Impacket vs PwnAuth: 2026 Comparison
Impacket is a free offensive security tool. PwnAuth 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 who need to quickly spin up authentication tokens across SSH, OAuth, JWT, and API protocols without writing custom scripts should start with PwnAuth. The 398 GitHub stars and active maintenance signal it's actually being used in engagements, not abandoned after a conference talk. Skip this if you're looking for a commercial tool with vendor support or a GUI; PwnAuth is CLI-native and expects you to read the code when something breaks.
