PAIRING · NETWORK DISCOVERY / NETWORK DISCOVERY
Armis or runZero: which keeps your CMDB record more accurate?
SHORT ANSWER
By The Record Desk · CMDB Alternatives Compare · Published 2026-10-11
How do they compare criterion by criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | Armis | runZero | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completeness of discovery | 20% | 80 | 72 | Armis |
ReasonsArmis: IT managed or unmanaged, OT and IoT, medical devices, cloud instances and hybrid VMs; SaaS apps and identities are not documented as asset classes. Source: Armis Centrix for Asset Management and Security · Read 27 Sep 2026 runZero: 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 reconciliation | 20% | 74 | 70 | Armis |
ReasonsArmis: Identification draws on a knowledgebase of over 6.5 billion assets. Source: Armis Centrix platform · Read 27 Sep 2026 runZero: Profiles each asset against nearly 1,000 attributes and merges integration data into that profile. Source: runZero homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026 | ||||
| Ownership mapping | 12% | 40 | 58 | runZero |
ReasonsArmis: Ownership mapping is not described on the pages reviewed. Source: Armis Centrix for Asset Management and Security · Read 27 Sep 2026 runZero: 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 sync | 16% | 74 | 66 | Armis |
ReasonsArmis: Pushes enriched data back to the CMDB; Armis is now part of ServiceNow and remains available standalone. Source: Armis Centrix for Asset Management and Security · Read 27 Sep 2026 runZero: The ServiceNow integration enriches the CMDB; creating or retiring CMDB records is not described. Source: runZero integrations · Read 27 Sep 2026 | ||||
| Effort to maintain | 14% | 80 | 86 | runZero |
ReasonsArmis: Agentless and passive with no on-premises hardware for the core product; Armis says an inventory arrives within minutes to hours. Source: Armis Centrix for Asset Management and Security · Read 27 Sep 2026 runZero: No agents, authentication or appliances required; recurring scans plus always-on passive discovery. Source: runZero platform · Read 27 Sep 2026 | ||||
| Actionability | 10% | 66 | 48 | Armis |
ReasonsArmis: Prioritization and remediation sit in the separate VIPR-Pro module. Source: Armis Centrix platform · Read 27 Sep 2026 runZero: No workflow of its own is documented; findings move through integrations. Source: runZero integrations · Read 27 Sep 2026 | ||||
| Pricing clarity | 8% | 35 | 82 | runZero |
ReasonsArmis: No list price on armis.com; AWS Marketplace shows a Centrix Standard minimum of $3,250 a month on a one-month contract, with private offers. Source: AWS Marketplace: Armis Device Security Platform · Read 11 Oct 2026 runZero: 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 do their record cards show?
Armis
runZero
- runZero documents OWNED more fully than Armis (partial against not documented).
- Armis documents SYNCED more fully than runZero (documented against partial).
How do they differ on price and deployment?
| Armis | runZero | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | No list price on armis.com. AWS Marketplace price: Centrix Standard minimum $3,250 a month on a one-month contract; private offers through Armis. Source: AWS Marketplace: Armis Device Security Platform · Read 11 Oct 2026 | 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 |
| Deployment | Cloud platform; "no on-premises hardware to install or manage" for asset management; OT/IoT security also offered on-premises. | "Flexible SaaS and on-prem options, and even support for air-gapped environments"; "no agents, authentication, or appliances". |
| Type | Network discovery | Network discovery |
| Best for | Estates heavy in OT, IoT and medical devices | Networks with OT and unmanaged devices, including air-gapped sites |
Which should you choose?
Choose Armis if
- Completeness of discovery matters most to you (it scores 80)
- Effort to maintain matters most to you (it scores 80)
- Estates heavy in OT, IoT and medical devices
Choose runZero if
- Effort to maintain matters most to you (it scores 86)
- Pricing clarity matters most to you (it scores 82)
- Networks with OT and unmanaged devices, including air-gapped sites
Where next?
Frequently asked questions
Which scores higher overall, Armis or runZero?
On our default weights runZero scores 69.3 against 68.0 for Armis. Armis scores higher on completeness of discovery, data trust and reconciliation, keeping the CMDB in sync and actionability; runZero scores higher on ownership mapping, effort to maintain and pricing clarity.
Which publishes a price?
Armis: No list price on armis.com. AWS Marketplace price: Centrix Standard minimum $3,250 a month on a one-month contract; private offers through Armis. runZero: Community Edition free for 100 or fewer assets (30-day retention). runZero Platform starts at $5,000. Free, full-featured 21-day trial.
Which needs less upkeep?
runZero scores 86 on effort to maintain against 80 for Armis: No agents, authentication or appliances required; recurring scans plus always-on passive discovery.