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Metasploit

The world's most used penetration testing framework

As of 30 August 2026, Metasploit is free to use. Metasploit is the world's most widely used penetration testing framework. Softwr lists it under Cybersecurity. Metasploit is made by Rapid7, launched in 2000, available on Windows, macOS, API.

Overview

What Metasploit does

Metasploit is the world's most widely used penetration testing framework. It helps security teams verify vulnerabilities, test security awareness, and manage security assessments.

What people use it 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

The honest half

Where it falls short

Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about 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

Cross-shopped

What people choose instead of Metasploit

Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.

Pricing

What Metasploit costs

Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.

Metasploit Framework (OSS)

Free

  • Open source
  • 1500+ exploits
  • Command line
  • Community modules
  • Scripting

Metasploit Pro

Free

  • Web interface
  • Automated testing
  • Phishing campaigns
  • Reporting
  • Contact sales for pricing

Capabilities

Features

  • Exploit database

  • Payload generation

  • Post-exploitation

  • Evasion modules

  • Auxiliary scanners

  • Social engineering

  • Credential harvesting

  • Session management

  • Nmap

    Integration with Nmap

  • Nessus

    Integration with Nessus

  • Nexpose

    Integration with Nexpose

  • Cobalt Strike

    Integration with Cobalt Strike

Answered, with sources

Questions people ask

Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.

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
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
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

Behind it

Who makes Metasploit

Company
Rapid7
Based in
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for Metasploit, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.

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