# Infection Monkey vs Pentera Core: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[Infection Monkey](https://cybersectools.com/tools/infection-monkey) is a free [breach & attack simulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/threat-simulation) solution. [Pentera Core](https://cybersectools.com/tools/pentera-pentera-core) is a commercial [breach & attack simulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/threat-simulation) solution by [Pentera](https://cybersectools.com/companies/pentera). Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | Infection Monkey | Pentera Core |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free | Commercial |
| Category | Breach & Attack Simulation | Breach & Attack Simulation |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | On-Premises | On-Premises |
| Company size fit | Mid-Market, Enterprise | Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | 6,975 | – |
| Last commit | Feb 2025 | – |
| Company | – | Pentera |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Infection Monkey | Pentera Core |
|---|---|---|
| Red Team | Yes | – |
| Lateral Movement | Yes | Yes |
| Open Source | Yes | – |
| Network Reconnaissance | Yes | – |
| Attack Paths | – | Yes |
| Network Segmentation | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Infection Monkey**

No features listed.

**Pentera Core**

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

### Integrations

**Infection Monkey**

No integrations listed.

**Pentera Core**

3 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.

- [Infection Monkey](https://cybersectools.com/tools/infection-monkey) fits if you need a free product and you want an open-source product.

## Infection Monkey vs Pentera Core FAQ

Common questions when comparing Infection Monkey vs Pentera Core for breach & attack simulation.

### What is the difference between Infection Monkey and Pentera Core?

**Infection Monkey**: An open-source security tool that simulates network breaches by self-propagating across data centers to test organizational resilience against lateral movement attacks.

**Pentera Core**: Automated internal network penetration testing and security validation platform. Built by Pentera.

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

### Who makes Infection Monkey and Pentera Core?

**Infection Monkey** is open-source with 6,975 GitHub stars. **Pentera Core** is made by Pentera. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is Infection Monkey a good alternative to Pentera Core?

Often, yes. Infection Monkey and Pentera Core are both Breach & Attack Simulation products, and both cover Lateral Movement. Key differences: Infection Monkey is Free while Pentera Core is Commercial, Infection Monkey is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [Infection Monkey vs SafeBreach Exposure Validation Platform](https://cybersectools.com/compare/infection-monkey-vs-safebreach-exposure-validation-platform)
- [Infection Monkey vs Cybral STORM ATTACKER](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cybral-storm-attacker-vs-infection-monkey)
- [Infection Monkey vs NetSPI Detective Controls Testing](https://cybersectools.com/compare/infection-monkey-vs-netspi-detective-controls-testing)
- [Pentera Core vs SafeBreach Exposure Validation Platform](https://cybersectools.com/compare/pentera-pentera-core-vs-safebreach-exposure-validation-platform)
- [Pentera Core vs Cybral STORM ATTACKER](https://cybersectools.com/compare/cybral-storm-attacker-vs-pentera-pentera-core)
- [Pentera Core vs NetSPI Detective Controls Testing](https://cybersectools.com/compare/netspi-detective-controls-testing-vs-pentera-pentera-core)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Infection Monkey alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/infection-monkey)
- [See all Pentera Core alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/pentera-pentera-core)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/infection-monkey-vs-pentera-pentera-core

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

More on Infection Monkey and Pentera Core: 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