head to head · open source
PentestGPT vs ssh-mitm
PentestGPT has 15,653 GitHub stars, 2,722 forks, 81 open issues and last shipped 3 months ago. ssh-mitm has 1,472 stars, 157 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped 18 days ago. PentestGPT leads on adoption by 963% (15,653 vs 1,472 stars). PentestGPT is written in Python under MIT; ssh-mitm is written in Python under GPL-3.0. PentestGPT has attracted 17% as many forks as stars, ssh-mitm 11%. ssh-mitm was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (penetration-testing, python), 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 | ssh-mitm | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 16K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-07-14 | 2026-09-13 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.7K | ⑂ 157 |
| 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 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 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 ssh-mitm
SSH MITM is a Python based interactive SSH interception proxy for authorized security auditors, penetration testers, and researchers who need visibility and control over SSH sessions.
read the full ssh-mitm overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PentestGPT or ssh-mitm more popular?
PentestGPT has 15,653 GitHub stars and ssh-mitm has 1,472. PentestGPT has the larger community by that measure.
Are PentestGPT and ssh-mitm free?
Both are open source. PentestGPT is licensed under MIT and ssh-mitm under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PentestGPT and ssh-mitm?
PentestGPT 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, PentestGPT or ssh-mitm?
Choose PentestGPT if you want the larger community (15,653 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.