head to head · open source
thc-hydra vs Infosec_Reference
thc-hydra has 12,324 GitHub stars, 2,677 forks, 50 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. Infosec_Reference has 5,998 stars, 1,230 forks, 4 open issues and last shipped 11 months ago. thc-hydra leads on adoption by 105% (12,324 vs 5,998 stars). thc-hydra is written in C under AGPL-3.0; Infosec_Reference is written in CSS under MIT. thc-hydra has attracted 22% as many forks as stars, Infosec_Reference 21%. thc-hydra 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
| thc-hydra | Infosec_Reference | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 12K | ★ 6.0K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Written in | C | CSS |
| Last push | 2026-07-30 | 2025-10-20 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.7K | ⑂ 1.2K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick thc-hydra if
- You weight community size — 12K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Infosec_Reference if
- You want the Infosec_Reference feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches CSS
- You evaluated both and Infosec_Reference fits your workflow better
About thc-hydra
Hydra is an AGPL 3.0 licensed, C based login cracker that attacks dozens of network protocols in parallel, built for security researchers and penetration testing consultants who need to demonstrate how easily a remote system can be reached with weak credentials.
read the full thc-hydra overview →
About Infosec_Reference
Infosec Reference is an MIT licensed, freely available information security reference maintained as a Git repository and published as a hosted HTML page, intended for anyone from beginners to experienced practitioners who want a curated jumping off point for techniques, tools, and tactics across offense, defense, and privacy.
read the full Infosec_Reference overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is thc-hydra or Infosec_Reference more popular?
thc-hydra has 12,324 GitHub stars and Infosec_Reference has 5,998. thc-hydra has the larger community by that measure.
Are thc-hydra and Infosec_Reference free?
Both are open source. thc-hydra is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Infosec_Reference under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between thc-hydra and Infosec_Reference?
thc-hydra is written in C and Infosec_Reference in CSS. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, thc-hydra or Infosec_Reference?
Choose thc-hydra if you want the larger community (12,324 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Infosec_Reference if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.