head to head · open source
PayloadsAllTheThings vs Infosec_Reference
PayloadsAllTheThings has 82,663 GitHub stars, 17,584 forks, 36 open issues and last shipped 15 days ago. Infosec_Reference has 6,042 stars, 1,232 forks, 4 open issues and last shipped 19 days ago. PayloadsAllTheThings leads on adoption by 1,268% (82,663 vs 6,042 stars). PayloadsAllTheThings is written in Python under MIT; Infosec_Reference is written in CSS under MIT. PayloadsAllTheThings has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, Infosec_Reference 20%. PayloadsAllTheThings was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 3 topic tags (hacking, hacktoberfest, penetration-testing), 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
| PayloadsAllTheThings | Infosec_Reference | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 83K | ★ 6.0K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | Python | CSS |
| Last push | 2026-10-30 | 2026-10-26 |
| Forks | ⑂ 18K | ⑂ 1.2K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick PayloadsAllTheThings if
- You weight community size — 83K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Infosec_Reference if
- You want the Infosec_Reference feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches CSS
- You evaluated both and Infosec_Reference fits your workflow better
About PayloadsAllTheThings
Payloads All The Things A list of useful payloads and bypasses for Web Application Security. Feel free to improve with your payloads and techniques! You can also contribute with a :beers: IRL, or using the sponsor button. An alternative display version is available at PayloadsAllTheThingsWeb. :book: Documentation Every section contains the following files, you can use the template vuln folder to create a new chapter: README.md vulnerability description and how to exploit it, including several payloads Intruder a set of files to give to Burp Intruder Images pictures for the README.md Files some files referenced…
read the full PayloadsAllTheThings overview →
About Infosec_Reference
InfoSec Reference Any communicaitons occuring within the United States should be viewed as compromised and no privacy guaranteed unless E2EE was used and verified(Not new). (New: The US gov now has legal authority to compel recording or monitoring by any citizen within the United States, regardless of their proximity or interaction with the supposed crime being monitored. Among the other issues made possible/enabled through passage of the legislation) I have kept this project non political, but this is absolutely terrible. Full support by Biden and his administration as well shows that this is not some partisan…
read the full Infosec_Reference overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PayloadsAllTheThings or Infosec_Reference more popular?
PayloadsAllTheThings has 82,663 GitHub stars and Infosec_Reference has 6,042. PayloadsAllTheThings has the larger community by that measure.
Are PayloadsAllTheThings and Infosec_Reference free?
Both are open source. PayloadsAllTheThings is licensed under MIT and Infosec_Reference under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PayloadsAllTheThings and Infosec_Reference?
PayloadsAllTheThings is written in Python and Infosec_Reference in CSS. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, PayloadsAllTheThings or Infosec_Reference?
Choose PayloadsAllTheThings if you want the larger community (82,663 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Infosec_Reference if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.