head to head · open source
lean-ctx vs pentest-ai
lean-ctx has 3,926 GitHub stars, 360 forks, 9 open issues and last shipped yesterday. pentest-ai has 1,793 stars, 328 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped yesterday. lean-ctx leads on adoption by 119% (3,926 vs 1,793 stars). lean-ctx is written in Rust under Apache-2.0; pentest-ai is written in Python under MIT. lean-ctx has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, pentest-ai 18%. pentest-ai was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (ai-security), 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
| lean-ctx | pentest-ai | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.9K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Rust | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 360 | ⑂ 328 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick lean-ctx if
- You weight community size — 3.9K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick pentest-ai if
- You want the pentest-ai feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and pentest-ai fits your workflow better
About lean-ctx
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read the full lean-ctx overview →
About pentest-ai
Website · Quick start · Verification · Documentation · Issues Pentest AI connects an AI client or model to a penetration testing workflow. It investigates applications, records findings, and uses machine oracles to check whether an exploit can be reproduced . Verified findings carry evidence you can replay. Use it through MCP , from the CLI , or in CI . The model helps drive the investigation; an oracle determines whether a finding earns a verified verdict. Test only systems you own or have explicit authorization to assess. Read the acceptable use policy and terms before running an engagement. Quick start…
read the full pentest-ai overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is lean-ctx or pentest-ai more popular?
lean-ctx has 3,926 GitHub stars and pentest-ai has 1,793. lean-ctx has the larger community by that measure.
Are lean-ctx and pentest-ai free?
Both are open source. lean-ctx is licensed under Apache-2.0 and pentest-ai under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between lean-ctx and pentest-ai?
lean-ctx is written in Rust and pentest-ai 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, lean-ctx or pentest-ai?
Choose lean-ctx if you want the larger community (3,926 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose pentest-ai if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.