ExternalC2 vs Fortra Cobalt Strike: 2026 Comparison
ExternalC2 is a free offensive security tool. Fortra Cobalt Strike is a commercial offensive security tool by Fortra. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best offensive security 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:
Red team operators and adversary simulation firms running Cobalt Strike will find ExternalC2 essential for breaking command-and-control out of standard DNS and HTTP channels. The library's 285 GitHub stars and active fork count demonstrate adoption among practitioners who need to route operator traffic through custom protocols, cloud services, or air-gapped networks that default C2 transports can't reach. Skip this if your team lacks Cobalt Strike infrastructure or needs turnkey deployment; ExternalC2 requires hands-on integration work and assumes operator familiarity with channel implementation.
