Maltego offers Community Edition (CE), its free offering, with two plans: Basic, available to everyone, and Basic+, available to qualified users. Whether you’re exploring Maltego for the first time, evaluating its capabilities, conducting academic research, or working on personal investigations, these plans provide the fastest way to experience the platform and get started with investigative workflows.
What’s included? In two free Community Edition (CE) plans:
Basic (Free for everyone)
- 200 monthly Credits
- Access to Maltego One with broswer-based Maltego Graph
- Maltego Graph (Desktop) for complex investigations
- Explore built-in data sources
- Includes Hunchly Free
A great choice for getting to know Maltego, conducting personal investigations, and performing occasional OSINT work.
Basic+(Free for qualified users)
- 1,000 monthly Credits
- Access to Maltego One with browser-based Maltego Search and Maltego Graph.
- Maltego Graph (Desktop) for complex investigations
- More curated data sources, such as Person of Interest, and expanded investigation capabilities
- Includes Hunchly Free
Ideal for professional investigators who need more Credits, faster workflows, and deeper investigative capabilities.
While the Basic plan has some limitations compared to Basic+ and paid plans, such as access to fewer premium data sources, lower result limits, and the absence of advanced features like Person of Interest data, it remains a powerful starting point for many OSINT investigations.
Please note: Access to Basic+ and paid plans is subject to Maltego’s vetting process, which helps ensure compliance with business integrity standards and prevents misuse of the platform.
Now that you understand what’s included in Maltego’s free plans, it’s time to get started. In the following steps, we’ll guide you through the quickest way to set up your account and begin your first investigation with Maltego.
Get started with Maltego’s Basic and Basic+ plans 🔗︎
1. Register for Maltego ID 🔗︎
To get started, you’ll first need to create a Maltego ID. It serves as your secure single sign-on for accessing Maltego products, including Maltego Graph, Maltego Search, and Hunchly, as well as services such as Maltego Academy.
You can create Maltego ID here.
After submitting your registration details, you’ll receive an activation email at the email address you provided. Check your inbox and follow the activation link to activate your account.
Government or Enterprise User? If you register with your government or business email address, you may be eligible for a free upgrade to the Basic+ plan. We review each registration to help qualified investigators working on high-stakes cases access additional capabilities at no cost, including Maltego One (Maltego Search and browser-based Maltego Graph), 1,000 monthly credits, and expanded investigation capabilities.
2. Complete your profile 🔗︎
After activating your account, continue your journey in the browser by completing your profile.
Next, you’ll be taken to the Maltego App Dashboard, where you can access Maltego’s browser-based investigation tools, including Maltego Search and Graph (Maltego One). From the dashboard, you can also access Maltego Academy, manage your account in Maltego Admin, and check your eligibility for the Basic+ plan, and download Hunchly Free.
Let’s dive into Maltego Graph.
To get started, click Download Maltego Graph (Desktop) from Maltego App Dashboard. If you’ve been approved for the Basic+ plan, keep an eye on your inbox. You’ll receive a separate email with instructions for accessing and getting started with your Basic+ features.
3. Open Maltego Graph (Desktop) 🔗︎
Once the installation is complete, open Maltego Graph (Desktop) and sign in with your newly created Maltego ID to activate the application. Accept the License Agreement, then select Browser Login to sign in.
Once authenticated, your Maltego Graph (Desktop) will be ready to go!
Still not sure how to get started? Follow the complete step-by-step tutorial available in Maltego Academy here.
4. Create your first graph 🔗︎
You’re all set to explore Maltego Graph Community Edition and discover what your plan has to offer.
Every free plan includes Credits for Maltego Data Pass, providing access to commercial data sources that power your investigations across Maltego Search and Maltego Graph, whether you’re working in the browser, on the desktop, or both, depending on your plan.
To see which data sources are included in your plan and learn how Credits work, visit the Maltego Knowledge Base here.
Need access to more data on the free plan? There are several ways to expand your investigations: *The Maltego Transforms SDK makes it easier to build and maintain your custom Transform integrations, allowing you to extend your investigations beyond Maltego’s built-in data sources. Learn more about the Maltego Transforms SDK here.
Make the Most of Maltego’s Free Plans 🔗︎
- Completely new to Maltego? Visit Maltego Academy, our learning platform, for beginner courses and guided learning paths.
- Need help? Visit our Support Portal to find documentation, troubleshooting guides, and get in touch with our support team.
- Want to sharpen your investigative skills and connect with fellow investigators? Join the Maltego Discord Community for weekly OSINT challenges, OSINT101, Capture the Flag (CTF) events, live sessions, investigation tips, and the latest community updates.
Happy investigating!
