PowerUp vs SharpAppLocker: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros and cons, compared head to head.
PowerUp is a free penetration testing tool. SharpAppLocker is a free penetration testing tool. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best penetration testing fit for your security stack. Independent and vendor-neutral: we never sell rankings.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of available product data, here is our conclusion:
Penetration testers running Windows infrastructure assessments need PowerUp for its methodical enumeration of privilege escalation paths that exploits actually abuse; its 12,911 GitHub stars reflect adoption by operators who've validated it against real misconfigurations. The tool excels at the Identify function, systematically exposing Windows permission gaps and service exploits that other scanners miss or flag generically. Skip PowerUp if your team lacks Windows privilege escalation expertise or expects a GUI; it's a PowerShell script for operators, not a point-and-click platform.
Red teamers and penetration testers auditing Windows application control policies will find SharpAppLocker essential for reconnaissance; it directly mirrors the native Get-AppLockerPolicy functionality without requiring interactive PowerShell, reducing detection risk during engagements. The tool's C# implementation and 100 GitHub stars reflect adoption among practitioners who need to enumerate AppLocker rules before testing bypass techniques. Skip this if you're looking for a policy enforcement or management tool; SharpAppLocker is a read-only enumeration instrument, not a configuration platform.
