# Core Security Cobalt Strike vs Ivy: 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). [Ivy](https://cybersectools.com/tools/ivy) 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 | Ivy |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | – | 744 |
| Last commit | – | Aug 2023 |
| Company | Core Security | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Core Security Cobalt Strike | Ivy |
|---|---|---|
| Red Team | Yes | Yes |
| Post Exploitation | Yes | – |
| C2 | Yes | – |
| Evasion | Yes | – |
| Shellcode | – | Yes |
| Payload Generation | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Core Security Cobalt Strike**

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

**Ivy**

No features listed.

### Integrations

**Core Security Cobalt Strike**

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

**Ivy**

No integrations listed.

## Which one fits you

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

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

## Core Security Cobalt Strike vs Ivy FAQ

Common questions when comparing Core Security Cobalt Strike vs Ivy for red-team & adversary emulation.

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

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

**Ivy**: Ivy is a payload creation framework for executing arbitrary VBA source code directly in memory, utilizing programmatical access to load, decrypt, and execute shellcode.

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

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

**Core Security Cobalt Strike** is made by Core Security. **Ivy** is open-source with 744 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 Ivy?

Often, yes. Core Security Cobalt Strike and Ivy are both Red-Team & Adversary Emulation products, and both cover Red Team. Key differences: Core Security Cobalt Strike is Commercial while Ivy is Free, Ivy 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)
- [Ivy vs Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-outflank-security-tooling-vs-ivy)
- [Ivy vs Fortra Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/fortra-cobalt-strike-vs-ivy)
- [Ivy vs Core Security Bundles and Suites](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-bundles-and-suites-vs-ivy)

## Alternatives to each

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

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

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 Ivy: 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