7 Best Penetration Testing Tools & Software

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This guide is for security professionals and IT teams, and highlights the best penetration testing tools and software to use in 2026.

A penetration test, or pentest, simulates a cyberattack to assess a network’s security to find and fix vulnerabilities before threat actors can exploit them.

Pentests are often performed by third parties, but as these outside tests can be expensive and become dated quickly, many organizations perform their own penetration tests with pentesting tools, using their own IT personnel for their red teams (attackers).

Many pentesters and ethical hackers use open source pentesting tools to probe a network‘s defenses, but for organizations with high security needs, there are also commercial pentest tools and services that can offer greater support and functionality, and some top open source tools offer pro and enterprise plans too. Here we’ll review seven of the best commercial pentesting tools, their benefits, drawbacks, and use cases.

Best Penetration Testing Tools & Software: Comparison Chart

Here is a head-to-head comparison of the best pentesting tools.

Pentest tool	Best for	Integration with other tools	Vulnerability scanning/ assessment	Cross platform compatibility	Starting price
Fortra Cobalt Strike	Simulating a real cyberthreat	Yes	Yes	Yes	Start at $3,540 per user per year
Fortra Core Impact	Complex infrastructure penetration testing	Yes	Yes	Yes	$9,450 per user per year
Burp Suite Pro & Enterprise	Developers and DevSecOps professionals	Yes	Yes	Yes	Starts at $449 per user per year
Metasploit Pro	Vulnerability assessment and exploit development	Yes	Yes	Yes	$15,000 per year
Tenable Nessus	Network vulnerability scanning and assessment	Yes	Yes	Yes	$3,859.25 for 12 months
vPenTest	Managed service providers				Not available
Pentest-Tools.com	Visualization, reporting and analytics	Yes	Yes	Yes	$72 per month when billed annually

Also read: How Cobalt Strike Became a Favorite Tool of Hackers

Also read: Getting Started with the Burp Suite: A Pentesting Tutorial

Also read: Getting Started With the Metasploit Framework: A Pentesting Tutorial

Key Penetration Testing Software Features

Here are some of the key features that buyers should look for in pentesting tools.

Vulnerability scanning

Pen testing tools often have databases of known vulnerabilities to identify potential weaknesses in an organization’s network, systems, or applications that could be exploited by attackers, making it easy for companies to tackle these loopholes before bad actors take advantage.

Also read:

Exploit testing

Exploit testing capabilities enable you to simulate real-world cyberattacks. This involves attempting to exploit identified vulnerabilities to understand the potential impact and consequences of a successful attack.

Wireless network testing

With the increasing use of wireless networks, penetration testing software should have specific features to assess the security of wireless networks. This can include scanning for open ports, testing encryption strength, or attempting to gain unauthorized access through wireless access points.

Compliance and regulatory support

Penetration testing software should have features that enable organizations to align their testing with industry standards, regulations, and compliance requirements. This ensures that organizations can meet regulatory obligations and demonstrate due diligence in their security efforts.

Integration and collaboration

Many organizations have complex IT infrastructures and multiple security tools. Penetration testing software should have features that allow for seamless integration with existing security systems, such as SIEM platforms, CMDB, ITSM, and DevSecOps tools, to provide a holistic view of an organization’s security posture and to speed fixes.

Other capabilities to look for include:

• Exploit development: The ability to develop custom scripts and tools that leverage discovered vulnerabilities to gain access to a system or application.
• Password cracking: The ability to use brute force, dictionary, and hybrid attacks to crack passwords and gain access.
• Network mapping: The ability to map a network’s topology, revealing its devices, services, and open ports.
• Social engineering: The ability to use social engineering tactics, such as phishing and pretexting, to gain access to confidential information.
• Web application testing: The ability to test for vulnerabilities in web applications and web services.
• System hardening: The ability to secure a system by patching, updating, and implementing firewalls.
• Post-exploitation analysis: The ability to analyze a compromised system to identify and exploit further vulnerabilities.
• Malware analysis: The ability to analyze malicious software and develop countermeasures.
• Privilege Escalation: Exploiting vulnerabilities to gain higher-level privileges.
• Reporting and Documentation: Summarizing results and providing evidence of findings.

How to Select the Best Penetration Testing Tools and Software for Your Business

When shopping for a penetration testing tool, be aware that you will likely need several components to perform a complete penetration test. And some tools are more flexible than others. Some software solutions let users define custom rules according to a specific use case.

The right pentesting tool will depend on the type of pentesting you plan to perform. For example, if you are performing a network pentest, you may do fine with an open source network pentesting tool such as Nmap. If you are performing a web application pentest, you will need a web application pentesting tool such as Burp Suite.

Each type of pentest will require different tools to complete the task, so it is essential to identify the kind of pentest you plan to perform and choose the appropriate tools for the job.

• Understand your requirements: Identify your organization’s specific security goals and objectives and determine the scope of the penetration testing (for instance, network, web applications, mobile apps, and wireless networks).
• Assess your resources: Make sure any solution matches your existing tools and human expertise.
• Research and shortlist tools: We’ve helped get you started, but now you need to find the right tools for your environment.
• Evaluate tool features: Compare the features of shortlisted tools against your organization’s requirements.
• Consider the tool’s security and service: Updates, training and support, as well as the vendor’s reputation, also matter.
• Test and try: You can request a demo if a free trial is unavailable.

Review Methodology

We reviewed over 60 penetration testing tools using 28 individual data points across five key categories: price/value, core features, non-core features, admin ease of use & implementation, and support. We collected information about each tool’s features, pricing, and other relevant information from their respective websites, data sheets, whitepapers, and documentation. We then used the data to score the best penetration testing tools and software as follows:

• Pricing/value (20%)
• Core features (40%)
• Non-core features (5%)
• Admin ease of use & implementation (20%)
• Support (15%)

We at eSecurity Planet have your best interest in mind. We selected the top-rated tools after careful consideration, calculation, and extensive research to help you determine the best tools for your needs and use cases.

Bottom Line: Choosing a Pentesting Tool

Penetration testing is a critically important security practice and will reduce the likelihood and opportunities for a cyber attack. There are a few different ways to do it — pentesting services, security staffers with expertise, and even automated tools — but the most important thing is to get started.

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This updates a February 2022 article by Julien Maury