# Fortra Cobalt Strike vs Scanner: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[Fortra Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/tools/fortra-cobalt-strike) is a commercial [red-team & adversary emulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security) solution by [Fortra](https://cybersectools.com/companies/fortra). [Scanner](https://cybersectools.com/tools/scanner) is a commercial [security data pipelines](https://cybersectools.com/categories/security-data-pipelines) solution by [Scanner](https://cybersectools.com/companies/scanner). Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | Fortra Cobalt Strike | Scanner |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Commercial | Commercial |
| Category | Red-Team & Adversary Emulation | Security Data Pipelines |
| Verified | Verified | No |
| Deployment type | On-Premises | Cloud |
| Company size fit | Mid-Market, Enterprise | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| Company | Fortra | Scanner |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Fortra Cobalt Strike | Scanner |
|---|---|---|
| Red Team | Yes | – |
| Post Exploitation | Yes | – |
| C2 | Yes | – |
| Lateral Movement | Yes | – |
| Log Management | – | Yes |
| S3 | – | Yes |
| Detection Rules | – | Yes |
| AWS Security | – | Yes |
| MCP Security | – | Yes |
| AI SOC | – | Yes |
| Cloud Native | – | Yes |
| Search | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Fortra Cobalt Strike**

- Post-exploitation payload (Beacon) with PowerShell execution, keylogging, screenshots, and file downloads
- Malleable Command and Control (C2) language for network indicator customization
- Browser pivoting for hijacking authenticated web sessions
- System Profiler for target fingerprinting and reconnaissance
- Shared team server for collaborative red team operations
- Asynchronous low and slow communication for stealth
- Multiple report types including activity, hosts, IOCs, sessions, and TTPs
- Extensible framework supporting custom scripts and extensions

**Scanner**

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

### Integrations

**Fortra Cobalt Strike**

No integrations listed.

**Scanner**

7 integrations listed. Sign in on the page to see them.

## Which one fits you

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

- [Fortra Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/tools/fortra-cobalt-strike) fits if you need to run it on your own servers.
- [Scanner](https://cybersectools.com/tools/scanner) fits if you want a cloud product and you are a small business.

## Fortra Cobalt Strike vs Scanner FAQ

Common questions when comparing Fortra Cobalt Strike vs Scanner for red-team & adversary emulation.

### What is the difference between Fortra Cobalt Strike and Scanner?

**Fortra Cobalt Strike**: Threat emulation product for adversary simulations and red team operations. Built by Fortra. Core capabilities include Post-exploitation payload (Beacon) with PowerShell execution, keylogging, screenshots, and file downloads, Malleable Command and Control (C2) language for network indicator customization, Browser pivoting for hijacking authenticated web sessions.

**Scanner**: Security data lake platform for threat detection via S3-native log indexing. Built by Scanner.

The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ.

### Who makes Fortra Cobalt Strike and Scanner?

**Fortra Cobalt Strike** is made by Fortra. **Scanner** is made by Scanner. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is Fortra Cobalt Strike a good alternative to Scanner?

In part. Fortra Cobalt Strike and Scanner are not in the same category on CybersecTools. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [Fortra Cobalt Strike vs Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-outflank-security-tooling-vs-fortra-cobalt-strike)
- [Fortra Cobalt Strike vs Core Security Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-cobalt-strike-vs-fortra-cobalt-strike)
- [Fortra Cobalt Strike vs Crimson7 Offensive Engineering](https://cybersectools.com/compare/crimson7-offensive-engineering-vs-fortra-cobalt-strike)
- [Scanner vs Core Security Outflank Security Tooling](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-outflank-security-tooling-vs-scanner)
- [Scanner vs Core Security Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-cobalt-strike-vs-scanner)
- [Scanner vs Crimson7 Offensive Engineering](https://cybersectools.com/compare/crimson7-offensive-engineering-vs-scanner)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Fortra Cobalt Strike alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/fortra-cobalt-strike)
- [See all Scanner alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/scanner)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/fortra-cobalt-strike-vs-scanner

For AI agents: each product above has its own Markdown page (add .md to its URL, for example https://cybersectools.com/tools/fortra-cobalt-strike.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md.

More on Fortra Cobalt Strike and Scanner: 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