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Fortra's Cobalt Strike vs The NodeZero Platform comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 15, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortra's Cobalt Strike
Ranking in Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS)
5th
Average Rating
9.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
The NodeZero Platform
Ranking in Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS)
4th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
Vulnerability Management (32nd), Penetration Testing Services (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) category, the mindshare of Fortra's Cobalt Strike is 2.0%, up from 1.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of The NodeZero Platform is 10.7%, up from 6.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
The NodeZero Platform10.7%
Fortra's Cobalt Strike2.0%
Other87.3%
Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer2519427 - PeerSpot reviewer
Compact, versatile, creates shell codes for bypassing antivirus and built-in report templates streamline the process
Probably its delivery methods could be improved. It might need some improvements on its spear phishing module. You can clone a web page, and then you can spear phish a target, and the target connects to your beacon. I believe that it needs to be more modernized to the current standards of multi-factor authentication bypass. Although there are already tools that actually do that, like Evilginx that’s been used as a proxy server, I truly believe Cobalt Strike could do something like that. I believe if Cobalt modernize this specific feature to try to bypass multi-factor authentication, it’s gonna be something. I’m not aware if it’s actually a feature in the latest Cobalt Strike updates, but from my version, I don’t see that it’s possible right now. I don’t think AI is at the stage where it can conduct such complex operations. AI is mostly being used to create phishing templates, very simple stuff. AI is not mature enough to do something more complex, although I truly believe that in a few years, it might have such capabilities.
Brian W. - PeerSpot reviewer
Effectively prioritizes vulnerabilities and has been one of the most transformative technologies
Prioritization is really key; it's a massive differentiator. The prioritization aspect is crucial. The ability to capture or crack credentials and then use that to move laterally and identify additional vulnerabilities is significant. Their password-cracking capability is a distinct function that is very helpful. Additionally, when a new vulnerability, such as a zero-day exploit, is identified, they review your previous scans to determine if you might be vulnerable to it, and they proactively notify you. That's a huge benefit. Also, the fact that they provide fixes alongside all their identified vulnerabilities means you don’t have to search for fixes yourself. They give you specific actions to take, which is incredibly helpful and saves a lot of time.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Cobalt Strike offers significant customization capabilities."
"It also made a lot of post-exploitation activities easier."
"Honestly, it's one of the most transformational technologies we've implemented in our company."
"We experienced a threat that could have severely crippled us, but we were able to shut it down before it escalated, thanks to internal vulnerability testing and addressing critical vulnerabilities using their tool."
"The NodeZero Platform is amazing; what I love most about it is that it's automated and comparable to the manual pen testing we did with a third-party company, but with the added benefit of unlimited retesting to validate fixes."
"I rate the stability of the NodeZero Platform a ten out of ten."
"Overall, I'd rate NodeZero at nine to 9.5 out of ten."
"Penetration testing and scans are useful features."
 

Cons

"The stability of the tool can be improved."
"Probably its delivery methods could be improved."
"The reports are quite useless."
"I encountered challenges with patch management, as we struggled to test and implement patches due to time constraints. This led to our patch management process being ineffective."
"The only issue we’ve encountered is that sometimes the scans take a long time to complete."
"You need to be cautious about what it scans, as it could potentially cause issues."
"One of the areas where improvement is needed is in the visibility and reporting for large enterprises."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It's expensive."
Information not available
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868,787 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Computer Software Company
11%
Educational Organization
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business4
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise2
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortra's Cobalt Strike?
While not inexpensive, Cobalt Strike is a comprehensive platform. Its pricing reflects the capabilities and flexibility it offers. The solution can be cost-effective when utilizing its full potenti...
What needs improvement with Fortra's Cobalt Strike?
The stability of the tool can be improved. There are some limitations, but they tend to be more from outside of the tool rather than within it. The limitations often come from operators who may lac...
What is your primary use case for Fortra's Cobalt Strike?
I use Cobalt Strike to emulate threat actor activities.
What do you like most about Horizon3.ai?
Penetration testing and scans are useful features.
What needs improvement with Horizon3.ai?
One of the areas where improvement is needed is in the visibility and reporting for large enterprises. The existing GUI or NodeZero insights provide better visibility, but there's still room for en...
What is your primary use case for Horizon3.ai?
The primary use case for the NodeZero Platform is as an extension to existing vulnerability management systems. Initially, it complemented solutions like Qualys or Tenable. However, there has been ...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Horizon3.ai
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Organizations across finance, healthcare, government, education, and critical infrastructure use NodeZero to stay ahead of attackers, reduce risk, and prove the effectiveness of their defenses.
Find out what your peers are saying about Fortra's Cobalt Strike vs. The NodeZero Platform and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
868,787 professionals have used our research since 2012.