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Cybersecurity · head to head

Metasploit vs Semperis

Metasploit logo

Metasploit

Cybersecurity

The world's most used penetration testing framework

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Semperis logo

Semperis

Cybersecurity

Identity threat detection and Active Directory forest recovery for AD, Entra ID and Okta, from a privately held US vendor.

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Semperis scope is limited to Active Directory, Entra ID and Okta, so an organisation whose critical identity lives elsewhere gets little from it, and the recovery value declines in direct proportion to how much has already moved off on-premises AD.
  • They diverge on capability: Metasploit covers Exploit database, Semperis covers Active Directory Forest Recovery.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Metasploit and Semperis actually diverge.

Attributes where Metasploit and Semperis differ
AttributeMetasploitSemperis
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsDesktop, CliWeb
Founded2000Unknown

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 Semperis

  • Active Directory Forest Recovery
  • Malware-free restore
  • Replication-stream monitoring
  • Automated rollback
  • Attack indicator scoring
  • Entra ID and Okta coverage
  • Purple Knight
  • Forest Druid

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 Semperis
  • Validating whether a reported vulnerability is actually exploitablenot Semperis
  • Running phishing and credential attack simulations on the Pro editionnot Semperis

Semperis

  • An organisation that cannot answer an auditor or insurer asking how long it would take to rebuild Active Directory after a destructive attacknot Metasploit
  • Post-incident recovery where domain controllers are compromised and restoring from system-state backup would reintroduce the attacker's footholdnot Metasploit
  • Continuous detection of privileged group changes and directory-level tampering that domain controller security logs missnot Metasploit
  • Hybrid estates where AD, Entra ID and Okta all matter and no single tool currently shows changes across the threenot 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

Semperis

  • Scope is limited to Active Directory, Entra ID and Okta, so an organisation whose critical identity lives elsewhere gets little from it, and the recovery value declines in direct proportion to how much has already moved off on-premises AD.
  • The licence buys tooling, not a proven runbook: forest recovery is only worth what your last rehearsal demonstrated, and a plan that has never been executed end to end in a lab is an untested assumption regardless of what was purchased.
  • It overlaps with backup and directory management products from Quest, Veeam, Commvault and others, so the buyer must argue internally why a dedicated product is needed alongside a backup contract that already claims to protect Active Directory.
  • Running Directory Services Protector well requires someone who understands AD internals, replication metadata and Tier 0 attack paths, and without that person the alerts on privileged changes are either ignored or auto-reverted in ways that break legitimate administration.
  • Licensing is driven by identity object counts, so directories carrying years of stale user accounts and service principals pay for objects that should have been deleted, and the cleanup project that would reduce the bill is the one nobody has time for.

Pricing, plan by plan

Metasploit

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

Semperis

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Semperis review.

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 Semperis if

  • You need active directory forest recovery.
  • You also want malware-free restore.
Semperis review

Questions people ask

Is Metasploit or Semperis better?
Neither clearly leads. Metasploit starts at Free and Semperis at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Metasploit or Semperis?
Metasploit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Metasploit and On request for Semperis.
Does Metasploit or Semperis run on more platforms?
Metasploit runs on Desktop, Cli. Semperis runs on Web.
Can I use Metasploit for free?
Yes. Metasploit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Semperis 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 Semperis is typically brought in for.
What can Metasploit do that Semperis cannot?
Metasploit covers Exploit database, Payload generation, Post-exploitation, Evasion modules. Semperis covers Active Directory Forest Recovery, Malware-free restore, Replication-stream monitoring, Automated rollback.

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
Semperis: Does this replace my backups?

No. It replaces the Active Directory recovery procedure specifically. You still need backups for everything else, and the point of Semperis is that a generic system-state backup of a domain controller is a poor way to recover a forest because it restores the operating system along with whatever compromised it.

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
Semperis: Is it useful if we are cloud-only on Entra ID?

Partly. Directory Services Protector covers Entra ID and Okta for change tracking and posture, but the forest recovery product, which is the strongest reason to buy, applies to on-premises Active Directory. A genuinely cloud-only organisation should weigh it against Microsoft's own tooling.

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
Semperis: Are Purple Knight and Forest Druid really free?

Yes, both are free downloads with no licence requirement, and they are widely used by organisations that are not Semperis customers. They are also, transparently, the top of the sales funnel.

Semperis: How long does forest recovery actually take?

The honest answer is whatever your rehearsal took. The vendor's case is hours instead of days, and automation genuinely removes most manual steps, but the number that matters for your board is the one from a test in your own environment.

Semperis: Does it require agents on domain controllers?

It collects directory changes from the AD replication stream, which is what lets it see changes that bypass the security log. Deployment details vary by product and version, so confirm the exact architecture against your domain controller change-control rules.

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