head to head · open source
PentestGPT vs ssh-mitm
PentestGPT has 16,422 GitHub stars, 2,877 forks, 81 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. ssh-mitm has 1,479 stars, 156 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped 23 days ago. PentestGPT leads on adoption by 1,010% (16,422 vs 1,479 stars). PentestGPT is written in Python under MIT; ssh-mitm is written in Python under GPL-3.0. PentestGPT has attracted 18% 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 | 2026-10-23 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.9K | ⑂ 156 |
| 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
[![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 ssh-mitm
SSH MITM ssh audits made simple An interactive SSH interception tool for authorized security audits. Intercept sessions, monitor live traffic, inject commands, and manipulate file transfers — all in real time. Legal notice: SSH MITM is intended for authorized security audits, penetration testing, and research only. Do not use it against systems you do not own or have explicit written permission to test. Unauthorized interception of SSH traffic may be illegal in your jurisdiction. 🎓 New to SSH MITM? Start with the interactive tutorial Opens a browser based, step by step guide — no target server needed. Five…
read the full ssh-mitm overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PentestGPT or ssh-mitm more popular?
PentestGPT has 16,422 GitHub stars and ssh-mitm has 1,479. 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 (16,422 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.