JSShell vs Fortra Cobalt Strike: 2026 Comparison
JSShell is a free offensive security tool. Fortra Cobalt Strike is a commercial offensive security tool by Fortra. 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, company size fit, deployment model, here is our conclusion:
Red teamers and penetration testers running short-engagement assessments will get the most from JSShell because it's lightweight enough to deploy in seconds and collaborative enough for multiple operators to work the same shell simultaneously. The free pricing and 364 GitHub stars indicate it's survived real operational use without the bloat of commercial frameworks. Skip this if you need post-exploitation persistence or command obfuscation; JSShell is built for interactive access during active testing, not for staying hidden after the initial breach.
