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Developer Tools · head to head

Hookdeck vs Metasploit

Hookdeck logo

Hookdeck

Developer Tools

Event gateway that receives, queues, retries and replays inbound webhooks

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Metasploit logo

Metasploit

Cybersecurity

The world's most used penetration testing framework

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Hookdeck pricing meters delivered events, so fan-out multiplies the bill: one inbound event routed to four services counts as four deliveries.; Metasploit the free Framework edition is command line only; the web interface is Pro only
  • They diverge on capability: Hookdeck covers Ingest and persist, Metasploit covers Exploit database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hookdeck and Metasploit actually diverge.

Attributes where Hookdeck and Metasploit differ
AttributeHookdeckMetasploit
Pricing modelPer month by delivered event countfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Linux, macOS, WindowsDesktop, Cli
CategoryDeveloper ToolsCybersecurity
FoundedUnknown2000

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Hookdeck

  • Ingest and persist
  • Automatic retries
  • Filters and fan-out
  • Transformations
  • Local development CLI
  • Rate limiting

Only in Metasploit

  • Exploit database
  • Payload generation
  • Post-exploitation
  • Evasion modules
  • Auxiliary scanners
  • Social engineering
  • Credential harvesting
  • Session management

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Hookdeck

  • A payments integration where losing a Stripe event during a deploy causes an order to go unfulfillednot Metasploit
  • Fanning one provider webhook out to several internal services without each subscribing separatelynot Metasploit
  • Debugging a partner integration by replaying the exact failing payload after shipping a fixnot Metasploit
  • Receiving production-shaped webhooks on a developer laptop without running a public tunnelnot Metasploit

Metasploit

  • Penetration testing and exploit development against known vulnerabilitiesnot Hookdeck
  • Validating whether a reported vulnerability is actually exploitablenot Hookdeck
  • Running phishing and credential attack simulations on the Pro editionnot Hookdeck

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Hookdeck

  • Pricing meters delivered events, so fan-out multiplies the bill: one inbound event routed to four services counts as four deliveries.
  • Free-tier retention is three days, which is shorter than the time it typically takes to notice a failing integration, so the payloads needed for a replay are often already gone.
  • It becomes a single point of failure in front of every third-party integration, and an outage there means every provider webhook queues or fails at once.
  • The transformation layer runs JavaScript in a constrained environment, so anything that needs a database lookup or an external call has to happen downstream instead.
  • For a team already running Kafka or SQS the value is mostly the console and the replay UI, which is a hard cost to justify against infrastructure they already operate.

Metasploit

  • The free Framework edition is command line only; the web interface is Pro only
  • Automated exploitation, automated credential attacks and antivirus evading dynamic payloads are restricted to Metasploit Pro
  • Reporting, audit wizards, task chains and closed loop vulnerability validation are Pro only
  • Rapid7 publishes no price for Metasploit Pro and routes buyers to contact sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Hookdeck

Free
  • DeveloperFree
    • Up to ten thousand events per month
    • Three-day retention
    • One user
  • Team$39/month
    • Ten thousand events included
    • Unlimited users
    • Pay as you go metering above the included events
  • Growth$499/month
    • Ten thousand events included plus metered usage
    • Thirty-day retention
    • Uptime and latency SLAs
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Negotiated event volume
    • Custom retention
    • Dedicated support

Metasploit

Free
  • Metasploit Framework (OSS)Free
    • Open source
    • 1500+ exploits
    • Command line
  • Metasploit ProFree
    • Web interface
    • Automated testing
    • Phishing campaigns

Which should you pick?

Choose Hookdeck if

  • You need ingest and persist.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want automatic retries.
Hookdeck review

Choose Metasploit if

  • You need exploit database.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Desktop, Cli.
  • You also want payload generation.
Metasploit review

Questions people ask

Is Hookdeck or Metasploit better?
Neither clearly leads. Hookdeck starts at Free and Metasploit at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hookdeck or Metasploit?
Hookdeck starts at Free and Metasploit at Free.
Does Hookdeck or Metasploit run on more platforms?
Hookdeck runs on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows. Metasploit runs on Desktop, Cli.
Can I use Hookdeck for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Hookdeck best used for?
Hookdeck is most often used for a payments integration where losing a stripe event during a deploy causes an order to go unfulfilled, fanning one provider webhook out to several internal services without each subscribing separately, debugging a partner integration by replaying the exact failing payload after shipping a fix, receiving production-shaped webhooks on a developer laptop without running a public tunnel. Of those, a payments integration where losing a stripe event during a deploy causes an order to go unfulfilled and fanning one provider webhook out to several internal services without each subscribing separately are not what Metasploit is typically brought in for.
What can Hookdeck do that Metasploit cannot?
Hookdeck covers Ingest and persist, Automatic retries, Filters and fan-out, Transformations. Metasploit covers Exploit database, Payload generation, Post-exploitation, Evasion modules.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hookdeck: Is there a free plan?

Yes, ten thousand events a month with three-day retention and one user.

Metasploit: Is Metasploit Framework free to use?

Yes, Metasploit Framework is available as free open-source software with source code accessible via GitHub. Community support is provided through Slack, GitHub, Twitter, and email.

Source
Hookdeck: How is usage counted?

By delivered events, so a single inbound webhook fanned out to three destinations counts as three.

Metasploit: What is the difference between Metasploit Framework and Metasploit Pro?

Metasploit Framework is the free open-source version. Metasploit Pro is a commercial offering with customer support from Rapid7, though specific pricing and features are not detailed on the download page.

Source
Hookdeck: Can I replay a failed webhook?

Yes, individually or in bulk from the console, with the original payload.

Metasploit: What support is available for the free Framework version?

Community-based support for Metasploit Framework is available through Slack, GitHub, Twitter, and email ([email protected]). Commercial customers using Metasploit Pro receive customer support from Rapid7.

Source
Hookdeck: Does it work for outbound webhooks too?

Yes, the same queueing, retry and observability applies to webhooks you send.

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