head to head · open source
PayloadsAllTheThings vs Infosec_Reference
PayloadsAllTheThings has 81,313 GitHub stars, 17,426 forks, 36 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. Infosec_Reference has 5,998 stars, 1,230 forks, 4 open issues and last shipped 11 months ago. PayloadsAllTheThings leads on adoption by 1,256% (81,313 vs 5,998 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 21%. 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 | ★ 81K | ★ 6.0K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | Python | CSS |
| Last push | 2026-08-27 | 2025-10-20 |
| Forks | ⑂ 17K | ⑂ 1.2K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick PayloadsAllTheThings if
- You weight community size — 81K 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 is an MIT licensed, community maintained collection of web application security payloads, bypass techniques and pentest methodology notes, written for penetration testers, bug bounty hunters, CTF players and red teamers who need a reference they can copy from during an engagement.
read the full PayloadsAllTheThings overview →
About Infosec_Reference
Infosec Reference is an MIT licensed, freely available information security reference maintained as a Git repository and published as a hosted HTML page, intended for anyone from beginners to experienced practitioners who want a curated jumping off point for techniques, tools, and tactics across offense, defense, and privacy.
read the full Infosec_Reference overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PayloadsAllTheThings or Infosec_Reference more popular?
PayloadsAllTheThings has 81,313 GitHub stars and Infosec_Reference has 5,998. 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 (81,313 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Infosec_Reference if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.