head to head · open source
thc-hydra vs ssh-mitm
thc-hydra has 12,507 GitHub stars, 2,714 forks, 50 open issues and last shipped 7 days ago. ssh-mitm has 1,479 stars, 156 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped 23 days ago. thc-hydra leads on adoption by 746% (12,507 vs 1,479 stars). thc-hydra is written in C under AGPL-3.0; ssh-mitm is written in Python under GPL-3.0. thc-hydra has attracted 22% as many forks as stars, ssh-mitm 11%. 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 | ssh-mitm | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 13K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | C | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-08 | 2026-10-23 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.7K | ⑂ 156 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick thc-hydra if
- You weight community size — 13K 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 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 thc-hydra
H Y D R A (c) 2001 2023 by van Hauser / THC Many modules were written by David (dot) Maciejak @ gmail (dot) com BFG code by Jan Dlabal Licensed under AGPLv3 (see LICENSE file) Please do not use in military or secret service organizations, or for illegal purposes. (This is the wish of the author and non binding. Many people working in these organizations do not care for laws and ethics anyway. You are not one of the "good" ones if you ignore this.) NOTE: No, this is not meant to be a markdown doc! old school! Hydra in the most current GitHub state can be directly downloaded via Docker: INTRODUCTION Number one of…
read the full thc-hydra 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 thc-hydra or ssh-mitm more popular?
thc-hydra has 12,507 GitHub stars and ssh-mitm has 1,479. thc-hydra has the larger community by that measure.
Are thc-hydra and ssh-mitm free?
Both are open source. thc-hydra is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and ssh-mitm under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between thc-hydra and ssh-mitm?
thc-hydra is written in C 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, thc-hydra or ssh-mitm?
Choose thc-hydra if you want the larger community (12,507 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose ssh-mitm if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.