# APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro) vs Shadow Workers: side-by-side comparison (2026) [APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro)](https://cybersectools.com/tools/apx-labs-arsenal-cipher-and-niro) is a commercial [penetration testing](https://cybersectools.com/categories/pentesting-tools) solution by [APX Labs](https://cybersectools.com/companies/apx-labs). [Shadow Workers](https://cybersectools.com/tools/shadow-workers) 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 | | APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro) | Shadow Workers | |---|---|---| | Pricing model | Commercial | Free | | Category | Penetration Testing | Red-Team & Adversary Emulation | | Verified | No | No | | Deployment type | Cloud | On-Premises | | Company size fit | Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | Mid-Market, Enterprise | | GitHub stars | – | 236 | | Last commit | – | Oct 2023 | | Company | APX Labs | – | | Headquarters | – | – | ### Use cases and capabilities | | APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro) | Shadow Workers | |---|---|---| | AI Pentesting | Yes | – | | DAST | Yes | – | | CI/CD | Yes | – | | Penetration Testing Framework | Yes | – | | Vulnerability | Yes | – | | Exploit Development | Yes | – | | DevSecOps | Yes | – | | Continuous Testing | Yes | – | | App Security | Yes | – | | Red Team | Yes | – | | C2 | – | Yes | | Proxy | – | Yes | | Open Source | – | Yes | | XSS | – | Yes | ### Core features **APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro)** 10 features listed. Sign in on the page to see them. **Shadow Workers** No features listed. ### Integrations **APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro)** 3 integrations listed. Sign in on the page to see them. **Shadow Workers** No integrations listed. ## Which one fits you Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source. - [APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro)](https://cybersectools.com/tools/apx-labs-arsenal-cipher-and-niro) fits if you want a cloud product and you are a startup or a small business. - [Shadow Workers](https://cybersectools.com/tools/shadow-workers) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you need a free product and you want an open-source product. ## APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro) vs Shadow Workers FAQ Common questions when comparing APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro) vs Shadow Workers for penetration testing. ### What is the difference between APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro) and Shadow Workers? **APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro)**: AI-driven pentest suite: Cipher tests live apps, Niro secures PRs in CI/CD. Built by APX Labs. **Shadow Workers**: Shadow Workers is an open source C2 framework and proxy tool for penetration testers to exploit XSS vulnerabilities and malicious Service Workers. The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ. ### Who makes APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro) and Shadow Workers? **APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro)** is made by APX Labs. **Shadow Workers** is open-source with 236 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit. ### Is APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro) a good alternative to Shadow Workers? In part. APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro) and Shadow Workers are not in the same category on CybersecTools. Key differences: APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro) is Commercial while Shadow Workers is Free, Shadow Workers is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ. ## Related comparisons - [APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro) vs Novee AI Pentesting](https://cybersectools.com/compare/apx-labs-arsenal-cipher-and-niro-vs-novee-ai-pentesting) - [APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro) vs Tenzai](https://cybersectools.com/compare/apx-labs-arsenal-cipher-and-niro-vs-tenzai) - [APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro) vs Parameter Pentesting](https://cybersectools.com/compare/apx-labs-arsenal-cipher-and-niro-vs-parameter-pentesting) - [Shadow Workers vs Novee AI Pentesting](https://cybersectools.com/compare/novee-ai-pentesting-vs-shadow-workers) - [Shadow Workers vs Tenzai](https://cybersectools.com/compare/shadow-workers-vs-tenzai) - [Shadow Workers vs Parameter Pentesting](https://cybersectools.com/compare/parameter-pentesting-vs-shadow-workers) ## Alternatives to each - [See all APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro) alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/apx-labs-arsenal-cipher-and-niro) - [See all Shadow Workers alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/shadow-workers) --- Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/apx-labs-arsenal-cipher-and-niro-vs-shadow-workers For AI agents: each product above has its own Markdown page (add .md to its URL, for example https://cybersectools.com/tools/apx-labs-arsenal-cipher-and-niro.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md. More on APX Labs Arsenal (Cipher & Niro) and Shadow Workers: 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