Maltego
Maltego helps investigators uncover hidden connections in complex data through link analysis.
Maltego is an all-in-one investigation platform that transforms complex, dispersed data into actionable insights through link analysis and visualization. Used by 2,000+ government organizations and 4,000+ companies—including the FBI, INTERPOL, and half of the Dow 30—it enables investigators to conduct OSINT investigations, analyze large datasets, monitor threats in real-time, and capture digital evidence. The platform's key differentiator is its ability to automatically merge matching information from multiple sources into a single graph, enabling teams to uncover hidden connections and patterns in minutes rather than days.
Problem solved
Investigators and analysts waste significant time manually correlating data from disparate sources and lack a unified platform for link analysis, data visualization, and collaborative investigation workflows.
Target customer
Government agencies, law enforcement, financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies, and cybersecurity teams conducting investigations, threat intelligence, and risk management.
Founders
P
Philip Mayrhofer
CEO
CEO of Maltego Technologies GmbH, leading the Munich-based company since its founding in 2017.
R
Roelof Temmingh
Original Founder
Founder of Paterva in Pretoria, South Africa in 2007, which originally created Maltego as an open-source infosecurity tool.
A
Andrew MacPherson
Co-Founder (Original)
Supported Roelof Temmingh in founding Paterva and developing the original Maltego platform.
Funding history
Growth/Acquisition
$100M
April 18, 2023
Led by Charlesbank Technology Opportunities Funds (managed by Charlesbank Capital Partners)
· None disclosed
Total raised:
$100M
Industries
Pricing
Freemium model with paid tiers starting at $5,000. Plans include Basic (free with 200 monthly credits), Entry, Professional (for individual investigators and small teams), and Enterprise (for teams of 5+ users). Pricing uses a credit-based system for data access through Maltego Data Pass.
Notable customers
FBI, INTERPOL, half of the Dow 30, leading tech firms, financial organizations, 2,000+ government organizations, 4,000+ companies worldwide
Integrations
Not explicitly disclosed in research; platform integrates with multiple trusted intelligence providers through Maltego Data Pass
Tech stack
Slick (JavaScript libraries)
OWL Carousel (JavaScript libraries)
Select2 (JavaScript libraries)
jQuery (JavaScript libraries)
Hugo (Static site generator)
RSS
Open Graph
Google Font API (Font scripts)
Apple iCloud Mail (Webmail)
Microsoft 365 (Email)
Cloudflare (CDN)
jsDelivr (CDN)
cdnjs (CDN)
Netlify (PaaS)
Google Tag Manager (Tag managers)
Cookiebot (Cookie compliance)
GoDaddy (Hosting)
Website
Competitors
Palantir
Palantir offers broader big data integration and analytics capabilities but is more complex and enterprise-focused; Maltego emphasizes ease of use and faster OSINT investigations.
i2 Analyst's Notebook
IBM's i2 focuses on enterprise intelligence analysis but lacks the real-time threat monitoring and social media capabilities that Maltego provides.
Recorded Future
Recorded Future specializes in threat intelligence feeds and monitoring; Maltego focuses on link analysis and investigation workflows across multiple data sources.
Why this matters: Maltego has achieved remarkable market penetration for an investigation platform, trusted by elite organizations including the FBI and INTERPOL, and backed by a $100M growth investment from Charlesbank in 2023. Its evolution from a 2008 open-source tool to a 100+ person enterprise platform serving 6,000+ organizations demonstrates strong product-market fit in the high-stakes investigation and intelligence space.
Best for: Law enforcement agencies, cybersecurity teams, financial crime investigators, and intelligence analysts who need to quickly correlate disparate data sources and visualize complex relationships in investigations.
Use cases
OSINT Preliminary Investigations
Investigators can run open-source intelligence searches across multiple data sources, automatically merge matching information, and build visual graphs to understand initial leads. This reduces investigation startup time from days to minutes.
Complex Link Analysis for Large Datasets
Financial crime and law enforcement teams analyze large volumes of transaction, communication, and behavioral data to uncover hidden networks and relationships. Maltego's visualization automatically identifies patterns that would be invisible in raw data.
Real-Time Threat Monitoring
Security teams monitor social media and online channels in real-time to detect emerging threats, track threat actors, and identify compromised accounts before incidents escalate.
Digital Evidence Capture
Investigators preserve and document digital evidence from online sources before it is altered or removed, creating a forensically sound record for legal proceedings.
Alternatives
Palantir Gotham
More comprehensive data integration platform but significantly more complex, expensive, and requires longer implementation; better for very large organizations with dedicated data science teams.
Recorded Future
Specializes in threat intelligence feeds and continuous monitoring rather than investigative workflows; better for teams that need curated threat feeds rather than flexible data exploration.
Shodan
Focused specifically on internet-connected device discovery and vulnerability assessment; lacks Maltego's link analysis and collaborative investigation capabilities.
FAQ
What does Maltego do? +
Maltego is an investigation platform that aggregates data from multiple sources, automatically correlates matching information, and visualizes complex relationships through link analysis graphs. It enables investigators, analysts, and intelligence professionals to conduct OSINT investigations, analyze large datasets, monitor threats in real-time, and capture digital evidence—reducing investigation timelines from days to minutes.
How much does Maltego cost? +
Maltego offers a free Basic plan with 200 monthly credits. Paid plans start at $5,000 and include Entry, Professional (for individual investigators and small teams), and Enterprise (for teams of 5+ users). Pricing is based on a credit system for data access; the number of credits required depends on the data source and query type.
What are alternatives to Maltego? +
Key alternatives include Palantir Gotham (comprehensive enterprise data integration, more complex), Recorded Future (threat intelligence feeds and monitoring), and Shodan (internet-connected device discovery). Choice depends on whether you need flexible investigative workflows (Maltego), massive data integration (Palantir), curated threat feeds (Recorded Future), or device discovery (Shodan).
Who uses Maltego? +
Maltego is trusted by 2,000+ government organizations and 4,000+ companies worldwide, including the FBI, INTERPOL, half of the Dow 30, and leading financial and tech firms. Primary users are law enforcement, government agencies, cybersecurity teams, financial crime investigators, and intelligence analysts.
How does Maltego compare to Palantir? +
Maltego emphasizes ease of use and speed for investigative workflows, with quick setup and intuitive visualization. Palantir offers broader data integration and analytics capabilities but is significantly more complex, expensive, and requires longer implementation. Maltego is better for agile investigations; Palantir is better for large-scale enterprise intelligence operations.
Tags
link analysis
OSINT
investigation platform
threat intelligence
data visualization
law enforcement
cybersecurity