# Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents vs XlsGen: 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). [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 | | Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents | XlsGen | |---|---|---| | 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 | Startup, SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | | GitHub stars | – | 44 | | Last commit | – | Aug 2021 | | Company | Dreadnode | – | | Headquarters | – | – | ### Use cases and capabilities | | Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents | XlsGen | |---|---|---| | Red Team | Yes | Yes | | Exploit Development | Yes | – | | C2 | Yes | – | | Fuzzing | Yes | – | | Vulnerability Research | Yes | – | | Proof of Concept | – | Yes | | Payload Generation | – | Yes | ### Core features **Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents** 10 features listed. Sign in on the page to see them. **XlsGen** No features listed. ### Integrations **Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents** 1 integration 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. - [Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents](https://cybersectools.com/tools/dreadnode-offensive-security-agents) fits if you want a cloud product. - [XlsGen](https://cybersectools.com/tools/xlsgen) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you are a startup or a small business, you need a free product and you want an open-source product. ## Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents vs XlsGen FAQ Common questions when comparing Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents vs XlsGen for Red-Team & adversary emulation. ### What is the difference between Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents and XlsGen? **Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents**: AI agent platform for automating offensive security operations and evals, built by Dreadnode. **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 Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents and XlsGen? **Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents** is made by Dreadnode. **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 Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents a good alternative to XlsGen? Often, yes. Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents and XlsGen are both Red-Team & Adversary Emulation products, and both cover Red Team. Key differences: Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents 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 - [Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents vs Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-outflank-security-tooling-vs-dreadnode-offensive-security-agents) - [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) - [XlsGen vs Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-outflank-security-tooling-vs-xlsgen) - [XlsGen vs Fortra Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/fortra-cobalt-strike-vs-xlsgen) - [XlsGen vs Core Security Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-cobalt-strike-vs-xlsgen) ## Alternatives to each - [See all Dreadnode Offensive Security Agents alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/dreadnode-offensive-security-agents) - [See all XlsGen alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/xlsgen) --- Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/dreadnode-offensive-security-agents-vs-xlsgen 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 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