Free Metasploit alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

5 of the 5 Metasploit alternatives we track can be used for free (free, open source, or with a free plan). Burp Suite, ZAP and Caido rank highest, with facts last verified Nov 8, 2026.

Quick comparison

#	App	Pricing	Verified price	Open source	Platforms	Verified facts	Score
1	Burp Suite	Free plan + paid	$499 (Burp Suite Professional)	No	Windows, macOS, Linux	7 of 7	68.8
2	ZAP	Open source	—	Yes	Windows, macOS, Linux	4 of 4	64.8
3	Caido	Free plan + paid	—	No	Windows, macOS, Linux	4 of 4	61.8
4	sqlmap	Open source	—	Yes	Windows, macOS, Linux	4 of 4	57.5
5	Kali Linux	Open source	—	Yes	Linux, Windows, Android	5 of 5	51.2

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
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
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
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
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)

Quick comparison

1. Burp SuiteTop pick

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

2. ZAP

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

3. Caido

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

4. sqlmap

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

5. Kali Linux

Pros

Cons

Verified facts