# A Security vs tryharder: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[A Security](https://cybersectools.com/tools/a-security) is a commercial [Red-Team & adversary emulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security) solution by [A Security](https://cybersectools.com/companies/asecurity). [tryharder](https://cybersectools.com/tools/cpp-staged-shellcode-loader) is a free [Red-Team & adversary emulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security) solution. Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | A Security | tryharder |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Commercial | Free |
| Category | Red-Team & Adversary Emulation | Red-Team & Adversary Emulation |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | Cloud | On-Premises |
| Company size fit | Mid-Market, Enterprise | Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | – | 97 |
| Last commit | – | Oct 2024 |
| Company | A Security | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | A Security | tryharder |
|---|---|---|
| Attack Paths | Yes | – |
| Continuous Testing | Yes | – |
| Red Team | Yes | Yes |
| Vulnerability Exploitation | Yes | – |
| AI Pentesting | Yes | – |
| MITRE ATT&CK | Yes | – |
| Exploit Development | Yes | – |
| Security Validation | Yes | – |
| Penetration Testing Framework | Yes | – |
| Lateral Movement | Yes | – |
| Shellcode | – | Yes |
| Evasion | – | Yes |

### Core features

**A Security**

9 features listed. Sign in on the page to see them.

**tryharder**

No features listed.

### Integrations

**A Security**

1 integration listed. Sign in on the page to see them.

**tryharder**

No integrations listed.

## Which one fits you

Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source.

- [A Security](https://cybersectools.com/tools/a-security) fits if you want a cloud product.
- [tryharder](https://cybersectools.com/tools/cpp-staged-shellcode-loader) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.

## A Security vs tryharder FAQ

Common questions when comparing A Security vs tryharder for Red-Team & adversary emulation.

### What is the difference between A Security and tryharder?

**A Security**: Autonomous offensive security platform that finds, validates, and remediates attack paths, built by A Security.

**tryharder**: A C++ staged shellcode loader with evasion capabilities, compatible with Sliver and other shellcode sources, designed for offensive security testing.

The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ.

### Who makes A Security and tryharder?

**A Security** is made by A Security. **tryharder** is open-source with 97 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is A Security a good alternative to tryharder?

Often, yes. A Security and tryharder are both Red-Team & Adversary Emulation products, and both cover Red Team. Key differences: A Security is Commercial while tryharder is Free, tryharder is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [A Security vs Crimson7 Offensive Engineering](https://cybersectools.com/compare/a-security-vs-crimson7-offensive-engineering)
- [A Security vs Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/compare/a-security-vs-core-security-outflank-security-tooling)
- [A Security vs Red Specter Cheatsheet](https://cybersectools.com/compare/a-security-vs-red-specter-cheatsheet)
- [tryharder vs Crimson7 Offensive Engineering](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cpp-staged-shellcode-loader-vs-crimson7-offensive-engineering)
- [tryharder vs Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-outflank-security-tooling-vs-cpp-staged-shellcode-loader)
- [tryharder vs Red Specter Cheatsheet](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cpp-staged-shellcode-loader-vs-red-specter-cheatsheet)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all A Security alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/a-security)
- [See all tryharder alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/cpp-staged-shellcode-loader)

---

Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/a-security-vs-cpp-staged-shellcode-loader

For AI agents: each product above has its own Markdown page (add .md to its URL, for example https://cybersectools.com/tools/a-security.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md.

More on A Security and tryharder: funding, momentum, hiring and news, plus the full product and company record, are available through the Mandos MCP Server (paid plans), which connects to AI assistants: https://mandos.io/mcp?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=compare-md