# NodeZero vs Payloads All The Things: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[NodeZero](https://cybersectools.com/tools/nodezero) is a commercial [penetration testing](https://cybersectools.com/categories/pentesting-tools) solution by [Horizon3.ai](https://cybersectools.com/companies/horizon3ai). [Payloads All The Things](https://cybersectools.com/tools/payloads-all-the-things) is a free [penetration testing](https://cybersectools.com/categories/pentesting-tools) solution. Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | NodeZero | Payloads All The Things |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Commercial | Free |
| Category | Penetration Testing | Penetration Testing |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | Cloud | On-Premises |
| Company size fit | Mid-Market, Enterprise | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | – | 76,084 |
| Last commit | – | Mar 2026 |
| Company | Horizon3.ai | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | NodeZero | Payloads All The Things |
|---|---|---|
| Active Directory | Yes | Yes |
| Attack Paths | Yes | – |
| Kubernetes | Yes | – |
| AI Pentesting | Yes | – |
| Azure | – | Yes |
| Linux | – | Yes |
| Windows | – | Yes |
| AWS | – | Yes |
| Reverse Shell | – | Yes |
| Subdomain Enumeration | – | Yes |
| Payload Generation | – | Yes |

### Core features

**NodeZero**

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

**Payloads All The Things**

No features listed.

## Which one fits you

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

- [NodeZero](https://cybersectools.com/tools/nodezero) fits if you want a cloud product.
- [Payloads All The Things](https://cybersectools.com/tools/payloads-all-the-things) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you are a small business, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.

## NodeZero vs Payloads All The Things FAQ

Common questions when comparing NodeZero vs Payloads All The Things for penetration testing.

### What is the difference between NodeZero and Payloads All The Things?

**NodeZero**: Autonomous pentesting platform for internal, external, cloud & K8s testing. Built by Horizon3.ai.

**Payloads All The Things**: A comprehensive repository of payloads and bypass techniques for web application security testing and penetration testing across multiple platforms and attack vectors.

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

### Who makes NodeZero and Payloads All The Things?

**NodeZero** is made by Horizon3.ai. **Payloads All The Things** is open-source with 76,084 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is NodeZero a good alternative to Payloads All The Things?

Often, yes. NodeZero and Payloads All The Things are both Penetration Testing products, and both cover Active Directory. Key differences: NodeZero is Commercial while Payloads All The Things is Free, Payloads All The Things is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [NodeZero vs AI Pentest Copilot](https://cybersectools.com/compare/ai-pentest-copilot-vs-nodezero)
- [NodeZero vs Ironwood Cyber Enlight](https://cybersectools.com/compare/ironwood-cyber-enlight-vs-nodezero)
- [NodeZero vs Tolmo](https://cybersectools.com/compare/nodezero-vs-tolmo)
- [Payloads All The Things vs AI Pentest Copilot](https://cybersectools.com/compare/ai-pentest-copilot-vs-payloads-all-the-things)
- [Payloads All The Things vs Ironwood Cyber Enlight](https://cybersectools.com/compare/ironwood-cyber-enlight-vs-payloads-all-the-things)
- [Payloads All The Things vs Tolmo](https://cybersectools.com/compare/payloads-all-the-things-vs-tolmo)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all NodeZero alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/nodezero)
- [See all Payloads All The Things alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/payloads-all-the-things)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/nodezero-vs-payloads-all-the-things

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

More on NodeZero and Payloads All The Things: 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