1,500+ search methods
The vendor says Crimewall uses over 1,500 proprietary search methods to extract data from over 850 sources, from social media to the dark web.
Social Links OSINT Platform Review: Crimewall, API and Alternatives
The Social Links OSINT platform is a commercial suite for investigators that extracts and links data from social media, messengers, blockchains and the dark web. Its main products are SL Crimewall, the SL API and add-ons for Maltego. This review is based on the vendor's documentation, FAQ and public listings, checked on 10 October 2026.
- SL Crimewall investigation platform
- SL API
- Maltego add-ons (PRO and free CE)
- Cloud, self-hosted or on-premise
Short answer
The Social Links OSINT platform is a family of commercial investigation products. The flagship, SL Crimewall, combines data extraction from more than 850 open sources with link analysis, case management and reporting; the SL API feeds the same data into in-house systems, and SL Professional adds it to Maltego. It targets law enforcement and corporate security teams. Pricing is individual and quote-based.
What Is the Social Links OSINT Platform?
A family of products that run the same data-extraction methods in different places: a standalone investigation platform, an API, and add-ons for Maltego.
Social Links describes SL Crimewall as "an all in one OSINT investigation platform" covering extraction, visualization, processing and reporting, the main stages of the intelligence cycle (Social Links). The other products reuse the same search methods:
- SL API brings data extraction for social media, messengers and the dark web into a customer's own platform.
- SL Professional (SL PRO) is an add-on that runs Social Links search methods inside Maltego, and SL CE is a free add-on for Maltego with limited functionality.
- SL Private Platform and SL BOX are private options; the FAQ describes SL BOX as a boxed solution deployed in the client's own infrastructure (Social Links FAQ).
The company also sells professional services: training, expert consultation and certification programs. It lists public-sector buyers (law enforcement, prosecution, national and border security, emergency response) and private-sector buyers (corporate security, cyber security, financial security, due diligence and KYC, private investigations).
SL Crimewall Key Features
Crimewall puts collection, graph analysis, machine-learning tools, monitoring and reporting in one case workspace, with three deployment models.
Graphs and case management
Entities, accounts and relationships are mapped on a graph inside a case, so findings stay organized as an investigation grows.
Machine-learning tools
ML-driven analysis of images, video and text, described by the vendor as AI models for extracting and enriching data.
Notifications
Monitoring that alerts users to new activity related to the subjects and sources in a case.
Exports and custom reports
Export a case to PDF or CSV, design a custom report layout, and use case summarization.
SaaS, self-hosted, on-premise
Cloud deployment on EU or US servers, a self-hosted case management option, or full on-premise installation.
Data Sources and OSINT Coverage
Social Links claims more than 850 open sources across social media, messengers, blockchains and the dark web, but does not publish the full list.
According to the vendor, its methods cover "850+ open sources" spanning social networks, messengers, blockchains and the dark web, including mainstream and niche sources across the surface, deep and dark web (SL Crimewall). The site uses slightly different figures in different places (1,500 and 1,700 extraction methods, for example), which is common for products that add sources continuously.
Two points matter more than the headline number. First, social media access changes often: platforms close APIs, add login walls and block automated collection, so a method that works this quarter may not work next quarter. Second, coverage is only useful if it matches your subjects. Ask for a trial against real, lawful test cases from your own work, in the languages and platforms you actually need.
The vendor's FAQ states that investigations are "private and anonymous" and that "even we cannot know what our users are looking for" (FAQ). Buyers with strict data-handling rules should still review the data processing agreement and choose the deployment model that fits their policies.
Social Links Pricing and Plans
Pricing is not published: Social Links offers individual quotes, a trial on request, and one free product, the limited SL CE add-on for Maltego.
| Product | Published price | Access |
|---|---|---|
| SL Crimewall | Not public | Demo and trial on request (Crimewall) |
| SL API | Not public | Through sales |
| SL Professional for Maltego | Not public; not listed on G2 (G2) | Trial key from the sales team |
| SL CE for Maltego | Free, limited functionality | Install from the Maltego Transform Hub (FAQ) |
| SL Private Platform / SL BOX | Not public | Deployed in the client's infrastructure |
Checked 10 October 2026. The vendor's FAQ describes "flexible, individual pricing. Contact the sales team for a quote."
Remember that SL Professional and SL CE run inside Maltego, so the cost of a Maltego plan applies on top: Maltego lists a free Basic plan and paid plans of €3,000 and €7,500 a year (Maltego pricing).
Who Social Links Suits and Who It Does Not
It fits investigation units that work social media and messenger data daily and can staff trained analysts; it is excessive for occasional questions.
A good fit: law enforcement and public-sector units with continuous caseloads; corporate security, fraud and KYC teams that need social media and blockchain data in one case file; teams already using Maltego that want more data sources; organizations that need on-premise deployment for policy reasons.
A poor fit: organizations with a few investigations a year; buyers who need a finished, evidential report rather than search results; and anyone who cannot document a lawful purpose for each search.
Limitations and Legal Risks of Social Media OSINT Tools
The tool's legality claims do not transfer to the user: what you search, why and how you store results still decide whether the work is lawful.
