Intruder vs Clone Systems
An on-demand AI pentest of one web app, and a vulnerability scanner, compared with automated penetration testing of networks and web apps from a PCI Approved Scanning Vendor.
Intruder is a vulnerability scanning company registered in England, founded in 2015, with more than 3,000 customers, that added an on-demand AI penetration test for web applications in 2026. Clone Systems is an independent security testing company since 1998 and a PCI Approved Scanning Vendor since 2007 that sells automated external and internal penetration testing, PCI ASV scanning, and vulnerability scanning online. This page compares the two using only what each company publishes about its own products.
Where Intruder is strong
Intruder's AI pentest is quick and focused. You connect a code repository, scope the test, and launch it in minutes, and Intruder says most tests run in minutes to hours with a report the same day. Findings point to the exact source file and line. Retesting is free and unlimited. The company is a CREST member and SOC 2 Type II compliant, and its scanner plans cover external systems, web apps, APIs, cloud accounts, and, on the Pro plan, internal systems through an agent. For a software team that wants a code-aware test of a single web app, plus a scanner it already uses, it is a strong option.
Where Clone Systems is different
- Networks as well as one app. Intruder's help documentation says its AI pentest tests a single web application, not your whole external network. Clone Systems tests your internet-facing systems and, with the internal test, your office network and Active Directory.
- No code repository required. Intruder lists a connectable GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket repository as a prerequisite. Clone Systems tests from the outside with nothing to connect.
- A PCI Approved Scanning Vendor. Intruder's own PCI page says its underlying scanner is an ASV and that Intruder itself is not, so you still engage an ASV separately. Clone Systems has been on the ASV list since 2007 and sells the ASV scan in the same cart.
- Lower published price. Clone Systems' external test is $1,995 for one target over 30 days. Intruder's AI pentest is $3,500 per test, or $12,000 for a pack of four.
- Engineers when you need them. Intruder says a human in the loop is not necessary for web app pentesting. If your auditor disagrees, a Clone Systems engineer can perform the test on the same platform, or you can move to a full managed penetration test.
Feature comparison
| Capability | Clone Systems | Intruder |
|---|---|---|
| Automated external penetration test (networks and web apps) | One web application per test | |
| Automated internal network penetration test | - (internal scanning on the Pro plan) | |
| Authenticated web application testing | ||
| Code repository required | - (not needed) | Required |
| PCI Approved Scanning Vendor | - (states it is not) | |
| PCI ASV scan in the same cart | - | |
| Human-led penetration test available | - | |
| Published price with online checkout | ||
| Retests | Inside your 30-day window | Free and unlimited |
| Executive and technical reports | ||
| Letter of attestation | Not found | |
| Continuous vulnerability scanning plans |
Published pricing, side by side
| Test | Clone Systems | Intruder |
|---|---|---|
| One external target, 30 days | $1,995 | Not offered as a unit |
| Web application pentest | $3,495 (10 external IPs or domains, includes authenticated web app testing) | $3,500 per test (one web application) |
| Four tests | $6,495 (50 external IPs or domains, one 30-day window) | $12,000 for a four-test pack |
| Internal network, 25 hosts | $2,995 | Not offered as a pentest |
| Annual program | From $5,995 a year | Not found |
| Retest | Included for 30 days | Free and unlimited |
| PCI ASV scan | $185 a year (1 IP or domain) | Not an ASV |
Prices as published by each vendor, checked October 6, 2026. Intruder's scanner plan prices are shown on its pricing page by plan and are not repeated here. The two companies count scope differently (targets and hosts against one application), so matched sizes are approximate.
Who should choose which
Choose Intruder if you want a code-aware AI test of a single web application with unlimited free retests, and a vulnerability scanner with a free tier to go with it.
Choose Clone Systems if you need your networks tested as well as your app, you want an internal test, you need a PCI Approved Scanning Vendor, or you want the lowest published price for a test that starts today with nothing to connect.
If your auditor or customer is asking
Intruder's report is routinely used for SOC 2, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS, by Intruder's own account, and Clone Systems' reports are built for the same audits. The difference is scope. PCI DSS Requirement 11.4 asks for internal and external penetration testing, and the FTC Safeguards Rule asks for a test of your information systems. A single web application test answers neither on its own. See what is in a Clone Systems report and the note you can send your auditor first.
Frequently asked questions
Prices and product details are taken from each vendor's public website and help documentation, checked October 6, 2026. Intruder is a trademark of Intruder Systems Ltd. Clone Systems is not affiliated with Intruder. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will update it.
See also: Vulnerability management platforms compared, Aikido vs Clone Systems, Pentera vs Clone Systems