head to head · open source
PayloadsAllTheThings vs Nettacker
PayloadsAllTheThings has 80,960 GitHub stars, 17,377 forks, 36 open issues and last shipped 23 days ago. Nettacker has 5,585 stars, 1,176 forks, 249 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. PayloadsAllTheThings leads on adoption by 1,350% (80,960 vs 5,585 stars). PayloadsAllTheThings is written in Python under MIT; Nettacker is written in Python under Apache-2.0. PayloadsAllTheThings has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, Nettacker 21%. Nettacker was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (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 | Nettacker | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 81K | ★ 5.6K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-08-27 | 2026-09-13 |
| 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 Nettacker if
- You want the Nettacker feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Nettacker 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 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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PayloadsAllTheThings or Nettacker more popular?
PayloadsAllTheThings has 80,960 GitHub stars and Nettacker has 5,585. PayloadsAllTheThings has the larger community by that measure.
Are PayloadsAllTheThings and Nettacker free?
Both are open source. PayloadsAllTheThings is licensed under MIT and Nettacker under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PayloadsAllTheThings and Nettacker?
PayloadsAllTheThings is written in Python and Nettacker 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, PayloadsAllTheThings or Nettacker?
Choose PayloadsAllTheThings if you want the larger community (80,960 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Nettacker if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.