Cybersecurity · head to head
Metasploit vs One Identity
Metasploit
Cybersecurity
The world's most used penetration testing framework
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
One Identity
Cybersecurity
Quest-owned identity governance, PAM and Active Directory management
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Metasploit has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Metasploit the free Framework edition is command line only; the web interface is Pro only; One Identity the portfolio is assembled from separate acquisitions, so components are separately licensed, separately administered and do not present one console, which raises operational cost.
- They diverge on capability: Metasploit covers Exploit database, One Identity covers Identity Manager.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Metasploit and One Identity actually diverge.
| Attribute | Metasploit | One Identity |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | freemium | quote |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Desktop, Cli | Web, Windows, Linux |
| Founded | 2000 | Unknown |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).
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 One Identity
- Identity Manager
- Safeguard
- Active Roles
- OneLogin
- Password Manager
- syslog-ng
- Starling connectors
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 One Identity
- Validating whether a reported vulnerability is actually exploitablenot One Identity
- Running phishing and credential attack simulations on the Pro editionnot One Identity
One Identity
- An organisation whose authoritative directory will remain on premises Active Directory and needs delegated administration with attribute-level controlnot Metasploit
- A government or defence environment requiring privileged session management on a hardened physical appliance rather than a cloud servicenot Metasploit
- A manufacturer with SAP and Active Directory needing provisioning governed under one certification processnot Metasploit
- An enterprise consolidating Active Directory after an acquisition and needing automated account lifecycle across both forestsnot 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
One Identity
- The portfolio is assembled from separate acquisitions, so components are separately licensed, separately administered and do not present one console, which raises operational cost.
- Identity Manager implementations are customisation-heavy and commonly run over a year, with the services spend exceeding the licence cost in the first year.
- Quest has changed private equity ownership more than once since the Dell separation, and buyers should ask directly about product investment commitments before signing a multi-year deal.
- Product documentation and support sit behind a customer portal, which makes independent evaluation before purchase harder than with vendors that publish openly.
- The cloud-native and developer experience trails the pure-play identity vendors, so organisations moving decisively to SaaS applications find the on premises heritage becomes a constraint rather than an asset.
Pricing, plan by plan
Metasploit
Free- Metasploit Framework (OSS)Free
- Open source
- 1500+ exploits
- Command line
- Metasploit ProFree
- Web interface
- Automated testing
- Phishing campaigns
One Identity
On request- Identity Manager$undefined/year
- Priced per managed identity
- On premises or hosted
- Access certification and provisioning
- Safeguard$undefined/year
- Priced per privileged user or per appliance
- Hardened appliance option for session management
- Licensed separately from Identity Manager
- Active Roles$undefined/year
- Priced per managed Active Directory account
- Delegated administration and automated provisioning
- Licensed separately
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.
Choose One Identity if
- You need identity manager.
- You work on Web, Windows, Linux.
- You also want safeguard.
Questions people ask
- Is Metasploit or One Identity better?
- Neither clearly leads. Metasploit starts at Free and One Identity at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Metasploit or One Identity?
- Metasploit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Metasploit and On request for One Identity.
- Does Metasploit or One Identity run on more platforms?
- Metasploit runs on Desktop, Cli. One Identity runs on Web, Windows, Linux.
- Can I use Metasploit for free?
- Yes. Metasploit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. One Identity starts at On request.
- 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 One Identity is typically brought in for.
- What can Metasploit do that One Identity cannot?
- Metasploit covers Exploit database, Payload generation, Post-exploitation, Evasion modules. One Identity covers Identity Manager, Safeguard, Active Roles, OneLogin.
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.
SourceOne Identity: Is One Identity the same company as Quest?
Yes. One Identity is Quest Software's identity and access management business unit, not a separate vendor.
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.
SourceOne Identity: Does it include privileged access?
Safeguard provides it, but it is licensed separately from Identity Manager. Neither includes the other.
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.
SourceOne Identity: Why choose this over SailPoint or Saviynt?
Almost always because of Active Directory depth via Active Roles or an appliance requirement for privileged sessions. For cloud-first estates the specialists are the stronger choice.
Related pages
More on One Identity
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