Audit contests plus smart-contract coverage backed by a researcher network
Last updated: July 2026
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 specialists to your specific codebase, often through competitive audit contests. This crowd-plus-curation model surfaces a wider range of eyes and incentivizes finding real bugs, and Sherlock uniquely pairs audits with smart-contract coverage — a form of financial backstop that can pay out if an audited protocol is exploited, aligning its incentives with your security. The contest structure tends to produce strong coverage for the money and a large, competitive pool of auditors. The trade-offs: the contest model is different from a single dedicated senior team some enterprises prefer, coverage/payout terms have specific conditions to understand, and results depend on which researchers engage with your contest. But for protocols that want broad, incentive-aligned review — and the option of coverage that puts money behind the audit — Sherlock is one of the most innovative models in the space.
Sherlock
Custom
| Feature | Sherlock |
|---|---|
| Manual Audit | ✓ |
| Automated Scanning | ✓ |
| Continuous Monitoring | ✗ |
| Upgrade Management | ✗ |
| Multi Sig Governance | ✗ |
| Public Reports | ✓ |
| Emergency Response | ✓ |
| Contract Library | ✗ |
| Formal Verification | ✗ |
| Bug Bounty Management | ✓ |
Sherlock does not have a permanent free tier.
Sherlock is used for audit contests plus smart-contract coverage backed by a researcher network. It's primarily used by Web3 teams in the Smart Contract Auditors category.
See our full alternatives comparison at https://chainpick.io/alternatives/sherlock.
Sherlock has a rating of 4.6/5 based on 143 reviews. Key strength: Taps an 11,000+ competitive researcher network. Main limitation: Contest model differs from a dedicated senior team.