head to head · open source
PentestGPT vs Nettacker
PentestGPT has 15,534 GitHub stars, 2,706 forks, 81 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. Nettacker has 5,596 stars, 1,181 forks, 249 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. PentestGPT leads on adoption by 178% (15,534 vs 5,596 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 21%. 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 | ★ 5.6K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-07-14 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.7K | ⑂ 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
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 Nettacker
OWASP Nettacker is an open source, Python based automated penetration testing and information gathering framework for cyber security professionals and ethical hackers who need to run reconnaissance, vulnerability assessment, and network security audits efficiently.
read the full Nettacker overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PentestGPT or Nettacker more popular?
PentestGPT has 15,534 GitHub stars and Nettacker has 5,596. 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 (15,534 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Nettacker if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.