Aikido Attack vs CrackMapExec: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
Aikido Attack is a commercial penetration testing tool by Aikido Security. CrackMapExec 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:
Startups and SMBs that need pen testing but lack in-house expertise will move fastest with Aikido Attack; same-day reports and automated remediation pull requests compress what normally takes weeks into hours. The platform covers OWASP Top 10 and business logic flaws across whitebox, greybox, and blackbox modes with 90-day free re-testing, removing the friction of scheduling and paying for repeat assessments. Skip this if your team needs deep manual testing for complex threat modeling or custom attack scenarios; the AI agents excel at finding known vulnerability classes, not novel ones.
Penetration testers and red teamers validating Active Directory security posture should reach for CrackMapExec first; it maps domain trust relationships and credential paths faster than manual enumeration, cutting reconnaissance time from days to hours. The tool ships with modules for Kerberos abuse, lateral movement, and privilege escalation that align directly with MITRE ATT&CK post-exploitation tactics, making it the standard for AD-focused engagements. Skip this if your team needs a polished UI or post-exploitation reporting; CrackMapExec is command-line only and generates no client-ready artifacts on its own.
