Core Security Cobalt Strike vs GraphSpy: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
Core Security Cobalt Strike is a commercial offensive security tool by Core Security. GraphSpy is a free offensive security tool. 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, integrations, company size fit, here is our conclusion:
Mid-market and enterprise red teams running structured adversary emulation programs should pick Core Security Cobalt Strike for its Malleable C2 profiles, which let you authentically simulate APT tradecraft without building custom infrastructure from scratch. The Arsenal Kit's Sleep Mask and reflective loader customizations give you the payload flexibility needed to stay ahead of defensive signatures in mature environments. Skip this if your team lacks the operator experience to tune these features; Cobalt Strike demands thoughtful configuration, not point-and-click execution.
Red teams and Azure-focused penetration testers will find GraphSpy invaluable for post-compromise Azure AD and Microsoft 365 testing because it operates entirely in-browser, leaving no agent footprint and avoiding the detection overhead of traditional tools. The 1,176 GitHub stars signal real adoption among practitioners who need quick token enumeration and service interaction without standing up infrastructure. Skip this if your team operates primarily on-premises or needs to test non-Microsoft cloud environments; GraphSpy's value collapses outside the Microsoft ecosystem.
