Site icon Astra Security Blog

17 Most Popular Penetration Testing Tools for Companies and Pentesters

Ananda Krishna
Top 17 Penetration Testing Tools

With the global cost of cybercrimes estimated to reach 9.2 trillion in 2024, which is Japan’s GDP doubled, it is more critical now than ever to mitigate threats posed by attackers. As a business owner or security analyst, how can you mitigate such threats?

While hundreds of penetration testing tools promise complete cybersecurity solutions for enterprises and analysts, finding the perfect match that suits your needs can be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Our security experts have handpicked the 17 best pentesting tools that focus on your non-negotiables, including but not limited to cost, timeline, functionality, technical knowledge, deployment, and pentest capabilities. Be it some of the top pentest companies or white-hat hackers; all use these tools to stay a notch ahead.

List of 17 Most Popular Penetration Testing Tools of All Time

  1. Astra Pentest
  2. Burp Suite Professional
  3. Cobalt Strike
  4. Rapid7
  5. Acunetix
  6. Nessus Professional
  7. IndusfaceWAS
  8. Kali Linux
  9. NMap
  10. Wireshark
  11. Nikto
  12. W3af
  13. Aircrack-ng
  14. BeEF
  15. Ettercap
  16. Vega
  17. ZAP

How to Choose a Penetration Testing Tool

When selecting a pentesting tool, enterprises and security analysts have distinct priorities. Here is a summary of these priorities; you can find a detailed analysis of this section further down in the blog.

1. Enterprise Priorities

2. Security Analyst Priorities

3. Common Criteria

Why Astra is the best in pentesting?

  • We’re the only company that combines automated & manual pentest to create a one-of-a-kind pentest platform.
  • Vetted scans ensure zero false positives.
  • Our intelligent vulnerability scanner emulates hacker behavior & evolves with every pentest.
  • Astra’s scanner helps you shift left by integrating with your CI/CD.
  • Our platform helps you uncover, manage & fix vulnerabilities in one place.
  • Trusted by the brands you trust like Agora, Spicejet, Muthoot, Dream11, etc.
Let’s Talk Get Started

Pentesting Tools for Security Analysts

FeaturesAstra PentestKali LinuxNmap
Pentest CapabilitiesUnlimited and continuous automated scans with manual testsUnlimited Scans for vulnerability scanning, exploitation, privilege escalation, and post-exploitationUnlimited scans for network discovery, vulnerability scanning, service identification, and OS fingerprinting
TargetWeb apps, API, mobile, cloud, & networksOnline and physical systems, applications, &networksNetwork infrastructure, IoT devices, limited cloud instances
DeploymentSaaS/CloudInstaller packages for live boot and disk installationFlexible deployment through the command line, scripting, and graphical interface (Zenmap)
AccuracyZero false positivesFalse positives possibleFalse positives possible
PricingStarting at $199/monthOpen-sourceOpen-source

17 Top Penetration testing Tools for Companies and Security Analysts

1. The Complete Pentest Platform: Astra Pentest (Best Overall Pentest Tool)

Key Features:

The Astra Pentest Platform is a comprehensive penetration testing suite that combines our automated vulnerability scanner with AI and manual pentesting capabilities in compliance with various industry standards, including OWASP TOP 10 and SANS 25.

While expert-vetted scans ensure zero false positives, the in-depth hacker-style manual pentests reveal critical vulnerabilities like payment gateway hacks and business logic errors.

The plug-n-play SaaS tool includes a convenient Chrome extension for login recording, enabling authenticated scans behind login pages without redundant reauthentication.

All in all, with over 50 years of combined experience of security engineers and a portfolio of 9,300+ automated test cases and compliance checks, Astra empowers enterprises and security analysts to achieve their security goals.

Pros:

Limitations:

2. Kali Linux (Best for Web App Pentesting)

Key Features:

With 600+ pre-installed security tools, Kali Linux is a holistic software penetration testing OS that enables security to cover a wide breadth and depth of VAPT tasks ranging from initial assessment to post-exploitation analysis.

With extensive customization options, the OS provides extensive documentation, tutorials, and support to aid learning and troubleshooting.

Pros:

Limitations:

3. Nmap (Best for Network Pentesting)

Key Features:

Nmap is an open-source command line and network scanning tool that analyzes your network’s structure to find possible entry points and reveal running services on target systems. The operating system detection feature adds another layer of intelligence to its arsenal.

Nmap’s version detection capabilities and scriptable interaction through the NSE help security professionals automate tasks, improve scan capabilities, and create custom scripts for specific situations.

Pros:

Limitations:

4. Wireshark

Key Features:

As a prominent network packet analyzer, Wireshark is a versatile internal pentesting tool that empowers security analysts to identify vulnerabilities in protocols, configurations, and applications.

