head to head · open source
PayloadsAllTheThings vs ssh-mitm
PayloadsAllTheThings has 81,360 GitHub stars, 17,431 forks, 36 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. ssh-mitm has 1,472 stars, 157 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped 18 days ago. PayloadsAllTheThings leads on adoption by 5,427% (81,360 vs 1,472 stars). PayloadsAllTheThings is written in Python under MIT; ssh-mitm is written in Python under GPL-3.0. PayloadsAllTheThings has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, ssh-mitm 11%. ssh-mitm 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 | ssh-mitm | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 81K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-08-27 | 2026-09-13 |
| Forks | ⑂ 17K | ⑂ 157 |
| 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 ssh-mitm if
- You want the ssh-mitm feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and ssh-mitm 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 ssh-mitm
SSH MITM is a Python based interactive SSH interception proxy for authorized security auditors, penetration testers, and researchers who need visibility and control over SSH sessions.
read the full ssh-mitm overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PayloadsAllTheThings or ssh-mitm more popular?
PayloadsAllTheThings has 81,360 GitHub stars and ssh-mitm has 1,472. PayloadsAllTheThings has the larger community by that measure.
Are PayloadsAllTheThings and ssh-mitm free?
Both are open source. PayloadsAllTheThings is licensed under MIT and ssh-mitm under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PayloadsAllTheThings and ssh-mitm?
PayloadsAllTheThings is written in Python and ssh-mitm 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 ssh-mitm?
Choose PayloadsAllTheThings if you want the larger community (81,360 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose ssh-mitm if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.