Code4rena vs Zellic
A detailed head-to-head comparison of Code4rena and Zellic — pricing, features, and which one wins for different use cases.
Code4rena
Competitive audit platform crowdsourcing bug discovery through contests
Code4rena (C4) pioneered the competitive audit model, running time-boxed public and private audit contests where hundreds of independent 'Wardens' compete to find vulnerabilities in a codebase, with p…
Full review →Zellic
Research-led security firm strong on novel protocols, ZK, and Rust
Zellic is a fast-rising, research-led security firm that has built a strong reputation for auditing cutting-edge and unconventional systems — novel DeFi protocols, zero-knowledge circuits, Rust-based …
Full review →Feature Comparison
| Feature | Code4rena | Zellic |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Audit | ✓ | ✓ |
| Automated Scanning | ✗ | ✓ |
| Continuous Monitoring | ✗ | ✗ |
| Upgrade Management | ✗ | ✗ |
| Multi Sig Governance | ✗ | ✗ |
| Public Reports | ✓ | ✓ |
| Emergency Response | ✗ | ✓ |
| Contract Library | ✗ | ✗ |
| Formal Verification | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bug Bounty Management | ✓ | ✗ |
Code4rena Pricing
Code4rena
Audit Contest
Custom
- ✓Competitive audit contests
- ✓Large 'Warden' researcher pool
- ✓Severity-based prize pools
- ✓Public + private contests
- ✓Prize-pool-based pricing
Zellic Pricing
Zellic
Audit Engagement
Custom
- ✓Manual audits (EVM + non-EVM)
- ✓Solana/Rust + ZK expertise
- ✓Novel protocol reviews
- ✓Technical public research
- ✓Quote-based engagements
Verdict: Which Should You Choose?
Code4rena is the better pick if you need pioneered the competitive audit model. Zellic wins when research-led, strong on novel/hard targets. Both are production-ready — the right choice depends on your team's workflow and budget.