# Ethiack vs Shadow Workers: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[Ethiack](https://cybersectools.com/tools/ethiack) is a commercial [red-team & adversary emulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security) solution by [Ethiack](https://cybersectools.com/companies/ethiack). [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

| | Ethiack | 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 | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | – | 236 |
| Last commit | – | Oct 2023 |
| Company | Ethiack | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Ethiack | Shadow Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Continuous Testing | Yes | – |
| VAPT | Yes | – |
| Security Scanning | Yes | – |
| C2 | – | Yes |
| Proxy | – | Yes |
| Open Source | – | Yes |
| XSS | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Ethiack**

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

**Shadow Workers**

No features listed.

## Which one fits you

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

- [Ethiack](https://cybersectools.com/tools/ethiack) fits if you want a cloud product and you are a small business.
- [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.

## Ethiack vs Shadow Workers FAQ

Common questions when comparing Ethiack vs Shadow Workers for red-team & adversary emulation.

### What is the difference between Ethiack and Shadow Workers?

**Ethiack**: AI-powered continuous pentesting platform combining autonomous agents with human hackers. Built by Ethiack.

**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 Ethiack and Shadow Workers?

**Ethiack** is made by Ethiack founded in 2022-01-01T00:00:00.000Z. **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 Ethiack a good alternative to Shadow Workers?

Often, yes. Ethiack and Shadow Workers are both Red-Team & Adversary Emulation products. Key differences: Ethiack 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

- [Ethiack vs Fortra Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/ethiack-vs-fortra-cobalt-strike)
- [Ethiack vs Core Security Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-cobalt-strike-vs-ethiack)
- [Ethiack vs Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-outflank-security-tooling-vs-ethiack)
- [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 Ethiack alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/ethiack)
- [See all Shadow Workers alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/shadow-workers)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/ethiack-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/ethiack.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md.

More on Ethiack 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