SharpAppLocker vs Donut: 2026 Comparison
SharpAppLocker is a free offensive security tool. Donut is a free offensive security tool. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best offensive security fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of available product data, here is our conclusion:
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.
Red teamers and penetration testers who need to deliver .NET and PE payloads that evade memory-scanning EDR will find Donut essential; it generates position-independent shellcode that executes directly from memory without touching disk, eliminating the most common detection vector. With 4,492 GitHub stars and active community contributions, the tool has been battle-tested across real engagements and stays current with Windows API changes. Skip this if you're looking for post-exploitation frameworks with built-in C2 capability or if your scope is limited to external reconnaissance; Donut is narrowly focused on the injection problem and assumes you already have payload delivery sorted.
