# Strix vs XBOW: Autonomous Pentesting, Compared Two AI pentesters that exploit and prove vulnerabilities like real attackers. The verdict Strix is the better autonomous pentester for almost every team: a 59,000+ star open-source engine you can self-host, run air-gapped with your own LLM, and wire into CI/CD with merge-ready fix PRs, free to start. XBOW only makes sense if you want a fully hands-off, vendor-run engagement and are comfortable with your security data living in XBOW's cloud. ## Strix vs XBOW at a glance How the two autonomous pentesting platforms compare across delivery, workflow, and coverage. | Capability | Strix | XBOW | |---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------| | Delivery model | Open-source platform + hosted SaaS | Managed enterprise platform | | Starting price | Free open-source core; usage-based hosted, no credit card | $4,000–$8,000 per test; Enterprise by quote | | Autonomous, exploit-validated findings | yes | yes | | CI/CD & pull-request testing | yes | no | | Auto-fix with merge-ready PRs | yes | no | | Open-source & self-hostable | yes | no | | Deployment | Self-hosted or fully air-gapped, in your own infrastructure | SaaS only (vendor-hosted; managed single-tenant by quote) | | Where source code & exploit PoCs live | Inside your perimeter, never stored or used for training | Stored & processed in XBOW's cloud; prompts sent to model providers | | Bring your own LLM (including local models)| yes | no | | You control rules of engagement & blast radius | yes | Vendor-run engagement | | Compliance-ready reports (SOC 2, ISO 27001)| yes | yes | | Coverage | Code, APIs, web apps, infrastructure, cloud | Web apps + API (mobile/standalone API in 2026) | | Best for | Engineering & DevSecOps teams shipping continuously | Enterprises needing managed compliance pentests | ## Built to run inside your perimeter For regulated and data-sensitive enterprises, the question is not only how deep the testing goes; it is where it runs and who controls it. ### Runs in your environment | Strix | XBOW | |------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------| | Open-source and Docker-based, deploy Strix self-hosted or fully air-gapped inside your own infrastructure. | Delivered as SaaS. Even XBOW's managed-hosted tier runs on vendor-provisioned cloud, not your network. | ### Your data never leaves | Strix | XBOW | |------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------| | Source code, credentials, and exploit proof-of-concepts stay inside your perimeter. Bring your own LLM, including fully local models. | Security-sensitive findings, credentials, and PoCs are stored and processed in XBOW's cloud, with prompts sent to third-party model providers. | ### You own the blast radius | Strix | XBOW | |------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------| | Define the rules of engagement and run every agent in an isolated sandbox you control and can audit end to end. | Thousands of agents execute live attacks from a vendor-operated attack machine, under the vendor's controls rather than yours. | ## 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, Apache-2.0 project you can read, run locally, and self-host. - Built into the dev workflow: GitHub Actions and pull-request security reviews block vulnerable code before it merges. - Auto-fix with merge-ready PRs: Every validated finding ships with a reproduction and a ready-to-merge fix pull request. - Runs inside your perimeter: Open-source and Docker-based, deploy self-hosted or fully air-gapped with a local LLM, so code, credentials, and findings never leave your network. - Full-stack coverage: Code, APIs, web apps, infrastructure, and cloud tested from one platform. - Free to start, zero data retention: Connect repos and domains with no credit card; source code is never stored or used for training. When to choose Strix Choose Strix if you want autonomous pentesting that runs inside your own perimeter, open-source, self-hostable or air-gapped, CI/CD-native, with merge-ready fixes and continuous coverage. The fit for regulated and data-sensitive enterprises that cannot send code and findings to a vendor cloud. ### XBOW key strengths - Managed compliance engagements: Audit-ready reports for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, and 40+ frameworks within five business days. - HackerOne-validated depth: Reached #1 on the HackerOne leaderboard with 1,060+ submitted production vulnerabilities. - Massive parallel agent scale: Thousands of short-lived agents coordinated for deep, vendor-run enterprise assessments. When to choose XBOW Choose XBOW if you want a fully hands-off, vendor-run pentest delivered as an audit-ready compliance report and are comfortable with security-sensitive data residing in the vendor's cloud. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Strix better than XBOW? For most teams, yes. Strix matches XBOW on autonomous, exploit-validated testing and adds what XBOW lacks: an open-source engine, self-hosted and air-gapped deployment, CI/CD and pull-request testing, merge-ready fix PRs, and a free entry point. XBOW is limited to vendor-run engagements in its own cloud. ### What is the difference between Strix and XBOW? Strix is an open-source platform you run inside your own development workflow, with pull-request reviews and auto-fix PRs across code, APIs, infrastructure, and cloud. XBOW is a vendor-run service that delivers on-demand, compliance-ready pentest reports for web applications and APIs. ### Is Strix cheaper than XBOW? Strix offers a free open-source core and usage-based hosted pricing with no credit card to start. XBOW lists per-test pricing from $4,000 to $8,000 with Enterprise plans by quote, so Strix has a lower entry cost for most teams. ### Can Strix replace XBOW? Yes. Strix delivers the same autonomous, exploit-validated pentesting plus continuous CI/CD coverage, compliance-ready reports, and self-hosting, so teams can replace XBOW without giving up the managed-report deliverable. ### Can XBOW run on-premises or self-hosted? No. XBOW is delivered as SaaS; its enterprise options are managed single-tenant hosting and regional data residency, but security-sensitive data is still stored and processed in XBOW's cloud. Strix is open-source and can run self-hosted or fully air-gapped inside your own infrastructure with a local LLM. ### Which is better for regulated or data-sensitive enterprises, Strix or XBOW? Strix is the better fit for regulated and data-sensitive enterprises because it runs inside your own perimeter: source code, credentials, and exploit proof-of-concepts never leave your network, and you can bring your own LLM. XBOW stores and processes that security-sensitive data in its own cloud. ### Who should use XBOW instead of Strix? Enterprises that want a hands-off, managed pentest delivered as an audit-ready report mapped to SOC 2, ISO 27001, and 40+ frameworks, and that prefer a vendor-run engagement over operating their own platform, may consider XBOW. Note that Strix also produces compliance-ready reports while keeping code and findings inside your perimeter.