Merlin vs NimPlant: 2026 Comparison
Merlin is a free offensive security tool. NimPlant 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 multi-stage engagements will find Merlin's HTTP/2 C2 framework invaluable for its lightweight Golang architecture and cross-platform flexibility, which sidesteps the detection signatures that plague Metasploit-based infrastructure. The 5,516 GitHub stars and active community contributions reflect real operational adoption, not theoretical interest. Skip Merlin if your team needs built-in evasion modules or OPSEC hardening out of the box; you're doing custom development here, which means smaller teams should budget engineering time accordingly.
Red teamers and penetration testers who need a lightweight C2 that won't bloat their infrastructure or trigger behavioral detection should reach for NimPlant. The Nim language compiles to small, efficient binaries that blend into normal process execution better than heavier C2 frameworks, and its 936 GitHub stars indicate active maintenance within the red team community. Skip this if your operation requires built-in evasion modules or post-exploitation libraries; NimPlant is intentionally minimal and expects operators to chain it with other tools rather than self-contained.
