head to head · open source
nono vs pentest-ai
nono has 4,821 GitHub stars, 327 forks, 201 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. pentest-ai has 1,799 stars, 329 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. nono leads on adoption by 168% (4,821 vs 1,799 stars). nono is written in Rust under Apache-2.0; pentest-ai is written in Python under MIT. nono has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, pentest-ai 18%. nono was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (ai-security, mcp), 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
| nono | pentest-ai | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 4.8K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Rust | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-03 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 327 | ⑂ 329 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick nono if
- You weight community size — 4.8K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick pentest-ai if
- You want the pentest-ai feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and pentest-ai fits your workflow better
About nono
Built by the team that brought you Sigstore The standard for secure software attestation, used by PyPI, npm, brew, and Maven Central [!NOTE] In the lead up to a 1.0 release, APIs are stabilizing. API changes may still occur where necessary, but will be kept to a minimum. [!IMPORTANT] Organization migration: The official nono registry namespace has moved from always further to nolabs ai . Update any references in your scripts, profiles, and CI. If you already have a pack installed under the old namespace, remove it first before pulling from the new one: The old namespace will be retired — migrate now. Run AI…
About pentest-ai
Website · Quick start · Verification · Documentation · Issues Pentest AI connects an AI client or model to a penetration testing workflow. It investigates applications, records findings, and uses machine oracles to check whether an exploit can be reproduced . Verified findings carry evidence you can replay. Use it through MCP , from the CLI , or in CI . The model helps drive the investigation; an oracle determines whether a finding earns a verified verdict. Test only systems you own or have explicit authorization to assess. Read the acceptable use policy and terms before running an engagement. Quick start…
read the full pentest-ai overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is nono or pentest-ai more popular?
nono has 4,821 GitHub stars and pentest-ai has 1,799. nono has the larger community by that measure.
Are nono and pentest-ai free?
Both are open source. nono is licensed under Apache-2.0 and pentest-ai under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between nono and pentest-ai?
nono is written in Rust and pentest-ai 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, nono or pentest-ai?
Choose nono if you want the larger community (4,821 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose pentest-ai if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.