17.7
Platform for coordinating vulnerability work, automated assessments and controlled exploit checks.
Free planWebAPIExtension
Best Penetration Testing Software in 2026
Pentesterra leads this chart of 34 (7.7/10, free plan). Kali Linux is next (7.6/10, free plan), and OWASP ZAP is the next highest-placed with a free plan (7.6/10). Penetration testing software helps assess web apps, APIs, networks and mobile systems; choose based on the testing areas you need and where the software can run. For Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices, check whether a tool has an Android app and what it can do before choosing it. Compare deployment options, free plans, paid pricing, finding management and evidence capture too.
27.6
Debian-based system for security auditing, computer forensics, vulnerability detection and reverse engineering.
Free planOpen sourceAndroidLinuxmacOS
37.6
Free web application scanner and proxy with active and passive scans, a spider and alerts.
Free planOpen sourceAPIExtensionLinux
- 4
Dradis
Organizes security assessments and uses structured data and templates to produce reports.
Free planWebAPILinuxmacOS7.1From $3,600 a year - 5
w3af
Free web security scanner with a GTK or console interface and plugins for finding vulnerabilities.
Free planWebAPILinuxmacOS6.8Free plan - 6
Caido
Web security toolkit for intercepting HTTP and WebSocket traffic and searching requests and responses.
Free planWebAPILinuxmacOS6.6Free plan - 7
PenPeeper
PenPeeper is an open-source penetration testing engagement manager for security professionals.
Free planLinuxmacOSWindows6.5Free plan - 8
PenTest.WS
Web app for organizing hosts, vulnerabilities and credentials, with Nmap imports and DOCX reports.
WebAPILinuxmacOS6.5From $4.95 a month - 9
RedAmon
Red-team framework for reconnaissance, attack-surface mapping, vulnerability scanning and secret detection.
Free planWebAPILinuxmacOS6.5Free plan - 10
Burp Suite DAST
Automated web vulnerability scanner with a Chromium crawler and session-aware authenticated scanning.
WebAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.4 - 11
AttackForge
Manages offensive security engagements, including planning, reporting, remediation, and retesting.
WebAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.3From $50 a month - 12
Reconmap
Open-source platform for managing security projects, vulnerabilities, commands and reports.
Free planWebAPILinuxmacOS6.2Free plan - 136.2From £99 a month
- 14
Aircrack-ng
Wi-Fi security tool suite for packet capture, wireless card checks and WEP or WPA key cracking.
Free planLinuxmacOSSelf-hostedWindows6.1Free plan - 15
Core Impact
Windows software for multi-vector testing across networks, web apps, endpoints, and client-side environments.
APISelf-hostedWindows6.1From $9,450 a year - 16
Pentographer
Open-source platform for managing assessment findings, evidence, playbooks and client reports.
Free planWebAPILinuxSelf-hosted6.1Free plan - 17
Bugcrowd External Attack Surface Management
Web platform that maps internet-facing assets and flags risks such as weak encryption and missing patches.
Web6.0 - 18
Cairn
Combines pentest scoping, reporting, findings, and a client portal across the engagement lifecycle.
WebSelf-hosted6.0From $99 a month - 19
Equixly
AI agents continuously discover and validate exploitable risks in APIs and applications.
WebAPI6.0€4,999 one-time - 20
BlackArch Linux
BlackArch Linux is an Arch Linux-based penetration testing distribution for penetration testers and security researchers.
Free planLinuxSelf-hosted5.9Free plan - 21
NodeZero
Runs automated security assessments and checks whether fixes resolve discovered weaknesses.
WebAPILinuxSelf-hosted5.9 - 22
Offensive360 DAST
Analyzes web applications and APIs for flaws with active checks and passive analyzers.
WebAPISelf-hosted5.9 - 23
OWASP Security-C4PO
OWASP Security-C4PO is a free, open-source web application for managing and documenting penetration tests.
Free planWebSelf-hosted5.9Free plan - 24
Penti
AI agents map reachable assets and test five security layers, with replayable exploit-chain findings.
WebAPISelf-hosted5.9From $20 a month - 25
Ghostwriter
Self-hosted platform for offensive security teams to manage projects, assets and reports.
Free planWebAPISelf-hosted5.8Free plan
Choosing well
Which kinds of testing do I need?
Start with the target you need to assess: web apps, APIs, networks or mobile systems. The comparison covers these testing areas, but capabilities can differ by tool.
Check the specific tool's feature details against your task rather than assuming that a product covers every testing area.
Which platforms does it need to run on?
The compared platform options include self-hosted deployment, web, Linux, Windows, macOS and API access. Check the tool's own requirements to see whether it fits your setup.
If you want to use a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO phone or tablet, verify Android app availability and capabilities directly; the platform details here do not confirm Android support.
Can I start with a free plan?
Check whether the tool offers a free plan, a free trial or a paid plan, and read what the plan includes. Pricing examples include free tools such as Kali Linux and OWASP ZAP, and freemium options such as Caido and Dradis.
Listed paid starting prices vary: Pentesterra starts at €23 per month, Caido at $20 per user per month, and Dradis at $100 per user per month with annual billing. Dradis also lists a 14-day trial.
How will I manage findings and evidence?
If your work needs organized findings or captured evidence, compare those capabilities before choosing. Finding management and evidence capture are included in the comparison.
Also check deployment: a self-hosted setup, web app or other platform may suit your workflow differently.
Do I need open-source software?
If you need to read or change the code, check the tool's licence and whether it is open source. PenPeeper is listed as open source; the product details are the place to confirm the terms.
Questions people ask
Can I run penetration testing software on Android?
Check the specific tool's Android app availability and capabilities. The platform details here do not confirm Android support.
What should I compare when choosing penetration testing software?
Compare the testing areas you need, supported platforms and deployment, pricing, finding management and evidence capture.
Is there free penetration testing software?
Kali Linux and OWASP ZAP are listed as free. Check each tool's current plan details and terms before choosing.
Which penetration testing tools have a free trial?
Dradis lists a 14-day trial. Check the product's terms for current trial availability and conditions.
Which penetration testing software is open source?
PenPeeper is listed as open source. Check its licence for the terms that apply.