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

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

mimikatz: A powerful tool for extracting passwords and performing various Windows security operations.

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

Core Security Cobalt Strike is made by Core Security. mimikatz is open-source with 21,336 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

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