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Head-to-head · Graph investigation vs analyst notebook

Maltego vs IBM i2

Maltego pulls OSINT into a graph. i2 is where intelligence analysts chart everything, including what did not come from the internet.

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These tools overlap on the canvas and diverge everywhere else. Maltego is built around Transforms that fetch external data into the graph. IBM i2 Analyst's Notebook is built around charting, timelines, and analysis of data an organisation already holds, with deep roots in law enforcement and intelligence. Many agencies use both: Maltego to collect, i2 to chart and brief.

Pick Maltego to collect open-source data into a graph. Pick i2 to chart, analyse, and brief intelligence from every source your agency holds.

What each is best for

OSINT platform
Maltego
  • OSINT collection driven by Transforms
  • Investigators who start from an identifier on the internet
  • Commercial and community data hubs in one graph
OSINT platform
IBM i2
  • Intelligence analysis across internal records, interviews, and OSINT
  • Timelines, association charts, and briefing products for court or command
  • Agencies with i2 workflows, training, and data connectors already in place

Maltego vs IBM i2, side by side

Structural differences and access models. No invented list prices for either tool.

Maltego vs IBM i2 comparison
 MaltegoIBM i2
Primary jobCollect external OSINT into an entity graph via Transforms.Chart and analyse intelligence from any source; produce briefable products.
Data inTransform hubs and vendor data fetched live.Imports from records systems, spreadsheets, and connectors; manual entry.
AnalysisGraph layouts, machines, entity expansion.Association charts, timelines, social network analysis, conditional formatting.
AudienceOSINT investigators, security researchers, due-diligence desks.Law-enforcement and intelligence analysts, fraud units.
ProcurementPer-seat licence plus Transform access.Enterprise licensing, usually through a reseller or IBM agreement.

Where OSINTverse fits

  • SearchIn is the per-lookup collection layer: breach, people, domain, host, and image sources from one search, filed in a Case with an auditable charge ledger.
  • GraphIn is a browser case graph for teams, not an analyst notebook. It does not replace i2 for charting internal intelligence.
  • Export JSON or CSV to bring OSINTverse results into i2 or Maltego.
OSINTverse vs MaltegoOSINTverse vs IBM i2

More head-to-head comparisons

Maltego vs SpiderFoot
Maltego is a graph you drive by hand, Transform by Transform. SpiderFoot is a scan you point at a target and read afterwards.
Maltego vs Lampyre
Both are desktop graphs with data requests built in. Maltego has the ecosystem. Lampyre has the all-in-one request catalog.

FAQ

Maltego vs IBM i2, answered

Does OSINTverse replace IBM i2?

No. i2 is an analyst notebook for charting intelligence from every source an agency holds. OSINTverse is an OSINT search and case platform. Use it to collect, then chart in i2.

Can Maltego do what i2 does?

Partly. Both draw link charts, but i2 is built for timelines, briefing products, and internal data. Maltego is built for pulling external data in through Transforms.

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