does the provider refuse to do? How does it handle personal data?
- Compare total cost. Licence, credits, data add-ons and analyst time for a platform; a fixed quote for a service.
- Check ownership. Recent deals can change pricing, data location and the product itself.
See what services cost in our OSINT pricing guide.
Best OSINT Companies: FAQ
What is the best OSINT company in 2026?
For businesses that need a verified answer about a person, company or asset, our pick is Molfar Intelligence (81.6/100), the firm that operates OSINT-S. For enterprise cyber threat intelligence, Recorded Future is the benchmark; for an in-house tool, Maltego.
What do OSINT companies do?
They either investigate on your behalf and deliver a report, or sell platforms and data that your own analysts use to collect and analyze open-source information. Some, like OSINT Combine, also train teams.
Which OSINT companies publish their prices?
Maltego publishes plans from €0 to €7,500 a year, and OSINT Industries from £19 to £99 a month. Recorded Future and Flashpoint list some prices on AWS Marketplace. Most others, including service providers, quote on request.
Is Recorded Future an OSINT company?
Yes. It is a threat intelligence platform that draws heavily on open and technical sources, plus its own Insikt Group research. Mastercard completed its acquisition in December 2024.
Is Maltego an OSINT company or a tool?
Both: Maltego Technologies is the company, and Maltego is its link-analysis platform. You buy a license and your analysts run the investigations.
What is the difference between an OSINT company and a private investigation firm?
OSINT companies work from publicly or commercially available information, often online and across borders. Private investigation firms may also do surveillance, interviews and process serving, which can require a license.
Are there OSINT companies in the UK?
Yes. Sibylline, Silobreaker, Blackdot Solutions, Janes and OSINT Industries are UK-based, and Molfar contracts through its UK entity, Molfar Limited.
How big is the OSINT market?
Estimates for 2025 range from $12.7 billion (Global Market Insights) to $16.7 billion (IMARC). Methods differ, so treat any single figure as a rough guide.
Why is Molfar ranked first?
Because this ranking weights evidence quality and delivery fit for business buyers, and Molfar delivers finished, source-referenced investigations rather than software. OSINT-S is operated by Molfar, which we disclose on this page; all sub-scores are published so you can re-weight them.
Sources and Notes
- Molfar Intelligence: homepage figures and services
- Molfar Intelligence: case studies
- Mastercard: acquisition of Recorded Future completed (Dec 2024)
- Recorded Future on AWS Marketplace
- Sibylline: King's Award for Enterprise (May 2025)
- Maltego: pricing
- Maltego: Hunchly acquisition (May 2025)
- Flashpoint: about
- Flashpoint Ignite on AWS Marketplace
- Flashpoint 2026 Global Threat Intelligence Report
- Help Net Security: Dataminr to acquire ThreatConnect (Oct 2025)
- Dataminr: Department of War contract (Aug 2026)
- Frost & Sullivan: Skopenow 2026 Global Company of the Year
- ShadowDragon: about
- OSINT Combine and Kaseware merger (Nov 2025)
- Social Links: about
- Securitas: LifeRaft acquisition completed (Mar 2026)
- UKTN: Logically sold in administration (Jul 2025)
- Blackdot Solutions: Maven investment (Feb 2025)
- Vendr: buyer-reported prices for Dataminr and Skopenow
- Global Market Insights: OSINT market
- IMARC: OSINT market
Sources checked 6 October 2026. OSINT-S is operated by Molfar Intelligence, which is ranked first. Company figures are the companies' own statements unless stated otherwise.