Ampcus Agentic AI vs CrackMapExec: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
Ampcus Agentic AI is a commercial penetration testing tool by Ampcus. 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:
Mid-market and enterprise security teams drowning in manual penetration testing backlogs will see immediate ROI from Ampcus Agentic AI because it actually chains exploits end-to-end without stopping for human validation at every step. The platform covers the full ID.RA through RS.MI cycle, from risk assessment through incident mitigation, and generates audit-ready evidence that cuts your reporting time by weeks. Skip this if your organization treats pentest findings as quarterly checkbox exercises rather than continuous remediation priorities, or if you need tight human approval gates before any exploit execution touches production.
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.
