enum4linux-ng vs Patrowl: 2026 Comparison
enum4linux-ng is a free penetration testing tool. Patrowl is a commercial penetration testing tool by Patrowl. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best penetration testing fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of NIST CSF 2.0 coverage, core features, company size fit, deployment model, here is our conclusion:
Penetration testers and red team operators running Windows reconnaissance on networks with SMB exposure will move faster with enum4linux-ng than the original enum4linux, thanks to its Python rewrite that handles larger datasets and broken SMB implementations without hanging. The tool pulls user lists, share enumeration, and policy details from a single command line faster than manual net use or rpcclient chains, which matters when you're working through dozens of targets in a single engagement. Skip this if your scope is macOS or Linux-heavy environments where SMB isn't the attack surface; enum4linux-ng is deliberately Windows-centric and won't justify the learning curve otherwise.
Mid-market security teams stretched thin on budget will find Patrowl's offensive posture valuable; it combines vulnerability scanning and pentest automation in one platform, letting a small team punch above their weight on attack surface coverage. The hybrid deployment model covers cloud, IoT, and on-premise assets without forcing expensive rip-and-replace decisions, and NIST ID.RA and ID.AM coverage shows strong asset inventory and risk visibility across disparate environments. Skip this if you need mature incident response integration or enterprise-scale orchestration with your existing SOC workflows; Patrowl is built for proactive hunting, not reactive triage at scale.
