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Metasploit alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rankAll penetration testing tools

Top picks

  • Burp Suite logo

    Best overall

    Burp Suite

    Starting price: $499 (Burp Suite Professional)

  • ZAP logo

    Best free option

    ZAP

    Open source

  • sqlmap logo

    Best open source

    sqlmap

    Open source

Common reasons people leave Metasploit: mainly driven from the command line, with a learning curve, and GUI, automation and reporting require the paid Pro edition. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Metasploit, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Burp Suite currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingVerified priceOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Burp Suite logoBurp SuiteFree plan + paid$499 (Burp Suite Professional)NoWindows, macOS, Linux7 of 768.8
2ZAP logoZAPOpen source—YesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 464.8
3Caido logoCaidoFree plan + paid—NoWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 461.8
4sqlmap logosqlmapOpen source—YesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 457.5
5Kali Linux logoKali LinuxOpen source—YesLinux, Windows, Android5 of 551.2
  1. Burp Suite logo

    1. Burp SuiteTop pick

    Best for: Pentesters and bug bounty hunters doing hands-on web application testing

    Free plan + paidWindows, macOS, Linux

    68.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Metasploit

    The standard tool if your testing is mostly web apps, with a proxy, repeater and scanner in one GUI.

    Pros

    • Industry-standard proxy, Repeater and Intruder workflow
    • Free Community Edition for learning and manual testing
    • Large extension library and free training from PortSwigger

    Cons

    • The scanner and full-speed Intruder require the paid Professional licence
    • Community Edition can't save projects
    • Java-based UI can be heavy on memory during big tests
    Visit Burp Suite Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Burp Suite a good Metasploit alternative?

    Verified facts

    7 of 7 verified
    Free edition
    Community Edition
    Checked Nov 8, 2026portswigger.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro-only features
    Project files, full Intruder, vulnerability scanner
    Checked Nov 8, 2026portswigger.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Billing
    Yearly licence terms
    Checked Nov 8, 2026portswigger.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Owner
    PortSwigger Ltd
    Checked Nov 8, 2026portswigger.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $499 (Burp Suite Professional)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026portswigger.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Yes, Community Edition
    Checked Nov 8, 2026portswigger.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    Yes (Professional)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026portswigger.net(opens source in a new tab)
  2. ZAP logo

    2. ZAP

    Best for: Developers and AppSec teams who want free automated web scanning, including in CI

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    64.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Metasploit

    Free, open-source web app scanner and proxy for testers who mainly assess websites and APIs.

    Pros

    • Free and open source, with the automated scanner included
    • Docker images and automation framework for CI pipelines
    • Add-on marketplace extends it

    Cons

    • Interface is dated and busier than Burp or Caido
    • Windows and Linux builds need Java 17 or newer installed
    • Releases are unsigned, so operating systems show warnings on install
    Visit ZAP Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is ZAP a good Metasploit alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Price
    Free and open source
    Checked Nov 8, 2026zaproxy.org(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 30, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, Linux, macOS, Docker
    Checked Nov 8, 2026zaproxy.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Requirements
    Java 17+ on Windows and Linux
    Checked Nov 8, 2026zaproxy.org(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Caido logo

    3. Caido

    Best for: Bug bounty hunters and pentesters who want a faster, lighter Burp-style proxy

    Free plan + paidWindows, macOS, Linux

    61.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Metasploit

    Lightweight web hacking proxy with a free tier, for web-focused testing instead of network exploits.

    Pros

    • Free plan includes all core HTTP tools
    • HTTPQL makes filtering large traffic histories quick
    • Headless, API-first design suits automation

    Cons

    • Free plan caps projects, workflows and plugins
    • Smaller plugin ecosystem than Burp Suite
    • AI assistant and backups require a paid plan
    Visit Caido Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Caido a good Metasploit alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    Yes, 2 projects and 7 workflows
    Checked Nov 8, 2026caido.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Filtering
    HTTPQL query language
    Checked Nov 8, 2026caido.io(opens source in a new tab)
    AI providers
    Bring your own model
    Checked Nov 8, 2026caido.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Team plan
    Up to 50 seats, shared instance
    Checked Nov 8, 2026caido.io(opens source in a new tab)
  4. sqlmap logo

    4. sqlmap

    Best for: Pentesters and security teams confirming and measuring SQL injection risk during authorised tests

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    57.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Metasploit

    Free tool that automates finding and exploiting SQL injection end to end, a narrower but faster route for web database targets.

