# KinoSec Hades vs Shadow Workers: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[KinoSec Hades](https://cybersectools.com/tools/kinosec-hades) is a commercial [red-team & adversary emulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security) solution by [KinoSec](https://cybersectools.com/companies/kinosec). [Shadow Workers](https://cybersectools.com/tools/shadow-workers) is a free [red-team & adversary emulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security) solution. Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | KinoSec Hades | Shadow Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Commercial | Free |
| Category | Red-Team & Adversary Emulation | Red-Team & Adversary Emulation |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | On-Premises | On-Premises |
| Company size fit | Enterprise | Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | – | 236 |
| Last commit | – | Oct 2023 |
| Company | KinoSec | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | KinoSec Hades | Shadow Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Red Team | Yes | – |
| AI Pentesting | Yes | – |
| Agentic AI Security | Yes | – |
| Exploitation Framework | Yes | – |
| Generative AI | Yes | – |
| LLM Security | Yes | – |
| Vulnerability Exploitation | Yes | – |
| Adversarial ML | Yes | – |
| Zero Day | Yes | – |
| C2 | – | Yes |
| Proxy | – | Yes |
| Open Source | – | Yes |
| XSS | – | Yes |

### Core features

**KinoSec Hades**

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

**Shadow Workers**

No features listed.

### Integrations

**KinoSec Hades**

2 integrations listed. Sign in on the page to see them.

**Shadow Workers**

No integrations listed.

## Which one fits you

Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source.

- [Shadow Workers](https://cybersectools.com/tools/shadow-workers) fits if you are a mid-market company, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.

## KinoSec Hades vs Shadow Workers FAQ

Common questions when comparing KinoSec Hades vs Shadow Workers for red-team & adversary emulation.

### What is the difference between KinoSec Hades and Shadow Workers?

**KinoSec Hades**: Autonomous AI offensive cyber platform for sovereign-grade threat neutralization. Built by KinoSec.

**Shadow Workers**: Shadow Workers is an open source C2 framework and proxy tool for penetration testers to exploit XSS vulnerabilities and malicious Service Workers.

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

### Who makes KinoSec Hades and Shadow Workers?

**KinoSec Hades** is made by KinoSec. **Shadow Workers** is open-source with 236 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is KinoSec Hades a good alternative to Shadow Workers?

Often, yes. KinoSec Hades and Shadow Workers are both Red-Team & Adversary Emulation products. Key differences: KinoSec Hades is Commercial while Shadow Workers is Free, Shadow Workers is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [KinoSec Hades vs Red Specter Cheatsheet](https://cybersectools.com/compare/kinosec-hades-vs-red-specter-cheatsheet)
- [KinoSec Hades vs A Security](https://cybersectools.com/compare/a-security-vs-kinosec-hades)
- [KinoSec Hades vs Fortra Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/fortra-cobalt-strike-vs-kinosec-hades)
- [Shadow Workers vs Red Specter Cheatsheet](https://cybersectools.com/compare/red-specter-cheatsheet-vs-shadow-workers)
- [Shadow Workers vs A Security](https://cybersectools.com/compare/a-security-vs-shadow-workers)
- [Shadow Workers vs Fortra Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/fortra-cobalt-strike-vs-shadow-workers)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all KinoSec Hades alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/kinosec-hades)
- [See all Shadow Workers alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/shadow-workers)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/kinosec-hades-vs-shadow-workers

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

More on KinoSec Hades and Shadow Workers: 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