head to head · open source
Nettacker vs Tracecat
Nettacker has 5,596 GitHub stars, 1,181 forks, 249 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Tracecat has 3,806 stars, 418 forks, 137 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Nettacker leads on adoption by 47% (5,596 vs 3,806 stars). Nettacker is written in Python under Apache-2.0; Tracecat is written in Python under AGPL-3.0. Nettacker has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, Tracecat 11%. Nettacker was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (automation), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Nettacker | Tracecat | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 5.6K | ★ 3.8K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.2K | ⑂ 418 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Nettacker if
- You weight community size — 5.6K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Tracecat if
- You want the Tracecat feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Tracecat fits your workflow better
About Nettacker
OWASP Nettacker is an open source, Python based automated penetration testing and information gathering framework for cyber security professionals and ethical hackers who need to run reconnaissance, vulnerability assessment, and network security audits efficiently.
read the full Nettacker overview →
About Tracecat
Tracecat is an open source security automation platform for teams and AI agents. It lives in the security operations and incident response ecosystem, combining agents, workflows, lookup tables, and case management in one Python application. The project is licensed under AGPL 3.0, with a separate paid Enterprise Edition directory and feature gates.
read the full Tracecat overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Nettacker or Tracecat more popular?
Nettacker has 5,596 GitHub stars and Tracecat has 3,806. Nettacker has the larger community by that measure.
Are Nettacker and Tracecat free?
Both are open source. Nettacker is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Tracecat under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Nettacker and Tracecat?
Nettacker is written in Python and Tracecat in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Nettacker or Tracecat?
Choose Nettacker if you want the larger community (5,596 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Tracecat if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.