# Cognito Scanner vs Ironwood Cyber Enlight: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[Cognito Scanner](https://cybersectools.com/tools/cognito-scanner) is a free [penetration testing](https://cybersectools.com/categories/pentesting-tools) solution. [Ironwood Cyber Enlight](https://cybersectools.com/tools/ironwood-cyber-enlight) is a commercial [penetration testing](https://cybersectools.com/categories/pentesting-tools) solution by [Ironwood Cyber](https://cybersectools.com/companies/ironwood-cyber). Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | Cognito Scanner | Ironwood Cyber Enlight |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free | Commercial |
| Category | Penetration Testing | Penetration Testing |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | On-Premises | Hybrid |
| Company size fit | Mid-Market, Enterprise | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | 109 | – |
| Last commit | Dec 2023 | – |
| Company | – | Ironwood Cyber |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Cognito Scanner | Ironwood Cyber Enlight |
|---|---|---|
| Enumeration | Yes | – |
| AWS | Yes | – |
| Privilege Escalation | Yes | Yes |
| Attack Paths | – | Yes |
| Lateral Movement | – | Yes |
| Continuous Testing | – | Yes |
| AI Pentesting | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Cognito Scanner**

No features listed.

**Ironwood Cyber Enlight**

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

### Integrations

**Cognito Scanner**

No integrations listed.

**Ironwood Cyber Enlight**

1 integration listed. Sign in on the page to see them.

## Which one fits you

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

- [Cognito Scanner](https://cybersectools.com/tools/cognito-scanner) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.
- [Ironwood Cyber Enlight](https://cybersectools.com/tools/ironwood-cyber-enlight) fits if you need both cloud and on-premises options and you are a small business.

## Cognito Scanner vs Ironwood Cyber Enlight FAQ

Common questions when comparing Cognito Scanner vs Ironwood Cyber Enlight for penetration testing.

### What is the difference between Cognito Scanner and Ironwood Cyber Enlight?

**Cognito Scanner**: A Python script that performs security testing attacks against AWS Cognito services including account creation, user enumeration, and privilege escalation vulnerabilities.

**Ironwood Cyber Enlight**: Autonomous pentesting platform that discovers, exploits & maps attack paths. Built by Ironwood Cyber.

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

### Who makes Cognito Scanner and Ironwood Cyber Enlight?

**Cognito Scanner** is open-source with 109 GitHub stars. **Ironwood Cyber Enlight** is made by Ironwood Cyber. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is Cognito Scanner a good alternative to Ironwood Cyber Enlight?

Often, yes. Cognito Scanner and Ironwood Cyber Enlight are both Penetration Testing products, and both cover Privilege Escalation. Key differences: Cognito Scanner is Free while Ironwood Cyber Enlight is Commercial, Cognito Scanner is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [Cognito Scanner vs ORDAL Continuous Pentesting Engine](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cognito-scanner-vs-ordal-continuous-pentesting-engine)
- [Cognito Scanner vs Managed Autonomous Pentesting (MAP)](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cognito-scanner-vs-hackurity-art-stack)
- [Cognito Scanner vs AI Pentest Copilot](https://cybersectools.com/compare/ai-pentest-copilot-vs-cognito-scanner)
- [Ironwood Cyber Enlight vs ORDAL Continuous Pentesting Engine](https://cybersectools.com/compare/ironwood-cyber-enlight-vs-ordal-continuous-pentesting-engine)
- [Ironwood Cyber Enlight vs Managed Autonomous Pentesting (MAP)](https://cybersectools.com/compare/hackurity-art-stack-vs-ironwood-cyber-enlight)
- [Ironwood Cyber Enlight vs AI Pentest Copilot](https://cybersectools.com/compare/ai-pentest-copilot-vs-ironwood-cyber-enlight)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Cognito Scanner alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/cognito-scanner)
- [See all Ironwood Cyber Enlight alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/ironwood-cyber-enlight)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/cognito-scanner-vs-ironwood-cyber-enlight

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

More on Cognito Scanner and Ironwood Cyber Enlight: 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