# Core Security Cobalt Strike vs Donut: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[Core Security Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/tools/core-security-cobalt-strike) is a commercial [Red-Team & adversary emulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security) solution by [Core Security](https://cybersectools.com/companies/core-security). [Donut](https://cybersectools.com/tools/donut) is a free [Red-Team & adversary emulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security) solution. Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | Core Security Cobalt Strike | Donut |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Commercial | Free |
| Category | Red-Team & Adversary Emulation | Red-Team & Adversary Emulation |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | On-Premises | On-Premises |
| Company size fit | Mid-Market, Enterprise | Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | – | 4,492 |
| Last commit | – | Oct 2024 |
| Company | Core Security | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Core Security Cobalt Strike | Donut |
|---|---|---|
| Red Team | Yes | – |
| Post Exploitation | Yes | – |
| C2 | Yes | – |
| Evasion | Yes | – |
| PE File | – | Yes |
| Shellcode | – | Yes |
| Windows | – | Yes |
| Code Injection | – | Yes |
| Payload Generation | – | Yes |
| Process Injection | – | Yes |
| Memory Forensics | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Core Security Cobalt Strike**

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

**Donut**

No features listed.

### Integrations

**Core Security Cobalt Strike**

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

**Donut**

No integrations listed.

## Which one fits you

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

- [Donut](https://cybersectools.com/tools/donut) fits if you need a free product and you want an open-source product.

## Core Security Cobalt Strike vs Donut FAQ

Common questions when comparing Core Security Cobalt Strike vs Donut for Red-Team & adversary emulation.

### What is the difference between Core Security Cobalt Strike and Donut?

**Core Security Cobalt Strike**: Post-exploitation threat emulation platform for red team operations, built by Core Security.

**Donut**: A shellcode generator that creates position-independent code for loading and executing .NET Assemblies, PE files, and Windows payloads from memory.

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

### Who makes Core Security Cobalt Strike and Donut?

**Core Security Cobalt Strike** is made by Core Security. **Donut** is open-source with 4,492 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is Core Security Cobalt Strike a good alternative to Donut?

Often, yes. Core Security Cobalt Strike and Donut are both Red-Team & Adversary Emulation products. Key differences: Core Security Cobalt Strike is Commercial while Donut is Free, Donut is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

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

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Core Security Cobalt Strike alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/core-security-cobalt-strike)
- [See all Donut alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/donut)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-cobalt-strike-vs-donut

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

More on Core Security Cobalt Strike and Donut: 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