# Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents vs Shadow Workers: side-by-side comparison (2026) [Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents](https://cybersectools.com/tools/dreadnode-offensive-security-agents) is a commercial [red-team & adversary emulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security) solution by [Dreadnode](https://cybersectools.com/companies/dreadnode). [Shadow Workers](https://cybersectools.com/tools/shadow-workers) 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 | | Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents | Shadow Workers | |---|---|---| | Pricing model | Commercial | Free | | Category | Red-Team & Adversary Emulation | Red-Team & Adversary Emulation | | Verified | No | No | | Deployment type | Cloud | On-Premises | | Company size fit | Mid-Market, Enterprise | Mid-Market, Enterprise | | GitHub stars | – | 236 | | Last commit | – | Oct 2023 | | Company | Dreadnode | – | | Headquarters | – | – | ### Use cases and capabilities | | Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents | Shadow Workers | |---|---|---| | Red Team | Yes | – | | Exploit Development | Yes | – | | C2 | Yes | Yes | | Fuzzing | Yes | – | | Vulnerability Research | Yes | – | | Proxy | – | Yes | | Open Source | – | Yes | | XSS | – | Yes | ### Core features **Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents** 10 features listed. Sign in on the page to see them. **Shadow Workers** No features listed. ### Integrations **Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents** 1 integration listed. Sign in on the page to see them. **Shadow Workers** No integrations listed. ## Which one fits you Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source. - [Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents](https://cybersectools.com/tools/dreadnode-offensive-security-agents) fits if you want a cloud product. - [Shadow Workers](https://cybersectools.com/tools/shadow-workers) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you need a free product and you want an open-source product. ## Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents vs Shadow Workers FAQ Common questions when comparing Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents vs Shadow Workers for red-team & adversary emulation. ### What is the difference between Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents and Shadow Workers? **Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents**: AI agent platform for automating offensive security operations and evals. Built by Dreadnode. **Shadow Workers**: Shadow Workers is an open source C2 framework and proxy tool for penetration testers to exploit XSS vulnerabilities and malicious Service Workers. The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ. ### Who makes Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents and Shadow Workers? **Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents** is made by Dreadnode. **Shadow Workers** is open-source with 236 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit. ### Is Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents a good alternative to Shadow Workers? Often, yes. Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents and Shadow Workers are both Red-Team & Adversary Emulation products, and both cover C2. Key differences: Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents is Commercial while Shadow Workers is Free, Shadow Workers is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ. ## Related comparisons - [Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents vs Fortra Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/dreadnode-offensive-security-agents-vs-fortra-cobalt-strike) - [Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents vs Core Security Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-cobalt-strike-vs-dreadnode-offensive-security-agents) - [Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents vs Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-outflank-security-tooling-vs-dreadnode-offensive-security-agents) - [Shadow Workers vs Fortra Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/fortra-cobalt-strike-vs-shadow-workers) - [Shadow Workers vs Core Security Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-cobalt-strike-vs-shadow-workers) - [Shadow Workers vs Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-outflank-security-tooling-vs-shadow-workers) ## Alternatives to each - [See all Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/dreadnode-offensive-security-agents) - [See all Shadow Workers alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/shadow-workers) --- Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/dreadnode-offensive-security-agents-vs-shadow-workers For AI agents: each product above has its own Markdown page (add .md to its URL, for example https://cybersectools.com/tools/dreadnode-offensive-security-agents.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md. More on Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents and Shadow Workers: 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