- Vendor legality claims are not a legal opinion. The FAQ says everything the products do "is completely legal." Whether your use is lawful depends on your purpose, your jurisdiction and how you process personal data.
- Data protection. Under the GDPR, public availability is not a lawful basis on its own; you need one, such as legitimate interests, and must keep data to what the case requires (GDPR; EDPB).
- Platform terms. Regulators have warned that scraping social media can breach privacy law and platform terms (joint statement on data scraping). Never use fake profiles to reach private content.
- False matches. Automated linking of usernames, phone numbers and photos can attach the wrong person to a case. Confirm every link with an independent source.
Social Links Alternatives for OSINT Investigations
Comparable options range from enterprise platforms with social data engines to self-serve lookup tools with public prices.
ShadowDragon
Horizon platform (identity, link analysis, monitoring) and the SocialNet API, sold to government and enterprise teams; pricing on request.
ShadowDragon review →Maltego
The graph platform Social Links plugs into; free Basic plan, paid plans from €3,000 a year.
Maltego review →Skopenow
Automated entity reports, link analysis and location analytics for security, insurance and legal teams.
Skopenow review →OSINT Industries
Lookups by email, phone number, username, name or crypto wallet, with monthly plans from £19 (pricing).
OSINT Industries review →Need the Answer, Not the Tool?
When you need a finished answer about a few accounts or people, an analyst-led investigation avoids the license, the training and the data-handling setup.
Platforms like Social Links make collection faster for teams that investigate every day. If your need is narrower, such as attributing a harassing account, checking whether a group of profiles is coordinated, or verifying a counterparty's online presence, our social media investigations and OSINT investigations deliver the answer as a reviewed report. Teams that want to build skills in-house can use our OSINT training.
Every engagement starts with written scoping and a fixed quote. Focused checks take from 10 business days, and a senior analyst reviews each report before delivery. Explore all OSINT services from OSINT-S, or compare tools by task in our OSINT tools catalog.
Send Us the Question Instead
Tell us which accounts, people or companies you need to understand, and by when. We reply with a written scope and a fixed quote.
Social Links OSINT Platform FAQ
Our corporate security team is comparing vendors — what exactly is the Social Links OSINT platform, and how is SL Crimewall different from the Social Links add-ons for Maltego?
The Social Links OSINT platform is a set of products built on the same data-extraction methods. SL Crimewall is a standalone investigation platform with collection, graphs, case management, monitoring and reporting in one place. SL Professional and the free, limited SL CE are add-ons that run Social Links searches inside Maltego, so you need Maltego as well. The SL API delivers the same data into your own systems, and SL BOX is a private version installed in your infrastructure.
I need a rough number for our budget meeting next month — how much does SL Crimewall cost per year, and can we get a free trial before signing anything?
Social Links does not publish prices. Its FAQ describes "flexible, individual pricing" and asks buyers to contact sales for a quote, and SL Professional pricing is not listed on G2 either. The Crimewall page offers a trial and demo on request, and an SL PRO trial key is available from the sales team. The only free product is SL CE, a limited add-on for Maltego. Budget separately for Maltego if you choose the add-ons.
Our compliance officer won't allow investigation data on third-party clouds — can Social Links run entirely on our own servers, or is it only a cloud service?
Yes, on-premise deployment is offered. The Crimewall page lists three models: SaaS on EU or US servers, a self-hosted option where case management runs locally while data is fetched from the vendor's cloud, and a full on-premise installation. The vendor also offers SL BOX, a boxed solution deployed in the client's infrastructure. Check which model keeps queries, results and logs inside your environment, and review the data processing agreement.
The vendor says everything its products do is completely legal — does that mean our team can use Social Links on anyone without worrying about GDPR or platform rules?
No. A vendor's statement about its products does not make every use lawful. Under the GDPR you still need a lawful basis, such as legitimate interests, a defined purpose and data minimization, and platform terms may restrict automated collection. Regulators have warned that scraping social media can breach both. Document why each subject is searched, keep only what the case needs, and never use fake profiles or deception to reach private content.
We only investigate a handful of suspicious social media accounts a year — is licensing a platform like Social Links worth it, or should we hire analysts per case instead?
For a handful of cases a year, hiring analysts per case is usually better value. A platform license needs trained users, ongoing practice and data-handling policies to pay off. An analyst-led social media investigation is scoped to each question, verified with independent sources and delivered as a written report you can act on. Platforms make sense when investigations are continuous and you have staff to run them every week.
Can Social Links reliably tell us who is behind an anonymous account that keeps attacking our brand, and would the result stand up if we go to court?
It can surface leads, but no tool reliably attributes an anonymous account on its own. Automated links between usernames, phone numbers, photos and wallets can point to the wrong person, so each connection needs independent corroboration. For court, you also need preserved captures with timestamps and a documented, repeatable method. Treat platform output as a starting point for analysis, not a conclusion.
Sources and Notes
- Social Links: home page and products
- Social Links: SL Crimewall
- Social Links: FAQ
- G2: SL Professional pricing
- Maltego: pricing
- OSINT Industries: pricing
- GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679)
- EDPB: guidelines on legitimate interest (summary)
- Joint statement on data scraping by data protection authorities
Sources checked 10 October 2026. Figures about third-party firms and tools are as published by them or by the cited source on that date.