It can analyze real-time and historical network traffic to reconstruct attack timelines, identify attack vectors, and understand attacker behavior.

Pros:

Limitations:

5. Nikto

Key Features:

As one of the best open-source penetration testing tools designed specifically for web apps and servers, Nikto has access to various bug databases. It scans for 6700+ vulnerabilities, including outdated software, misconfigurations, and common exploits.

It helps security analysts identify open directories, insecure file permissions, and weak HTTP headers. Nikto also offers customization plugin support.

Pros:

Limitations:

Use Our Pentest Tools Chooser

Confused about which pentesting tool is best for you? Our chooser helps you make the perfect decision based on your specific needs.

6. W3af

Key Features:

Web Application Attack and Audit Framework, better known as W3af, is a web application pentest scanning tool that offers manual pentesting capabilities. Unlike most open-source tools, it goes beyond identification to assess their impact and severity.

W3af also helps security analysts automate repetitive tasks like scanning and reporting to save time and effort, especially in the case of comprehensive security audits.

Pros:

Limitations:

Make your Web Application the safest place on the Internet.

With our detailed and specially curated Web security checklist.

Download Checklist

7. Aircrack-ng

Key Features:

As a pentest tool that exclusively focuses on wireless networks, Aircrack-ng helps automate various tasks for vulnerability assessment and pentesting the above. It gives security analysts a more holistic understanding of the network’s security posture.

Moreover, Aircrack-ng’s command-line interface facilitates customization, including attacks such as replay attacks, de-authentication, and fake access points.

Pros:

Limitations:

8. BeEF

Key Features:

As the name suggests, the Browser Exploitation Framework, or BeEF, is an open-source pentest tool designed to evaluate the security of web browsers. It helps analysts simulate malicious attacks to identify vulnerabilities and assess the security posture. 

Once the security analyst has gained control of a browser, BeEF helps analyze post-exploitation impacts such as redirecting traffic, keystroke logging, and theft of sensitive data.

Pros:

Limitations:

9. Ettercap

Key Features:

Ettercap is an open-source tool that allows security analysts to analyze network traffic and simulate session hijacks, Man-in-the-Middle(MitM), and DOS attacks.

The tool also supports scripting languages and plugins to allow analysts to automate repetitive tasks and customize functionalities to their specific needs.

Pros:

Limitations:

10. Vega

Key Features:

As an open-source web security scanner and pentesting platform, Vega allows analysts to intercept and analyze web traffic, crawl web applications, and pinpoint vulnerabilities, including SSL/TLS misconfigurations.

The tool also facilitates JavaScript extensions to help tailor the pentest to a professional’s specific needs and gain a better understanding of complex application behavior.

Pros:

Limitations:

11. Zed Attack Proxy

Key Features:

Zed Attack Proxy, or ZAP, is a web application security testing (WAST) tool primarily used for penetration testing. It acts as a MitM proxy, allowing security analysts to intercept, analyze, and modify web traffic between a browser and a web application.

In addition to pre-built scanners and manual pentest tools, it allows security analysts to manipulate sessions, fuzz, and launch brute-force attacks.

Pros:

Limitations:

Pentesting Tools for Enterprises

FeaturesAstra PentestBurp SuiteCobalt Strike
Pentest CapabilitiesContinuous automated scans with manual tests for multiple assetsAutomated and manual scans for web appsAutomated adversary emulation and manual penetration testing for networks
AccuracyZero false positivesFalse positives possibleFalse positives possible
CompliancePCI-DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO, PCI-DSS & SOC2PCI-DSS, OWASP Top 10, HIPAA, and GDPR-
Expert RemediationYesNoNo
Workflow IntegrationsSlack, Jira, GitHub, GitLab, Jenkins, and moreSlack, Jira, Jenkins, GitLab, and moreOutflank Security Tooling and Core Impact
PricingStarting at $1999/yr$449/yr/userAvailable on quote

12. Burp Suite Professional

Key Features:

Burp Suite Professional is one of the best pentesting tools for web apps that offers a variety of features for manual and automated testing. It pinpoints vulnerabilities by intercepting and manipulating web traffic, automating repetitive tasks, fuzzing, and brute-forcing logins.

It detects common vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and insecure direct object references (IDORs). Burp Suite also offers easy integration with external tools for a smooth user experience.

Pros:

Limitations:

13. Cobalt Strike

Key Features:

As a well-known commercial platform for advanced adversary emulation and network penetration testing, Cobalt Strike by Fortra is the ideal match for an enterprise with a more hands-on approach. It allows you to tailor payloads, evasion techniques, and attack methodologies.

The tools offer a vibrant community and resource repository, offering tutorials, plugins, and knowledge-sharing resources for CXOs and CTOs. 

