head to head · open source
PentestGPT vs knockpy
PentestGPT has 15,668 GitHub stars, 2,729 forks, 81 open issues and last shipped 3 months ago. knockpy has 4,199 stars, 874 forks, 72 open issues and last shipped 8 months ago. PentestGPT leads on adoption by 273% (15,668 vs 4,199 stars). PentestGPT is written in Python under MIT; knockpy is written in Python under GPL-3.0. PentestGPT has attracted 17% as many forks as stars, knockpy 21%. PentestGPT 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
| PentestGPT | knockpy | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 16K | ★ 4.2K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-07-14 | 2026-02-19 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.7K | ⑂ 874 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick PentestGPT if
- You weight community size — 16K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick knockpy if
- You want the knockpy 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 knockpy fits your workflow better
About PentestGPT
PentestGPT is an MIT licensed Python framework that uses large language models to run automated penetration tests and CTF challenges, aimed at penetration testers, security engineers and CTF players who want an agent to drive the tooling rather than working through it by hand.
read the full PentestGPT overview →
About knockpy
Knockpy is a modular Python 3 subdomain enumeration tool for security testers, bug bounty hunters, and penetration testers who need to discover and audit a domain's subdomains through passive reconnaissance, DNS bruteforce, or both.
read the full knockpy 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 PentestGPT or knockpy more popular?
PentestGPT has 15,668 GitHub stars and knockpy has 4,199. PentestGPT has the larger community by that measure.
Are PentestGPT and knockpy free?
Both are open source. PentestGPT is licensed under MIT and knockpy under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PentestGPT and knockpy?
PentestGPT is written in Python and knockpy 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, PentestGPT or knockpy?
Choose PentestGPT if you want the larger community (15,668 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose knockpy if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.