# NSO Group vs Shadow Workers: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[NSO Group](https://cybersectools.com/tools/nso-group) is a commercial [red-team & adversary emulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security) solution by [NSO Group](https://cybersectools.com/companies/nso-group). [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

| | NSO Group | 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 | NSO Group | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | NSO Group | Shadow Workers |
|---|---|---|
| OSINT | Yes | – |
| C2 | – | Yes |
| Proxy | – | Yes |
| Open Source | – | Yes |
| XSS | – | Yes |

### Core features

**NSO Group**

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

**Shadow Workers**

No features 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.

## NSO Group vs Shadow Workers FAQ

Common questions when comparing NSO Group vs Shadow Workers for red-team & adversary emulation.

### What is the difference between NSO Group and Shadow Workers?

**NSO Group**: Govt-focused cyber intelligence & surveillance software provider. Built by NSO Group.

**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 NSO Group and Shadow Workers?

**NSO Group** is made by NSO Group. **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 NSO Group a good alternative to Shadow Workers?

Often, yes. NSO Group and Shadow Workers are both Red-Team & Adversary Emulation products. Key differences: NSO Group 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

- [NSO Group vs Fortra Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/fortra-cobalt-strike-vs-nso-group)
- [NSO Group vs GoSecure Titan® Adversarial Simulation](https://cybersectools.com/compare/gosecure-titanr-adversarial-simulation-vs-nso-group)
- [NSO Group vs Core Security Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-cobalt-strike-vs-nso-group)
- [Shadow Workers vs Fortra Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/fortra-cobalt-strike-vs-shadow-workers)
- [Shadow Workers vs GoSecure Titan® Adversarial Simulation](https://cybersectools.com/compare/gosecure-titanr-adversarial-simulation-vs-shadow-workers)
- [Shadow Workers vs Core Security Cobalt Strike](https://cybersectools.com/compare/core-security-cobalt-strike-vs-shadow-workers)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all NSO Group alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/nso-group)
- [See all Shadow Workers alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/shadow-workers)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/nso-group-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/nso-group.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md.

More on NSO Group 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