Impacket vs mimikatz: 2026 Comparison
Impacket is a free offensive security tool. mimikatz 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 available product data, here is our conclusion:
Red teamers and penetration testers who need to build custom attack chains will find Impacket indispensable; its Python-native SMB, Kerberos, and NTLM implementations let you craft protocol-level attacks that commercial tools either can't do or won't let you customize. The 14,800+ GitHub stars reflect real adoption in offensive engagements, and the library's low-level protocol handling means you can exploit edge cases that signature-based defenses miss. Skip this if your team wants a point-and-click interface; Impacket demands Python fluency and assumes you understand the protocols you're weaponizing.
Red teamers and penetration testers validating Windows credential exposure will find mimikatz indispensable for extracting plaintext passwords and hashes from memory; 21,000+ GitHub stars reflect how thoroughly it's embedded in professional assessment workflows. The tool's ability to bypass Windows Credential Guard on unpatched systems and dump LSASS directly makes it the fastest way to prove lateral movement risk in lab conditions. Skip this if your goal is continuous production monitoring; mimikatz is a point-in-time attack simulator, not a detection or remediation platform.
