# Crimson7 Offensive Engineering vs XlsGen: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[Crimson7 Offensive Engineering](https://cybersectools.com/tools/crimson7-offensive-engineering) is a commercial [Red-Team & adversary emulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security) solution by [Crimson7](https://cybersectools.com/companies/crimson7). [XlsGen](https://cybersectools.com/tools/xlsgen) 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

| | Crimson7 Offensive Engineering | XlsGen |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | – | 44 |
| Last commit | – | Aug 2021 |
| Company | Crimson7 | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Crimson7 Offensive Engineering | XlsGen |
|---|---|---|
| Red Team | Yes | Yes |
| Penetration Testing Framework | Yes | – |
| MITRE ATT&CK | Yes | – |
| Active Directory | Yes | – |
| Lateral Movement | Yes | – |
| Privilege Escalation | Yes | – |
| Detection Rules | Yes | – |
| Threat Actors | Yes | – |
| Physical Security | Yes | – |
| Tabletop Exercises | Yes | – |
| Proof of Concept | – | Yes |
| Payload Generation | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Crimson7 Offensive Engineering**

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

**XlsGen**

No features listed.

### Integrations

**Crimson7 Offensive Engineering**

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

**XlsGen**

No integrations listed.

## Which one fits you

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

- [XlsGen](https://cybersectools.com/tools/xlsgen) fits if you are a startup or a small business, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.

## Crimson7 Offensive Engineering vs XlsGen FAQ

Common questions when comparing Crimson7 Offensive Engineering vs XlsGen for Red-Team & adversary emulation.

### What is the difference between Crimson7 Offensive Engineering and XlsGen?

**Crimson7 Offensive Engineering**: Red/purple team and identity security assessment service simulating real adversary attacks, built by Crimson7.

**XlsGen**: A proof-of-concept tool that generates Excel BIFF8 files with embedded 4.0 macros programmatically without requiring Microsoft Excel installation.

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

### Who makes Crimson7 Offensive Engineering and XlsGen?

**Crimson7 Offensive Engineering** is made by Crimson7. **XlsGen** is open-source with 44 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is Crimson7 Offensive Engineering a good alternative to XlsGen?

Often, yes. Crimson7 Offensive Engineering and XlsGen are both Red-Team & Adversary Emulation products, and both cover Red Team. Key differences: Crimson7 Offensive Engineering is Commercial while XlsGen is Free, XlsGen is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [Crimson7 Offensive Engineering vs A Security](https://cybersectools.com/compare/a-security-vs-crimson7-offensive-engineering)
- [Crimson7 Offensive Engineering vs GoSecure Titan® Adversarial Simulation](https://cybersectools.com/compare/crimson7-offensive-engineering-vs-gosecure-titanr-adversarial-simulation)
- [Crimson7 Offensive Engineering vs Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-outflank-security-tooling-vs-crimson7-offensive-engineering)
- [XlsGen vs A Security](https://cybersectools.com/compare/a-security-vs-xlsgen)
- [XlsGen vs GoSecure Titan® Adversarial Simulation](https://cybersectools.com/compare/gosecure-titanr-adversarial-simulation-vs-xlsgen)
- [XlsGen vs Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-outflank-security-tooling-vs-xlsgen)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Crimson7 Offensive Engineering alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/crimson7-offensive-engineering)
- [See all XlsGen alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/xlsgen)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/crimson7-offensive-engineering-vs-xlsgen

For AI agents: each product above has its own Markdown page (add .md to its URL, for example https://cybersectools.com/tools/crimson7-offensive-engineering.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md.

More on Crimson7 Offensive Engineering and XlsGen: 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