    Pros

    • Free and open source under GPLv2
    • Supports 40+ database backends and five injection techniques
    • Goes beyond detection to show real impact through enumeration and data extraction
    • Extensive documentation covering every option

    Cons

    • Command line only, no graphical interface
    • Only covers SQL injection, not other web vulnerability classes
    • Can be noisy and heavy on target systems if options aren't tuned
    Visit sqlmap Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is sqlmap a good Metasploit alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    GPLv2 (commercial licence available)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026sqlmap.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Supported databases
    40+
    Checked Nov 8, 2026sqlmap.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Injection techniques
    5
    Checked Nov 8, 2026sqlmap.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Status
    Actively maintained
    Checked Nov 2, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Kali Linux logo

    5. Kali Linux

    Best for: Security professionals and students who want the standard, well-documented pentesting toolkit.

    Open sourceLinux, Windows, Android

    51.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Metasploit

    Ships Metasploit alongside hundreds of other attack tools, so one install covers recon, exploitation and cracking.

    Pros

    • Industry-standard toolset, preconfigured and ready to use
    • Runs on bare metal, VMs, ARM, cloud, WSL and Android
    • Large community and extensive free documentation

    Cons

    • Not designed as a general-purpose daily desktop
    • Docs assume prior Linux experience
    • Smaller repository of security tools than BlackArch
    Visit Kali Linux Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.341
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Kali Linux a good Metasploit alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Base
    Debian
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kali.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Price
    Free
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kali.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Formerly
    BackTrack Linux
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kali.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Windows (WSL)
    Yes, with Win-KeX desktop
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kali.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Owner
    OffSec
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kali.org(opens source in a new tab)

The best Metasploit alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Burp Suite logo

Best Metasploit alternative for most people

Burp Suite

The standard tool if your testing is mostly web apps, with a proxy, repeater and scanner in one GUI.

ZAP logo

Best Metasploit alternative for a free option

ZAP

Free, open-source web app scanner and proxy for testers who mainly assess websites and APIs.

Caido logo

Best Metasploit alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Caido

Lightweight web hacking proxy with a free tier, for web-focused testing instead of network exploits.

sqlmap logo

Best Metasploit alternative for open source

sqlmap

Free tool that automates finding and exploiting SQL injection end to end, a narrower but faster route for web database targets.

Burp Suite logo

Best Metasploit alternative for Mac

Burp Suite

The standard tool if your testing is mostly web apps, with a proxy, repeater and scanner in one GUI.

Kali Linux logo

Best Metasploit alternative for Windows

Kali Linux

Ships Metasploit alongside hundreds of other attack tools, so one install covers recon, exploitation and cracking.

Burp Suite logo

Best Metasploit alternative for Linux

Burp Suite

The standard tool if your testing is mostly web apps, with a proxy, repeater and scanner in one GUI.

Metasploit alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Metasploit?

Burp Suite ranks first right now. The standard tool if your testing is mostly web apps, with a proxy, repeater and scanner in one GUI. ZAP and Caido follow it in our ranking.

Metasploit vs Burp Suite: what's the difference?

Metasploit is free and open source; Burp Suite is free with paid plans. Metasploit is open source and Burp Suite is not. Both run on Linux, macOS and Windows.

Is Metasploit free?

Metasploit is free and open source.

Is there a free alternative to Metasploit?

Yes. Burp Suite (free plan + paid), ZAP (open source), Caido (free plan + paid) and sqlmap (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Metasploit?

Yes: ZAP, sqlmap and Kali Linux.

Which Metasploit alternatives work on Linux?

Burp Suite, ZAP, Caido, sqlmap and Kali Linux run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Metasploit?

The complaints we hear most: mainly driven from the command line, with a learning curve; GUI, automation and reporting require the paid Pro edition; antivirus tools often flag or quarantine its files on install.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Metasploit, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.