# Cognito Scanner vs Red Specter POLTERGEIST: 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. [Red Specter POLTERGEIST](https://cybersectools.com/tools/red-specter-poltergeist) is a commercial [penetration testing](https://cybersectools.com/categories/pentesting-tools) solution by [Red Specter Security](https://cybersectools.com/companies/red-specter-security). Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | Cognito Scanner | Red Specter POLTERGEIST |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free | Commercial |
| Category | Penetration Testing | Penetration Testing |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | On-Premises | On-Premises |
| Company size fit | Mid-Market, Enterprise | Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | 109 | – |
| Last commit | Dec 2023 | – |
| Company | – | Red Specter Security |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Cognito Scanner | Red Specter POLTERGEIST |
|---|---|---|
| Enumeration | Yes | – |
| AWS | Yes | – |
| Privilege Escalation | Yes | – |
| Penetration Testing Framework | – | Yes |
| Web Security | – | Yes |
| DAST | – | Yes |
| OWASP | – | Yes |
| Red Team | – | Yes |
| XSS | – | Yes |
| SQL Injection | – | Yes |
| Evasion | – | Yes |
| WAF | – | Yes |
| CI/CD | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Cognito Scanner**

No features listed.

**Red Specter POLTERGEIST**

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

### Integrations

**Cognito Scanner**

No integrations listed.

**Red Specter POLTERGEIST**

10 integrations 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 a free product and you want an open-source product.

## Cognito Scanner vs Red Specter POLTERGEIST FAQ

Common questions when comparing Cognito Scanner vs Red Specter POLTERGEIST for penetration testing.

### What is the difference between Cognito Scanner and Red Specter POLTERGEIST?

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

**Red Specter POLTERGEIST**: Autonomous web app pentest swarm with 10 agents and 55 attack vectors. Built by Red Specter Security.

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

### Who makes Cognito Scanner and Red Specter POLTERGEIST?

**Cognito Scanner** is open-source with 109 GitHub stars. **Red Specter POLTERGEIST** is made by Red Specter Security. 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 Red Specter POLTERGEIST?

Often, yes. Cognito Scanner and Red Specter POLTERGEIST are both Penetration Testing products. Key differences: Cognito Scanner is Free while Red Specter POLTERGEIST 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 BU Creative Web App Penetration Testing](https://cybersectools.com/compare/bu-creative-web-app-penetration-testing-vs-cognito-scanner)
- [Cognito Scanner vs Strike Human-Led Pentesting](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cognito-scanner-vs-strike-human-led-pentesting)
- [Cognito Scanner vs ZeroThreat.ai](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cognito-scanner-vs-zerothreatai)
- [Red Specter POLTERGEIST vs BU Creative Web App Penetration Testing](https://cybersectools.com/compare/bu-creative-web-app-penetration-testing-vs-red-specter-poltergeist)
- [Red Specter POLTERGEIST vs Strike Human-Led Pentesting](https://cybersectools.com/compare/red-specter-poltergeist-vs-strike-human-led-pentesting)
- [Red Specter POLTERGEIST vs ZeroThreat.ai](https://cybersectools.com/compare/red-specter-poltergeist-vs-zerothreatai)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Cognito Scanner alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/cognito-scanner)
- [See all Red Specter POLTERGEIST alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/red-specter-poltergeist)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/cognito-scanner-vs-red-specter-poltergeist

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 Red Specter POLTERGEIST: 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