C3 vs pybof: 2026 Comparison
C3 is a free offensive security tool. pybof is a free offensive security tool. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best offensive security fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of available product data, here is our conclusion:
Red teamers and penetration testers who need to quickly prototype custom C2 channels without writing infrastructure from scratch should use C3; its integration with existing offensive toolkits like Metasploit and Cobalt Strike cuts weeks off typical channel development. The framework ships with working examples for HTTP, DNS, and HTTPS protocols, letting operators focus on evasion logic rather than socket programming. Skip this if your team needs a polished UI or commercial support; C3 is deliberately a builder's tool for operators comfortable with code.
Red teamers and penetration testers who need to execute custom BOFs without touching disk will find PyBOF essential for post-exploitation work; it's the only Python-native option for in-memory Beacon Object File execution, letting you skip Cobalt Strike's GUI entirely and automate payloads programmatically. The 80 GitHub stars and active maintenance signal real adoption among operators, not just theoretical interest. Skip this if you're looking for evasion magic; PyBOF assumes you've already got execution and focuses narrowly on loading and running BOFs, which means your success depends entirely on the quality of the BOF itself and your network position.
