head to head · open source
PentestGPT vs thc-hydra
PentestGPT has 15,543 GitHub stars, 2,709 forks, 81 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. thc-hydra has 12,289 stars, 2,668 forks, 50 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. PentestGPT leads on adoption by 26% (15,543 vs 12,289 stars). PentestGPT is written in Python under MIT; thc-hydra is written in C under AGPL-3.0. PentestGPT has attracted 17% as many forks as stars, thc-hydra 22%. 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
| PentestGPT | thc-hydra | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 16K | ★ 12K |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | C |
| Last push | 2026-07-14 | 2026-07-30 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.7K | ⑂ 2.7K |
| 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 thc-hydra if
- You want the thc-hydra feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C
- You evaluated both and thc-hydra 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 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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PentestGPT or thc-hydra more popular?
PentestGPT has 15,543 GitHub stars and thc-hydra has 12,289. PentestGPT has the larger community by that measure.
Are PentestGPT and thc-hydra free?
Both are open source. PentestGPT is licensed under MIT and thc-hydra under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PentestGPT and thc-hydra?
PentestGPT is written in Python and thc-hydra in C. 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 thc-hydra?
Choose PentestGPT if you want the larger community (15,543 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose thc-hydra if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.