Metasploit
Metasploit is a powerful penetration testing framework that helps you identify, exploit, and validate security vulnerabilities across your network to strengthen your overall defensive posture and reduce risk.
StackHawk
StackHawk is a dynamic application security testing platform that helps you find and fix security vulnerabilities in your applications and APIs before they ever reach your production environment.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Metasploit | StackHawk |
|---|---|---|
| Website | rapid7.com | stackhawk.com |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 30 days free trial | ✓ 14 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2003 | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Boston, USA | Denver, USA |
Overview
Metasploit
Metasploit helps you think like an attacker so you can stay one step ahead of security threats. You can use the world’s most used penetration testing framework to find weak spots in your defenses, simulate real-world attacks, and verify that your security patches actually work. It simplifies the complex process of exploitation by providing a massive library of tested code and automated tools that handle the heavy lifting for you.
You can choose between the open-source Framework for command-line power or the Pro version for a guided, graphical experience. Whether you are conducting a quick vulnerability scan or a deep-dive security audit, the platform provides the data you need to prioritize risks. It is a go-to solution for security consultants, internal red teams, and IT managers who need to prove where their network is vulnerable.
StackHawk
StackHawk is a developer-centric security platform designed to help you find, triaging, and fix application vulnerabilities early in the software development lifecycle. Unlike traditional security tools that run in isolation, this platform integrates directly into your CI/CD pipelines. You can automate security scans every time you write code, ensuring that SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and other common vulnerabilities are caught before they become production risks.
The platform is built specifically for engineers, providing the exact curl commands and request/response data needed to recreate and fix bugs quickly. Whether you are managing a single application or a complex web of microservices and APIs, you can centralize your security findings and automate your defense. It supports modern architectures including REST, GraphQL, and gRPC, making it a versatile choice for modern development teams.
Overview
Metasploit Features
- Exploit Database Access thousands of verified exploits for various operating systems and applications to test your systems against real-world threats.
- Smart Exploitation Automatically match vulnerabilities with the correct exploits to save time and increase the success rate of your penetration tests.
- Payload Generation Create custom payloads that allow you to maintain access and move laterally through a network to test internal security controls.
- Vulnerability Validation Import data from scanners like Nexpose to verify which vulnerabilities are actually exploitable and pose the highest risk to you.
- Post-Exploitation Tools Use advanced modules to gather evidence, escalate privileges, and demonstrate the potential impact of a successful breach to stakeholders.
- Phishing Simulations Launch social engineering campaigns to test your team's awareness and identify users who might be susceptible to real-world phishing attacks.
StackHawk Features
- CI/CD Automation. Automate your security scans within your existing CI/CD pipelines to catch vulnerabilities with every single code commit.
- API Security Testing. Scan your REST, GraphQL, and gRPC endpoints to ensure your underlying data layers remain protected from external threats.
- Developer-First Tooling. Get detailed reproduction steps and curl commands so you can recreate and fix security bugs in your local environment.
- Vulnerability Triaging. Manage your security posture by assigning status to findings, snoozing non-critical issues, or sending bugs directly to Jira.
- Custom Scan Configurations. Fine-tune your scanning parameters to match your specific application architecture and avoid noisy, irrelevant security alerts.
- Continuous Monitoring. Track your security progress over time with dashboards that show how quickly your team is resolving discovered vulnerabilities.
Pricing Comparison
Metasploit Pricing
- Command-line interface
- Manual exploitation
- Access to 2,000+ exploits
- Basic payload generation
- Community-driven updates
- Manual credential harvesting
- Everything in Framework, plus:
- Graphical user interface
- Automated exploitation wizard
- Phishing campaign builder
- Advanced reporting and evidence
- Vulnerability scanner integration
StackHawk Pricing
- 1 Application
- Unlimited scans
- CI/CD integration
- REST and GraphQL support
- Community support
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Up to 3 applications
- API and gRPC scanning
- Jira and Slack integrations
- Scan history and trends
- Priority email support
Pros & Cons
Metasploit
Pros
- Massive library of frequently updated exploits
- Industry standard tool for penetration testing
- Powerful automation features in the Pro version
- Excellent integration with other Rapid7 security products
- Highly customizable for advanced security researchers
Cons
- Steep learning curve for the command-line version
- Pro version pricing is high for small teams
- Can be flagged by antivirus software during testing
StackHawk
Pros
- Integrates easily into GitHub Actions and GitLab CI
- Provides actionable data for developers to fix bugs
- Excellent support for modern API protocols like GraphQL
- Minimal false positives compared to traditional scanners
- User interface is clean and easy to navigate
Cons
- Initial configuration for complex auth can be tricky
- Documentation for advanced edge cases is sometimes thin
- Pricing can scale quickly for many microservices