head to head · open source
strix vs pentest-ai
strix has 73,376 GitHub stars, 8,266 forks, 383 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. pentest-ai has 1,793 stars, 328 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped yesterday. strix leads on adoption by 3,992% (73,376 vs 1,793 stars). strix is written in Python under Apache-2.0; pentest-ai is written in Python under MIT. strix has attracted 11% as many forks as stars, pentest-ai 18%. pentest-ai was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 6 topic tags (ai-penetration-testing, ai-pentesting, ai-security, bug-bounty), 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.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| strix | pentest-ai | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 73K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-10-30 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 8.3K | ⑂ 328 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick strix if
- You weight community size — 73K 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 strix
Strix The open source AI pentesting tool. Autonomous AI hackers that find and fix your app’s vulnerabilities. [!TIP] New! Strix integrates seamlessly with GitHub Actions and CI/CD pipelines. Automatically scan for vulnerabilities on every pull request and block insecure code before it reaches production Get started with no setup required. Strix Overview Strix are autonomous AI penetration testing agents that act just like real hackers they run your code dynamically, find vulnerabilities, and validate them through actual proofs of concept. Built for developers and security teams who need fast, accurate security…
read the full strix 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 →
More in AI & Machine Learning
Related comparisons
More AI Security & Privacy projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the AI Security & Privacy field.
Frequently asked questions
Is strix or pentest-ai more popular?
strix has 73,376 GitHub stars and pentest-ai has 1,793. strix has the larger community by that measure.
Are strix and pentest-ai free?
Both are open source. strix is licensed under Apache-2.0 and pentest-ai under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between strix and pentest-ai?
strix 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, strix or pentest-ai?
Choose strix if you want the larger community (73,376 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.