head to head · open source
PayloadsAllTheThings vs ssh-mitm
PayloadsAllTheThings has 82,683 GitHub stars, 17,585 forks, 36 open issues and last shipped 16 days ago. ssh-mitm has 1,479 stars, 156 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped 23 days ago. PayloadsAllTheThings leads on adoption by 5,490% (82,683 vs 1,479 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%. PayloadsAllTheThings 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.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| PayloadsAllTheThings | ssh-mitm | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 83K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-10-30 | 2026-10-23 |
| Forks | ⑂ 18K | ⑂ 156 |
| 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 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 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 ssh-mitm
SSH MITM ssh audits made simple An interactive SSH interception tool for authorized security audits. Intercept sessions, monitor live traffic, inject commands, and manipulate file transfers — all in real time. Legal notice: SSH MITM is intended for authorized security audits, penetration testing, and research only. Do not use it against systems you do not own or have explicit written permission to test. Unauthorized interception of SSH traffic may be illegal in your jurisdiction. 🎓 New to SSH MITM? Start with the interactive tutorial Opens a browser based, step by step guide — no target server needed. Five…
read the full ssh-mitm overview →
More in Security & Privacy
Related comparisons
More Threat Detection & Response projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Threat Detection & Response field.
Frequently asked questions
Is PayloadsAllTheThings or ssh-mitm more popular?
PayloadsAllTheThings has 82,683 GitHub stars and ssh-mitm has 1,479. 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 (82,683 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.