Pros:

Limitations:

14. Rapid7

Key Features:

Rapid7 offers a unified penetration testing platform that empowers enterprises to achieve sustainable security across the entire attack surface. It understands the challenges of managing complex security landscapes and offers end-to-end vulnerability management.

With vulnerability scanning, external penetration testing, security orchestration, and automation response (SOAR) in its portfolio, Rapid7 helps generate third-party pentest reports to facilitate compliance audits.

Pros:

Limitations:

15. Acunetix

Key Features:

As a dedicated pentest scanner with advanced features, Acunetix automates the process as much as possible. It scans your applications for over 4,500 vulnerabilities, including common threats like SQL and XSS injections.

Acunetix offers simple workflow integrations and detailed reports with proof-of-concept examples to help improve the efficiency of remediation efforts for an enterprise.

Pros:

Limitations:

16. Nessus Professional

Key Features:

Nessus is a comprehensive tool under the Tenable umbrella that can identify and assess vulnerabilities in a wide range of IT systems. Its extensive vulnerability coverage and automation capabilities genuinely set it apart.

The compliance support by the commercial pentest tool across various standards and industries like PCI DSS, HIPAA, and ISO helps maintain year-round compliance.

Pros:

Limitations:

17. IndusfaceWAS

Key Features:

IndusFaceWAS is a managed dynamic application security testing (DAST) tool that provides enterprises real-time monitoring, automated assessment, and manual penetration testing solutions.

The platform generates detailed reports, including proof of concept documentation, and facilitates compliance testing across various industry standards.

Pros:

Limitations:

Did you know?
There are three types of penetration tests, namely black box, gray box, and white box. A black box test involves minimal knowledge about the target system, in a gray box test mid-level information is available and a white box test requires complete knowledge of the target.

Pentesting Tool Categories

1. Open-Source Tools

Freely available and community-driven, open-source pentesting tools are often the starting point for budget-conscious security analysts and bootstrapping startups. Some prime examples include – OWASP ZAP for web app exploration and SQLmap for uncovering SQLi vulnerabilities. 

Open source is the backbone of the cyber security industry! However, the learning curve for using open-source tools is often steep, false positives are possible, and ongoing maintenance is typically required.

2. Web App Pentest

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) tools like Astra or Burp Suite automate vulnerability scans, while Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tools like Checkmarx scrutinize source code for hidden faults. 

While web app penetration testing tools are efficient for common vulnerabilities, they necessitate manual help to identify complex flaws like payment gateway hacks.

3. Network Pentest

Automated network penetration tools such as NMap and Nessus leverage vast databases to identify open ports, outdated software, and misconfigurations.

However, with manual vetting and technical monitoring, they can easily navigate intricate network topologies and often generate many false positives.

4. Mobile Pentest

Unlike the above, mobile application penetration testing necessitates a different playbook. A popular tool like MobSF can assist with static analysis.

However, manual pentest is the only option for a security analyst to scan the app’s source code, analyze its network traffic, and exploit device and platform-specific vulnerabilities.

5. Cloud Pentest

While cloud providers offer shared responsibility models, securing your configurations remains crucial. Some of the best penetration testing tools, like CloudSploit and Prisma Cloud, assess cloud infrastructure for misconfigurations and insecure settings. 

Nonetheless, a probe for complex issues, such as insecure API integrations and inadequate data encryption practices, calls for a deeper approach.

6. Automated Pentest

Automated penetration testing tools, integrated into the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC, provide unique continuous vulnerability detection. Tools like Nexpose and Qualys automate vulnerability detection and reporting, enabling rapid remediation. 

However, automation has limitations in uncovering complex vulnerabilities and requires human expertise for scoping and prioritization.

7. Penetration Testing as a Service Platform

PTaaS Platforms leverage human intelligence, automated tools & agile delivery methodologies to find vulnerabilities in a given scope continuously. Providers such as Astra and Rapid7 conduct comprehensive assessments to deliver tailored reports and actionable insights.

They are ideal for enterprises looking for end-to-end, flexible, and cost-effective penetration testing solutions.

Key Features to Look for While Choosing a Pentest Tool

Choosing a Pentest Tool: Enterprise vs. Security Analyst

Although both companies and analysts utilize pentesting tools, needs and considerations naturally differ. 

Companies and enterprises often look for a complete suite of tools that caters to multi-asset infrastructures and appeals to all the stakeholders using the tool. They prioritize tools that offer end-to-end pentesting, vulnerability management, support, generate comprehensive reports, and integrate seamlessly with existing workflows. 

Conversely, security analysts are concerned with individual tool capabilities such as effectiveness, flexibility, ease of use, and specific asset specialization. Security analysts might also prioritize Vulnerability Assessment tools over penetration testing tools that aren’t deployed on the company-wide network, and analysts are usually the sole users.

