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Cybersecurity · head to head

Metasploit vs Eclipse Mosquitto

Metasploit logo

Metasploit

Cybersecurity

The world's most used penetration testing framework

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Eclipse Mosquitto logo

Eclipse Mosquitto

Networking

Small, EPL-licensed MQTT broker that runs on hardware other brokers cannot

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Metasploit the free Framework edition is command line only; the web interface is Pro only; Eclipse Mosquitto there is no clustering: Mosquitto is a single process, so high availability means building your own failover and accepting session loss on switchover.
  • They diverge on capability: Metasploit covers Exploit database, Eclipse Mosquitto covers MQTT 5.0 support.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Metasploit and Eclipse Mosquitto actually diverge.

Attributes where Metasploit and Eclipse Mosquitto differ
AttributeMetasploitEclipse Mosquitto
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsDesktop, CliLinux, Windows, macOS, Docker
CategoryCybersecurityNetworking
Founded2000Unknown

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 Metasploit

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

Only in Eclipse Mosquitto

  • MQTT 5.0 support
  • Very small footprint
  • Bridging
  • WebSockets listener
  • Command line clients
  • Dynamic security plugin

What people use each for

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

Metasploit

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

Eclipse Mosquitto

  • A home or building automation stack where the broker must run on the same small computer as everything elsenot Metasploit
  • An industrial gateway that buffers local telemetry and bridges selected topics to a cloud brokernot Metasploit
  • Local development and testing of MQTT clients without provisioning a cloud IoT servicenot Metasploit
  • An air-gapped deployment where a broker with no licence server and no phone-home behaviour is a requirementnot Metasploit

Where each one falls short

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

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

Eclipse Mosquitto

  • There is no clustering: Mosquitto is a single process, so high availability means building your own failover and accepting session loss on switchover.
  • Persistence is a local file rather than a replicated store, so a disk failure or an unclean shutdown can lose retained messages and queued QoS traffic.
  • Practical capacity is a few thousand concurrent clients on typical hardware, so a growing device fleet eventually forces a migration to a clustered broker.
  • The Eclipse Public Licence is weak copyleft rather than permissive, which some legal teams treat as a blocker when embedding the broker in a shipped commercial product.
  • There is no commercial support to buy from the project, so production incidents rely on community mailing lists or on paying a third party who happens to know the codebase.

Pricing, plan by plan

Metasploit

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

Eclipse Mosquitto

Free
  • Eclipse MosquittoFree
    • Eclipse Public License 2.0 with Eclipse Distribution Licence
    • MQTT 5.0, 3.1.1 and 3.1
    • No client or message limits beyond your hardware

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Eclipse Mosquitto if

  • You need mqtt 5.0 support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS, Docker.
  • You also want very small footprint.
Eclipse Mosquitto review

Questions people ask

Is Metasploit or Eclipse Mosquitto better?
Neither clearly leads. Metasploit starts at Free and Eclipse Mosquitto at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Metasploit or Eclipse Mosquitto?
Metasploit starts at Free and Eclipse Mosquitto at Free.
Does Metasploit or Eclipse Mosquitto run on more platforms?
Metasploit runs on Desktop, Cli. Eclipse Mosquitto runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, Docker.
Can I use Metasploit for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Metasploit best used for?
Metasploit is most often used for penetration testing and exploit development against known vulnerabilities, validating whether a reported vulnerability is actually exploitable, running phishing and credential attack simulations on the pro edition. Of those, penetration testing and exploit development against known vulnerabilities and validating whether a reported vulnerability is actually exploitable are not what Eclipse Mosquitto is typically brought in for.
What can Metasploit do that Eclipse Mosquitto cannot?
Metasploit covers Exploit database, Payload generation, Post-exploitation, Evasion modules. Eclipse Mosquitto covers MQTT 5.0 support, Very small footprint, Bridging, WebSockets listener.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Eclipse Mosquitto: Can Mosquitto be clustered?

No. It is a single process. High availability requires an external failover arrangement you build yourself.

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
Eclipse Mosquitto: What licence is it?

Eclipse Public License 2.0 alongside the Eclipse Distribution License, a weak copyleft rather than a permissive licence.

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
Eclipse Mosquitto: How many clients can it handle?

A few thousand concurrent connections on ordinary hardware; beyond that, use a clustered broker.

Eclipse Mosquitto: Does it support MQTT 5?

Yes, along with 3.1.1 and 3.1.

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