head to head · open source
SkillSpector vs pentest-ai
SkillSpector has 23,981 GitHub stars, 2,070 forks, 136 open issues and last shipped yesterday. pentest-ai has 1,793 stars, 328 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped yesterday. SkillSpector leads on adoption by 1,237% (23,981 vs 1,793 stars). SkillSpector is written in Python under Apache-2.0; pentest-ai is written in Python under MIT. SkillSpector has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, pentest-ai 18%. SkillSpector was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (ai-security, mcp), 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
| SkillSpector | pentest-ai | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 24K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.1K | ⑂ 328 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick SkillSpector if
- You weight community size — 24K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick pentest-ai if
- You want the pentest-ai feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and pentest-ai fits your workflow better
About SkillSpector
SkillSpector Security scanner for AI agent skills. Detect vulnerabilities, malicious patterns, and security risks before installing agent skills. Overview AI agent skills (used by Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, etc.) execute with implicit trust and minimal vetting. In the 31,132 skill analyzed subset of the research dataset, 26.1% of skills contain vulnerabilities and 5.2% show likely malicious intent . SkillSpector helps you answer: "Is this skill safe to install?" SkillSpector is part of the NVIDIA Verified Skills pipeline, which scans, evaluates, and signs agent skills before publication. Skills that…
read the full SkillSpector overview →
About pentest-ai
Website · Quick start · Verification · Documentation · Issues Pentest AI connects an AI client or model to a penetration testing workflow. It investigates applications, records findings, and uses machine oracles to check whether an exploit can be reproduced . Verified findings carry evidence you can replay. Use it through MCP , from the CLI , or in CI . The model helps drive the investigation; an oracle determines whether a finding earns a verified verdict. Test only systems you own or have explicit authorization to assess. Read the acceptable use policy and terms before running an engagement. Quick start…
read the full pentest-ai overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is SkillSpector or pentest-ai more popular?
SkillSpector has 23,981 GitHub stars and pentest-ai has 1,793. SkillSpector has the larger community by that measure.
Are SkillSpector and pentest-ai free?
Both are open source. SkillSpector is licensed under Apache-2.0 and pentest-ai under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between SkillSpector and pentest-ai?
SkillSpector is written in Python and pentest-ai 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, SkillSpector or pentest-ai?
Choose SkillSpector if you want the larger community (23,981 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose pentest-ai if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.