head to head · open source
PentestGPT vs Nettacker
PentestGPT has 16,262 GitHub stars, 2,845 forks, 81 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. Nettacker has 5,704 stars, 1,231 forks, 249 open issues and last shipped yesterday. PentestGPT leads on adoption by 185% (16,262 vs 5,704 stars). PentestGPT is written in Python under MIT; Nettacker is written in Python under Apache-2.0. PentestGPT has attracted 17% as many forks as stars, Nettacker 22%. 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
| PentestGPT | Nettacker | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 16K | ★ 5.7K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-07-14 | 2026-11-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.8K | ⑂ 1.2K |
| 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 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 PentestGPT
[![Contributors][contributors shield]][contributors url] [![Forks][forks shield]][forks url] [![Stargazers][stars shield]][stars url] [![Issues][issues shield]][issues url] [![MIT License][license shield]][license url] [![Discord][discord shield]][discord url] PentestGPT AI Powered Autonomous Penetration Testing Agent Published at USENIX Security 2024 Official Website: pentestgpt.com » Research Paper · Report Bug · Request Feature Demo Installation Watch on YouTube PentestGPT in Action Watch on YouTube What's New in v1.0 (Agentic Upgrade) Multi Stage Pipeline The agent works through staged phases (recon →…
read the full PentestGPT overview →
About Nettacker
OWASP Nettacker ========= DISCLAIMER THIS SOFTWARE WAS CREATED FOR AUTOMATED PENETRATION TESTING AND INFORMATION GATHERING. YOU MUST USE THIS SOFTWARE IN A RESPONSIBLE AND ETHICAL MANNER. DO NOT TARGET SYSTEMS OR APPLICATIONS WITHOUT OBTAINING PERMISSIONS OR CONSENT FROM THE SYSTEM OWNERS OR ADMINISTRATORS. CONTRIBUTORS WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ILLEGAL USAGE. OWASP Nettacker is an open source, Python based automated penetration testing and information gathering framework designed to help cyber security professionals and ethical hackers perform reconnaissance, vulnerability assessments, and network…
read the full Nettacker overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PentestGPT or Nettacker more popular?
PentestGPT has 16,262 GitHub stars and Nettacker has 5,704. PentestGPT has the larger community by that measure.
Are PentestGPT and Nettacker free?
Both are open source. PentestGPT is licensed under MIT and Nettacker under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PentestGPT and Nettacker?
PentestGPT 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, PentestGPT or Nettacker?
Choose PentestGPT if you want the larger community (16,262 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Nettacker if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.