# Control Pack vs Fortra Cobalt Strike: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[Control Pack](https://cybersectools.com/tools/control-pack) is a commercial [red-team & adversary emulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security) solution by [Exploit Pack](https://cybersectools.com/companies/exploit-pack). [Fortra Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/tools/fortra-cobalt-strike) is a commercial [red-team & adversary emulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security) solution by [Fortra](https://cybersectools.com/companies/fortra). Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | Control Pack | Fortra Cobalt Strike |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Commercial | Commercial |
| Category | Red-Team & Adversary Emulation | Red-Team & Adversary Emulation |
| Verified | No | Verified |
| Deployment type | On-Premises | On-Premises |
| Company size fit | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| Company | Exploit Pack | Fortra |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Control Pack | Fortra Cobalt Strike |
|---|---|---|
| Red Team | Yes | Yes |
| Post Exploitation | – | Yes |
| C2 | – | Yes |
| Lateral Movement | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Control Pack**

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

**Fortra Cobalt Strike**

- Post-exploitation payload (Beacon) with PowerShell execution, keylogging, screenshots, and file downloads
- Malleable Command and Control (C2) language for network indicator customization
- Browser pivoting for hijacking authenticated web sessions
- System Profiler for target fingerprinting and reconnaissance
- Shared team server for collaborative red team operations
- Asynchronous low and slow communication for stealth
- Multiple report types including activity, hosts, IOCs, sessions, and TTPs
- Extensible framework supporting custom scripts and extensions

## Which one fits you

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

- [Control Pack](https://cybersectools.com/tools/control-pack) fits if you are a small business.

## Control Pack vs Fortra Cobalt Strike FAQ

Common questions when comparing Control Pack vs Fortra Cobalt Strike for red-team & adversary emulation.

### What is the difference between Control Pack and Fortra Cobalt Strike?

**Control Pack**: Multi-agent command-and-control platform with encrypted reverse SOCKS5 tunneling. Built by Exploit Pack.

**Fortra Cobalt Strike**: Threat emulation product for adversary simulations and red team operations. Built by Fortra. Core capabilities include Post-exploitation payload (Beacon) with PowerShell execution, keylogging, screenshots, and file downloads, Malleable Command and Control (C2) language for network indicator customization, Browser pivoting for hijacking authenticated web sessions.

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

### Who makes Control Pack and Fortra Cobalt Strike?

**Control Pack** is made by Exploit Pack. **Fortra Cobalt Strike** is made by Fortra. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is Control Pack a good alternative to Fortra Cobalt Strike?

Often, yes. Control Pack and Fortra Cobalt Strike are both Red-Team & Adversary Emulation products, and both cover Red Team. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [Control Pack vs Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/compare/control-pack-vs-core-security-outflank-security-tooling)
- [Control Pack vs Core Security Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/control-pack-vs-core-security-cobalt-strike)
- [Control Pack vs Core Security Bundles and Suites](https://cybersectools.com/compare/control-pack-vs-core-security-bundles-and-suites)
- [Fortra Cobalt Strike vs Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-outflank-security-tooling-vs-fortra-cobalt-strike)
- [Fortra Cobalt Strike vs Core Security Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-cobalt-strike-vs-fortra-cobalt-strike)
- [Fortra Cobalt Strike vs Core Security Bundles and Suites](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-bundles-and-suites-vs-fortra-cobalt-strike)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Control Pack alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/control-pack)
- [See all Fortra Cobalt Strike alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/fortra-cobalt-strike)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/control-pack-vs-fortra-cobalt-strike

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

More on Control Pack and Fortra Cobalt Strike: 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