Proxmark 3 vs Proxmark III: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
Proxmark 3 is a free penetration testing tool. Proxmark III 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.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of available product data, here is our conclusion:
Red teamers and physical security assessments teams should use Proxmark 3 to map RFID attack surface; it's the only free tool that reads, clones, and fuzzes NFC/RFID implementations without licensing friction. The device ships with active community firmware forks, so you get functional updates and tag support faster than vendor-backed alternatives. Skip this if your assessment scope is limited to high-frequency protocols or requires vendor support contracts; Proxmark's strength is in the hands-on operator who can troubleshoot hardware quirks and compile custom code.
Penetration testers and red teamers who need to audit physical access controls through RFID and NFC should use Proxmark III; it's the only tool that lets you read, clone, and attack contactless credentials in real time without reverse-engineering firmware. The device supports 125kHz and 13.56MHz tags across dozens of protocols, giving you coverage that commercial readers don't touch. Skip this if your testing scope is purely network-based or if your team lacks hardware debugging experience; Proxmark has a steep learning curve and assumes you're comfortable with firmware modification.
