Ivy vs Covenant: 2026 Comparison
Ivy is a free offensive security tool. Covenant 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 running Windows-focused assessments will find Ivy valuable for its direct approach to VBA-based code execution; it bypasses common detection patterns by executing shellcode in-memory without touching disk. With 744 GitHub stars and active maintenance, it's proven enough for lab work and controlled engagements. Skip this if your team needs post-exploitation frameworks with built-in persistence or lateral movement capabilities; Ivy is payload delivery, not command and control.
Red teamers and security engineers running internal assessments will find Covenant's .NET-native C2 architecture invaluable for simulating attacks that bypass standard logging and detection; the 4,641 GitHub stars reflect active community maintenance and real-world deployment at scale. Its collaborative operator interface and task-based workflow beat Metasploit for team-based engagements, especially when you need parallel execution across multiple targets. Not for buyers seeking a fully managed platform or cross-platform flexibility; Covenant's .NET focus and steeper learning curve make it a specialist tool, not a replacement for commercial red team frameworks.
