# A Security vs Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET): 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). [Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET)](https://cybersectools.com/tools/social-engineer-toolkit-set) is a free [penetration testing](https://cybersectools.com/categories/pentesting-tools) solution. Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | A Security | Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET) |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Commercial | Free |
| Category | Red-Team & Adversary Emulation | Penetration Testing |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | Cloud | On-Premises |
| Company size fit | Mid-Market, Enterprise | Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | – | 12,355 |
| Last commit | – | Oct 2024 |
| Company | A Security | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | A Security | Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET) |
|---|---|---|
| Attack Paths | Yes | – |
| Continuous Testing | Yes | – |
| Red Team | Yes | – |
| Vulnerability Exploitation | Yes | – |
| AI Pentesting | Yes | – |
| MITRE ATT&CK | Yes | – |
| Exploit Development | Yes | – |
| Security Validation | Yes | – |
| Penetration Testing Framework | Yes | – |
| Lateral Movement | Yes | – |
| Linux | – | Yes |
| macOS | – | Yes |

### Core features

**A Security**

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

**Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET)**

No features listed.

### Integrations

**A Security**

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

**Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET)**

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.
- [Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET)](https://cybersectools.com/tools/social-engineer-toolkit-set) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you are a startup or a small business, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.

## A Security vs Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET) FAQ

Common questions when comparing A Security vs Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET) for red-team & adversary emulation.

### What is the difference between A Security and Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET)?

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

**Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET)**: An open-source penetration testing framework for social engineering with custom attack vectors.

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

### Who makes A Security and Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET)?

**A Security** is made by A Security. **Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET)** is open-source with 12,355 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 Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET)?

In part. A Security and Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET) are not in the same category on CybersecTools. Key differences: A Security is Commercial while Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET) is Free, Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET) 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 Red Specter Cheatsheet](https://cybersectools.com/compare/a-security-vs-red-specter-cheatsheet)
- [A Security vs KinoSec Hades](https://cybersectools.com/compare/a-security-vs-kinosec-hades)
- [Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET) vs Crimson7 Offensive Engineering](https://cybersectools.com/compare/crimson7-offensive-engineering-vs-social-engineer-toolkit-set)
- [Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET) vs Red Specter Cheatsheet](https://cybersectools.com/compare/red-specter-cheatsheet-vs-social-engineer-toolkit-set)
- [Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET) vs KinoSec Hades](https://cybersectools.com/compare/kinosec-hades-vs-social-engineer-toolkit-set)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all A Security alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/a-security)
- [See all Social-Engineer Toolkit (SET) alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/social-engineer-toolkit-set)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/a-security-vs-social-engineer-toolkit-set

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