# Strix vs Cobalt: Autonomous Pentesting, Compared Two ways to pentest your apps and APIs, and prove what is actually exploitable. ## The verdict Strix is the better default: a 59,000+ star open-source autonomous pentester that chains exploits across code, APIs, infrastructure, and cloud, tests continuously instead of once per engagement, and ships validated findings as merge-ready fix PRs inside CI/CD, free to start. Cobalt only wins if you specifically need a human-signed, point-in-time engagement, at $8,500+ per test. ## Strix vs Cobalt at a glance How the open-source autonomous pentester compares to the human-led pentest-as-a-service marketplace. | Capability | Strix | Cobalt | |------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------| | Delivery model | Open-source platform + hosted SaaS, autonomous agents| Human-led PTaaS: scheduled tests by the Cobalt Core community | | Testing cadence | Continuous and on-demand, runs in CI/CD and pull requests | Point-in-time engagements scheduled per pentest (launch in ~24 hrs) | | Who does the testing | Autonomous AI agents, repeatable and always-on | 400+ vetted human pentesters matched to your stack | | Starting price | Free open-source core; usage-based hosted, no credit card | Web app pentests from ~$8,500; mid-market programs commonly $96,000+/yr | | Exploit-validated findings with PoCs | yes | yes | | Auto-fix with merge-ready PRs | yes | no | | Open-source & self-hostable engine | yes | no | | Bring your own LLM (including local models) | yes | no | | Coverage | Code, APIs, web apps, infrastructure, and cloud | Web, mobile, API, network, and cloud pentests by engagement scope | | Auditor-ready compliance reports (SOC 2, PCI, ISO 27001) | yes | yes | | Best for | Teams wanting continuous, developer-native autonomous testing | Teams needing scheduled, human-signed compliance pentests | ## Continuous and yours to run, not a scheduled engagement Cobalt delivers point-in-time pentests through its own platform and human community. Strix is an open engine you run inside your own workflow, on your own terms. ### Own the engine **Strix**: Open-source and self-hostable, read the code, extend it, and run the full pentest engine inside your own infrastructure. **Cobalt**: Vendor-run SaaS; tests are delivered through Cobalt's platform and there is no self-hostable engine. ### Always-on, not point-in-time **Strix**: Agents test continuously and on every pull request, so new code is exploited and fixed before it ships. **Cobalt**: Pentests are scheduled engagements measured in credits; coverage between tests depends on rescheduling. ### Fixes, not just findings **Strix**: Every validated finding ships with a merge-ready fix PR in your repo, so remediation lands in the dev workflow. **Cobalt**: Findings stream into Jira/GitHub with retests, but remediation is left to your engineers, no auto-fix PRs. ## Where each platform wins Both are real autonomous pentesters. The difference is who they are built for. ### Strix key strengths - Open-source core: A 59,000+ star project you can read, run locally, self-host, and extend. - Continuous autonomous testing: Agents run on demand and on every pull request, not just during a scheduled engagement window. - Full-stack coverage: Code, APIs, web apps, infrastructure, and cloud tested from one autonomous pentester. - Workflow-native with auto-fix: GitHub Actions and pull-request testing block vulnerable code, and every finding ships with a merge-ready fix PR. - Free to start: Begin with the open-source core or usage-based hosted plan with no credit card, no per-engagement minimum. ### Cobalt key strengths - Human-led PTaaS: A vetted Cobalt Core community of 400+ pentesters matched to your stack for manual, expert-driven testing. - Auditor-ready compliance reports: Mature SOC 2, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001 report templates accepted by auditors, with free retests within 6 months. - Fast time-to-engagement: Launch a scheduled pentest in as little as 24 hours with real-time collaboration via Slack and the platform. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Strix better than Cobalt? For most teams, yes. Strix tests continuously instead of in scheduled windows, validates every finding with a working exploit, ships merge-ready fix PRs, and produces auditor-ready SOC 2, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001 reports, all starting free instead of $8,500+ per engagement. ### What is the difference between Strix and Cobalt? Strix is an open-source autonomous pentester whose AI agents chain exploits across code, APIs, infrastructure, and cloud continuously and ship fix PRs. Cobalt is a pentest-as-a-service marketplace where vetted human testers run scheduled, point-in-time engagements delivered through Cobalt's platform. ### Is Strix cheaper than Cobalt? Strix offers a free open-source core and usage-based hosted pricing with no credit card to start. Cobalt's web app pentests start around $8,500 per engagement and mid-market programs commonly reach $96,000 per year, so Strix has a far lower entry cost for most teams. ### Can Strix replace Cobalt? Yes. Strix covers the same surfaces continuously rather than per engagement, validates findings with working exploits, and generates auditor-ready compliance reports, so most teams can replace scheduled Cobalt pentests entirely. ### Does Cobalt use human pentesters or automation? Cobalt is human-led pentest-as-a-service: its Cobalt Core community of 400+ vetted pentesters performs the testing, assisted by AI recon, billed in credits where one credit equals eight testing hours. Strix runs autonomous AI agents that test continuously without scheduling a human engagement. ### Who should use Cobalt instead of Strix? Mid-market and compliance-driven teams that need a scheduled, human-delivered pentest with an auditor-ready SOC 2, PCI DSS, or ISO 27001 report, and that prefer a vendor-run engagement over operating their own platform, may consider Cobalt. Note that Strix also generates auditor-ready compliance reports, continuously and at a fraction of the cost.