XlsGen vs Covenant: 2026 Comparison
XlsGen is a free offensive security tool. Covenant 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:
Penetration testers and red teamers who need to generate weaponized Excel files without touching a Windows machine will move faster with XlsGen; it generates BIFF8 files with 4.0 macros in pure code, eliminating the dependency on Microsoft Office entirely. The 44 GitHub stars reflect steady adoption among practitioners who've already ditched Excel-dependent macro generation workflows. Skip this if your team relies on social engineering payloads that need Office Open XML fidelity or modern macro obfuscation; XlsGen prioritizes delivery speed over evasion depth.
Red teamers and security engineers running internal assessments will find Covenant's .NET-native C2 architecture invaluable for simulating attacks that bypass standard logging and detection; the 4,641 GitHub stars reflect active community maintenance and real-world deployment at scale. Its collaborative operator interface and task-based workflow beat Metasploit for team-based engagements, especially when you need parallel execution across multiple targets. Not for buyers seeking a fully managed platform or cross-platform flexibility; Covenant's .NET focus and steeper learning curve make it a specialist tool, not a replacement for commercial red team frameworks.
