# Cobalt Offensive Security Platform vs Pacu: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[Cobalt Offensive Security Platform](https://cybersectools.com/tools/cobalt-offensive-security-platform) is a commercial [penetration testing](https://cybersectools.com/categories/pentesting-tools) solution by [Cobalt](https://cybersectools.com/companies/cobalt). [Pacu](https://cybersectools.com/tools/pacu) is a free [penetration testing](https://cybersectools.com/categories/pentesting-tools) solution. Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | Cobalt Offensive Security Platform | Pacu |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Commercial | Free |
| Category | Penetration Testing | Penetration Testing |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | Cloud | On-Premises |
| Company size fit | Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | – | 4,883 |
| Last commit | – | Jul 2025 |
| Company | Cobalt | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Cobalt Offensive Security Platform | Pacu |
|---|---|---|
| DAST | Yes | – |
| Continuous Testing | Yes | – |
| Lambda | – | Yes |
| AWS | – | Yes |
| Privilege Escalation | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Cobalt Offensive Security Platform**

10 features listed. Sign in on the page to see them.

**Pacu**

No features listed.

### Integrations

**Cobalt Offensive Security Platform**

5 integrations listed. Sign in on the page to see them.

**Pacu**

No integrations listed.

## Which one fits you

Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source.

- [Cobalt Offensive Security Platform](https://cybersectools.com/tools/cobalt-offensive-security-platform) fits if you want a cloud product and you are a startup or a small business.
- [Pacu](https://cybersectools.com/tools/pacu) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.

## Cobalt Offensive Security Platform vs Pacu FAQ

Common questions when comparing Cobalt Offensive Security Platform vs Pacu for penetration testing.

### What is the difference between Cobalt Offensive Security Platform and Pacu?

**Cobalt Offensive Security Platform**: PTaaS platform for managing pentests, DAST, and attack surface monitoring. Built by Cobalt.

**Pacu**: Pacu is an open-source AWS exploitation framework designed for offensive security testing against cloud environments through modular attack capabilities.

The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ.

### Who makes Cobalt Offensive Security Platform and Pacu?

**Cobalt Offensive Security Platform** is made by Cobalt. **Pacu** is open-source with 4,883 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is Cobalt Offensive Security Platform a good alternative to Pacu?

Often, yes. Cobalt Offensive Security Platform and Pacu are both Penetration Testing products. Key differences: Cobalt Offensive Security Platform is Commercial while Pacu is Free, Pacu is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [Cobalt Offensive Security Platform vs AI Pentest Copilot](https://cybersectools.com/compare/ai-pentest-copilot-vs-cobalt-offensive-security-platform)
- [Cobalt Offensive Security Platform vs Ironwood Cyber Enlight](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cobalt-offensive-security-platform-vs-ironwood-cyber-enlight)
- [Cobalt Offensive Security Platform vs RunSybil](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cobalt-offensive-security-platform-vs-runsybil)
- [Pacu vs AI Pentest Copilot](https://cybersectools.com/compare/ai-pentest-copilot-vs-pacu)
- [Pacu vs Ironwood Cyber Enlight](https://cybersectools.com/compare/ironwood-cyber-enlight-vs-pacu)
- [Pacu vs RunSybil](https://cybersectools.com/compare/pacu-vs-runsybil)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Cobalt Offensive Security Platform alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/cobalt-offensive-security-platform)
- [See all Pacu alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/pacu)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/cobalt-offensive-security-platform-vs-pacu

For AI agents: each product above has its own Markdown page (add .md to its URL, for example https://cybersectools.com/tools/cobalt-offensive-security-platform.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md.

More on Cobalt Offensive Security Platform and Pacu: 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