Software · head to head
Recorded Future vs Descope
The short version
- Only Descope has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Recorded Future listed on UK G-Cloud 14 at £40,500 per licence for Recorded Future, via reseller Softcat plc; Descope free tier capped at 7,500 MAU; Pro tier at 10,000 MAU, Growth tier at 25,000 MAU, forcing migration to Enterprise for larger organisations
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Recorded Future and Descope actually diverge.
| Attribute | Recorded Future | Descope |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $25000/year | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Api, Cloud | Web, iOS, Android, API |
| Founded | 2009 | Unknown |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Recorded Future
- Real-time threat intelligence
- Vulnerability intelligence
- Internet-wide data analysis
- Insikt group intelligence
- Brand intelligence
- API-first platform
- Alert and notification system
- Custom reporting
Only in Descope
Nothing recorded that Recorded Future does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Recorded Future
- Threat Intelligencenot Descope
- Vulnerability Managementnot Descope
- Risk Intelligencenot Descope
Descope
- Organisations seeking rapid identity implementation without custom developmentnot Recorded Future
- Companies supporting multiple user types (consumers, partners, AI agents) in single platformnot Recorded Future
- Multi-tenant B2B2C SaaS applications requiring per-organisation identity policiesnot Recorded Future
- Teams building passwordless-first authentication experiencesnot Recorded Future
- Healthcare and regulated industries requiring HIPAA-compliant identity managementnot Recorded Future
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Recorded Future
- Listed on UK G-Cloud 14 at £40,500 per licence for Recorded Future, via reseller Softcat plc
Descope
- Free tier capped at 7,500 MAU; Pro tier at 10,000 MAU, Growth tier at 25,000 MAU, forcing migration to Enterprise for larger organisations
- HIPAA compliance only available in Growth tier ($799/mo) and above; not included in lower-priced plans
- No-code UI builder provides pre-built flows but still requires custom frontend development for fully-branded authentication experiences
- All paid tiers billed annually; no monthly billing option for commitment-free flexibility
- Bot protection features available only in Growth tier and above
Pricing, plan by plan
Recorded Future
$25000/year- Threat Intelligence$25000/year
- Threat feeds
- IP reputation
- Domain analysis
- Vulnerability Intelligence$35000/year
- CVE monitoring
- Patch intelligence
- Vulnerability trending
- Complete Intelligence$50000/year
- All features
- Analyst access
- Dedicated feed
Descope
Free- Free ForeverFree
- 7,500 monthly active users
- Basic authentication
- Community support
- Pro$249/month
- 10,000 monthly active users
- Custom domains
- CI/CD integration
- Growth$799/month
- 25,000 monthly active users
- Bot protection
- Fine-grained authorisation
- Enterprise$null/month
- Unlimited monthly active users
- Tiered discounts
- Premium support with dedicated CS engineer
Which should you pick?
Choose Recorded Future if
- You need real-time threat intelligence.
- You work on Web, Api, Cloud.
- You also want vulnerability intelligence.
Questions people ask
- Is Recorded Future or Descope better?
- Neither clearly leads. Recorded Future starts at $25000/year and Descope at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Recorded Future or Descope?
- Descope has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $25000/year for Recorded Future and Free for Descope.
- Does Recorded Future or Descope run on more platforms?
- Recorded Future runs on Web, Api, Cloud. Descope runs on Web, iOS, Android, API.
- Can I use Descope for free?
- Yes. Descope has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Recorded Future starts at $25000/year.
- What is Recorded Future best used for?
- Recorded Future is most often used for threat intelligence, vulnerability management, risk intelligence. Of those, threat intelligence and vulnerability management are not what Descope is typically brought in for.
- What can Recorded Future do that Descope cannot?
- Recorded Future covers Real-time threat intelligence, Vulnerability intelligence, Internet-wide data analysis, Insikt group intelligence.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Descope: Can I build custom authentication flows without code?
Yes. Descope's drag-and-drop workflow interface allows you to construct and modify signup, login, MFA and SSO flows without code changes.
SourceDescope: Does Descope support AI agent authentication?
Yes. Descope supports building identity journeys for AI agents and MCP servers, including scoped OAuth tokens and delegation chains.
SourceDescope: Is Descope HIPAA compliant?
HIPAA compliance is available in Growth tier and above, starting at $799/month.
Source