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

[Shadow Workers](https://cybersectools.com/tools/shadow-workers) is a free [red-team & adversary emulation](https://cybersectools.com/categories/offensive-security) solution. [Tenzai](https://cybersectools.com/tools/tenzai) is a commercial [penetration testing](https://cybersectools.com/categories/pentesting-tools) solution by [Tenzai](https://cybersectools.com/companies/tenzai). Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | Shadow Workers | Tenzai |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free | Commercial |
| Category | Red-Team & Adversary Emulation | Penetration Testing |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | On-Premises | Hybrid |
| Company size fit | Mid-Market, Enterprise | Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | 236 | – |
| Last commit | Oct 2023 | – |
| Company | – | Tenzai |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Shadow Workers | Tenzai |
|---|---|---|
| C2 | Yes | – |
| Proxy | Yes | – |
| Open Source | Yes | – |
| XSS | Yes | – |
| AI Pentesting | – | Yes |
| Agentic AI Security | – | Yes |
| Continuous Testing | – | Yes |
| Red Team | – | Yes |
| Vulnerability Exploitation | – | Yes |
| Penetration Testing Framework | – | Yes |
| Vulnerability | – | Yes |
| Web Security | – | Yes |
| App Security | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Shadow Workers**

No features listed.

**Tenzai**

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

### Integrations

**Shadow Workers**

No integrations listed.

**Tenzai**

2 integrations listed. Sign in on the page to see them.

## 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 need to run it on your own servers, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.
- [Tenzai](https://cybersectools.com/tools/tenzai) fits if you need both cloud and on-premises options.

## Shadow Workers vs Tenzai FAQ

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

### What is the difference between Shadow Workers and Tenzai?

**Shadow Workers**: Shadow Workers is an open source C2 framework and proxy tool for penetration testers to exploit XSS vulnerabilities and malicious Service Workers.

**Tenzai**: Agentic AI platform for continuous, autonomous penetration testing of enterprise apps. Built by Tenzai.

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

### Who makes Shadow Workers and Tenzai?

**Shadow Workers** is open-source with 236 GitHub stars. **Tenzai** is made by Tenzai. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is Shadow Workers a good alternative to Tenzai?

In part. Shadow Workers and Tenzai are not in the same category on CybersecTools. Key differences: Shadow Workers is Free while Tenzai is Commercial, Shadow Workers is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [Shadow Workers vs A Security](https://cybersectools.com/compare/a-security-vs-shadow-workers)
- [Shadow Workers vs Red Specter Cheatsheet](https://cybersectools.com/compare/red-specter-cheatsheet-vs-shadow-workers)
- [Shadow Workers vs KinoSec Hades](https://cybersectools.com/compare/kinosec-hades-vs-shadow-workers)
- [Tenzai vs A Security](https://cybersectools.com/compare/a-security-vs-tenzai)
- [Tenzai vs Red Specter Cheatsheet](https://cybersectools.com/compare/red-specter-cheatsheet-vs-tenzai)
- [Tenzai vs KinoSec Hades](https://cybersectools.com/compare/kinosec-hades-vs-tenzai)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Shadow Workers alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/shadow-workers)
- [See all Tenzai alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/tenzai)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/shadow-workers-vs-tenzai

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

More on Shadow Workers and Tenzai: 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