This table highlights the key differences between choosing a Pentest Tool as an Enterprise vs choosing a Pentest Tool as a Security Analyst:

FeaturesPentest Tool for EnterprisesPentest Tool for Security Analysts
Managing End-to-End PentestsEssential for scheduling, assigning, and tracking testsNot applicable, pentester focuses on hacking the given scope
Generate Custom ReportsIt is crucial for presenting findings to stakeholders and regulatorsMight not be necessary, depending on individual reporting requirements
Deployment CapabilitiesOn-premise or cloud deployment based on the company’s policiesPortable and usable on personal computers
Acceptance of ReportsRequires reports accepted by industry standards and customersValue detailed findings over report formatting
CollaborationEnables team collaboration and knowledge sharingPrimarily for individual use
Workflow IntegrationsIntegrates with existing security platforms, ticketing systems & CI/CDNot essential, they value tool functionality over integration

On the other hand, some common traits resonate with both enterprises and security analysts:

1. Effectiveness: 

Both enterprises and analysts look for tools that effectively uncover vulnerabilities in the given scope. The ideal pentesting tool takes an offensive approach to uncover vulnerabilities.

SQLMap is an excellent example of a pentest tool that probes the application for SQL injection and exploits a vulnerability once it detects one. Ultimately, a pentest tool is judged by its effectiveness, among other things.

2. Cost: 

Enterprises seek cost-effective penetration testing solutions that deliver results without compromising quality. On the other hand, security experts prioritize open-source or flexible pricing tools. 

3. Asset Specialization: 

Enterprises look for pentesting platforms that target their unique infrastructure and applications, while security analysts seek tools tailored to specific assets like web applications, mobile devices, or cloud environments.

4. Accuracy: 

Enterprises rely on vulnerability and attack vector identification accuracy to prioritize remediation efforts. Conversely, security professionals rely on accurate findings to build trust and deliver credible reports.

Types of Penetration Testing Tools

Pentesting involves several specially designed tools for discovering and exploiting vulnerabilities that exist in a system. Such tools can be classified based on their purpose in the penetration test exercise. Here are some of the most popular categories:

Reconnaissance Tools

Scanning Tools

Exploitation Tools

Post-Exploitation Tools

Other Tools

Final Thoughts

The above list highlights some of the best penetration testing tools addressing the diverse needs of both enterprises and security analysts.

Astra & Rapid7 offer end-to-end pentesting, reporting, and workflow integration for enterprises seeking comprehensive suites.

Security analysts seeking deep, flexible, and user-friendly penetration testing tools for specific assets can leverage Kali Linux, ZAP, and Burp Suite. The importance of specialized tools like Wireshark, Aircrack-ng, and BeEF, of course, cannot be ignored.

With that said, platforms like Astra Pentest combine these benefits, offering a comprehensive PtaaS pentest tool solution ideal for both parties.

Ultimately, the quality of your penetration testing tool plays a crucial role in determining your cybersecurity culture’s growth rate and stability.

FAQs

What is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing is a security exercise where security experts search your systems for vulnerabilities using the processes a hacker would. And then attempt to exploit some of those vulnerabilities in order to find out their severity, and the risk they pose to the organization.

How are penetration testing and vulnerability assessments different?

Vulnerability assessments passively scan for known weaknesses, while penetration tests actively exploit vulnerabilities like an attacker. Pen tests offer in-depth analysis of exploitability and impact, while VA scans provide broad visibility with prioritization.

Who uses penetration testing tools?

Pentest tools can be used by both companies to perform a penetration test or by security experts during a pentest. When companies use pentest tools, often their nature is that of a PTaaS but when security experts use pentest tools, they prefer a wide arsenal including open source and proprietary penetration testing tools.

What are the top 5 penetration testing techniques?

Penetration testing starts with understanding the target system (enumeration) to identify weaknesses (vulnerability scanning). Testers then exploit these weaknesses (exploitation) to gain access and potentially escalate privileges within the system (privilege escalation, post-exploitation). These techniques simulate the entire attack lifecycle.

Which tool is used for penetration testing?

Some tools that are used for penetration testing are vulnerability scanners, web proxies, and social engineering aids.

This post is part of a series on penetration testing, you can also check out other articles below.

Chapter 1. What is Pentest?
Chapter 2. Top 5 Penetration Testing Methodology to Follow in 2024
Chapter 3. Ten Best Penetration Testing Companies and Providers
Chapter 4. Best Penetration Testing Tools Pros Use – Top List
Chapter 5. A Super Easy Guide on Penetration Testing Compliance
Chapter 6. Average Penetration Testing Cost in 2024
Chapter 7. Penetration Testing Report

Exit mobile version