Best Cobalt alternatives in 2026
8 direct alternatives to Cobalt, compared on pricing, features, and best-for use cases. Pick the right replacement without the marketing fluff.
Curated by Louis Corneloup · Updated Cite this list: Toolradar, best Cobalt alternatives 2026, toolradar.com/alternatives/cobalt
Why people consider alternatives to Cobalt
Cobalt provides Pentest as a Service (PTaaS), offering a modern approach to offensive security that combines human expertise with AI-powered automation.
Teams most often switch away when one of these starts to bite:
- •Pricing at scale as usage or premium tiers add up.
- •Missing integrations with the rest of your stack.
- •Performance or scale limits as your needs grow.
- •A specific feature gap you have hit in security.
The 8 alternatives below cover the same core job (security) with different trade-offs. Ranked by real-signal score: G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editor review.
8 alternatives to Cobalt
Ranked by G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editor review, plus how directly they replace Cobalt.
- 1
KnowBe4
PaidBattle-tested at scaleReduce human and AI agent risk with an end-to-end human risk management platform.
Direct alternative4.6(2,424)as of Sep 2026Compare Cobalt vs KnowBe4 → - 2
Darktrace
PaidThe essential AI cybersecurity platform for proactive cyber resilience.
Direct alternative4.5(68)as of Sep 2026Compare Cobalt vs Darktrace → - 3
Hacker News
FreeCheaper than CobaltA community-curated news aggregator for technology and entrepreneurship.
Direct alternativeCompare Cobalt vs Hacker News → - 4
Proton VPN
FreemiumCheaper than CobaltSwiss privacy protection with unlimited bandwidth
Direct alternative4.6(41,014)as of May 2026Compare Cobalt vs Proton VPN → - 5
Proton
FreemiumCheaper than CobaltEnd-to-end encrypted suite for total digital privacy
Direct alternative4.8(31,996)as of May 2026Compare Cobalt vs Proton → - 6
Porkbun
PaidHigher rated by usersDomain registrar with competitive pricing
Direct alternative4.8(26,552)as of Sep 2026Compare Cobalt vs Porkbun → - 7
ServiceNow
PaidBattle-tested at scaleDigitize and automate workflows for IT, HR, and customer service
Direct alternative4.5(2,341)as of Sep 2026Compare Cobalt vs ServiceNow → - 8
LastPass
FreemiumCheaper than CobaltSecurely store, autofill, and share passwords across all your devices
Direct alternative4.6(4,877)as of Sep 2026Compare Cobalt vs LastPass →
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Cobalt?
Based on real-signal scoring (G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editorial review), the top alternatives to Cobalt are KnowBe4, Darktrace, Hacker News. Each solves the same core job with different trade-offs on pricing, features, and integrations.
Is there a free alternative to Cobalt?
Yes. Hacker News is 100% free (no paid upgrade path) (A community-curated news aggregator for technology and entrepreneurship). Freemium tools on this list offer a free tier with paid upgrades — they are not the same as fully free.
Why do people look for Cobalt alternatives?
Common reasons teams switch away from Cobalt: pricing that scales aggressively, missing integrations with the rest of their stack, performance or scale limits, or a specific feature gap in security. The alternatives on this page solve the same core problem with different trade-offs.
Side-by-side comparisons
In-depth comparison pages for Cobalt versus each alternative.
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