Trail of Bits vs Sherlock
A detailed head-to-head comparison of Trail of Bits and Sherlock — pricing, features, and which one wins for different use cases.
Trail of Bits
Elite security research firm and the gold standard for cryptography and ZK
Trail of Bits is one of the most respected security firms in all of software, not just crypto, with a research-driven reputation that makes it the gold standard for the hardest problems: cryptography,…
Full review →Sherlock
Audit contests plus smart-contract coverage backed by a researcher network
Sherlock takes a distinctive approach to audits: rather than assigning a fixed in-house team, it builds each engagement from an 11,000+ researcher network, using performance data to match proven speci…
Full review →Feature Comparison
| Feature | Trail of Bits | Sherlock |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Audit | ✓ | ✓ |
| Automated Scanning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Continuous Monitoring | ✗ | ✗ |
| Upgrade Management | ✗ | ✗ |
| Multi Sig Governance | ✗ | ✗ |
| Public Reports | ✓ | ✓ |
| Emergency Response | ✓ | ✓ |
| Contract Library | ✗ | ✗ |
| Formal Verification | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bug Bounty Management | ✗ | ✓ |
Trail of Bits Pricing
Trail of Bits
Audit Engagement
Custom
- ✓Manual smart-contract + protocol audits
- ✓Cryptography & ZK expertise
- ✓Custom tooling (Slither, Echidna)
- ✓Detailed public reports
- ✓Quote-based engagements
Sherlock Pricing
Sherlock
Audit Contest + Coverage
Custom
- ✓Contest-based audits
- ✓11,000+ researcher network
- ✓Optional smart-contract coverage
- ✓Performance-matched specialists
- ✓Quote-based
Verdict: Which Should You Choose?
Trail of Bits is the better pick if you need gold-standard reputation across all of security. Sherlock wins when taps an 11,000+ competitive researcher network. Both are production-ready — the right choice depends on your team's workflow and budget.