Advanced Data Pilfering vs Sherlock PowerShell Script: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
Advanced Data Pilfering is a commercial penetration testing tool by Horizon3.ai. Sherlock PowerShell Script is a free penetration testing tool. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best penetration testing fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of NIST CSF 2.0 coverage, core features, company size fit, deployment model, here is our conclusion:
Mid-market and enterprise security teams that need to validate whether their defenses actually stop data exfiltration should run Advanced Data Pilfering; most pentesting tools test access, not what attackers do once inside. Horizon3.ai's autonomous approach maps high-value assets and simulates realistic data theft across cloud, Kubernetes, and on-premises environments, delivering the threat-informed validation that compliance frameworks like PCI DSS and NIS 2 increasingly demand. Skip this if your team wants a single platform covering vulnerability scanning, SIEM, and incident response; Advanced Data Pilfering is purpose-built for exfiltration testing and doesn't replace your broader detection stack.
Red teamers and pentesters validating Windows privilege escalation paths will find Sherlock PowerShell Script indispensable; it identifies missing patches faster than manual enumeration and runs with zero dependencies on air-gapped systems. The 1,997 GitHub stars reflect sustained adoption among practitioners who value speed over UI polish. Skip this if your team needs ongoing patch compliance monitoring or cross-platform coverage; Sherlock is a point-in-time assessment tool for Windows-only environments.
