Alternatives
Best Cobalt alternatives in 2026
Data compiled by Toolradar Updated How we rate
Cite this list: Toolradar, best Cobalt alternatives 2026, toolradar.com/alternatives/cobalt
2 direct alternatives to Cobalt and 6 more tools in the same category, compared on pricing, features, and best-for use cases. Pick the right replacement without the marketing fluff.
Quick answer
- KnowBe4 is the top alternative to Cobalt on our list, followed by Darktrace and ServiceNow.
- 2 of the 8 alternatives have a free plan, starting with IBM Cloud.
- Highest rated: NinjaOne, 4.7 out of 5 from 3,747 ratings, Mar 2026.
- 8 alternatives
- 2 direct
- 2 with a free plan
Top 3 alternatives to Cobalt
KnowBe4
#1 Top pickReduce human and AI agent risk with an end-to-end human risk management platform.
Pricing
Contact sales
4.6 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 2,424 ratings, Sep 2026
Our take
Best overall
Darktrace
#2The essential AI cybersecurity platform for proactive cyber resilience.
Pricing
Contact sales
4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 68 ratings, Sep 2026
ServiceNow
#3Digitize and automate workflows for IT, HR, and customer service
Pricing
Contact sales
4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 2,341 ratings, Sep 2026
Cobalt vs 8 alternatives
| Tool | Starting price (Nov 2026) | Free plan | Rating | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Price: Contact sales | Free plan: No | 4.4 out of 5, from 137 ratings across G2 and Capterra (137) | |
| Price: Contact sales | Free plan: No | 4.6 out of 5, from 2,424 ratings across G2 and Capterra (2,424) | Direct alternative |
| Price: Contact sales | Free plan: No | 4.5 out of 5, from 68 ratings across G2 and Capterra (68) | Direct alternative |
| Price: Contact sales | Free plan: No | 4.5 out of 5, from 2,341 ratings across G2 and Capterra (2,341) | Same category as Cobalt |
 | Price: $3.49/mo | Free plan: No | 4.0 out of 5, from 18,319 ratings across G2, Capterra, SourceForge and more (18,319) | Same category as Cobalt |
 | Price: $1.5/mo | Free plan: No | 4.7 out of 5, from 3,747 ratings on G2 (3,747) | Same category as Cobalt |
 | Price: $3.99/mo | Free plan: No | 4.7 out of 5, from 3,945 ratings across G2 and Capterra (3,945) | Same category as Cobalt |
 | Price: Free + paid | Free plan: Yes | 4.4 out of 5, from 12,494 ratings across G2 and Capterra (12,494) | Same category as Cobalt |
 | Price: $3/mo | Free plan: Yes | 4.6 out of 5, from 4,877 ratings across G2 and Capterra (4,877) | Same category as 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 2 direct alternatives below cover the same core job (security) with different trade-offs. The 6 tools marked "Same category as Cobalt" fit the category but replace Cobalt less directly.
Cobalt by the numbers
| Metric | Cobalt | Peer median | Position (1 is best) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | 70% have one | n/a |
| User rating | 4.4/5 (across the web, 137 ratings) | 4.5/5 | #70 of 121 (joint) tools with 20+ reviews |
Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. All Testing & QA data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position.
Cite this: Toolradar, “Cobalt by the numbers”, Nov 2026.
Security leaderboards from Toolradar data
Toolradar ranks Security tools on one measure at a time, only where at least 8 tools have data. As of Nov 2026.
Lowest entry price, plans with no stated unit
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 145 tools with no stated price unit, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HashiCorp Vault | $0.50/mo, billed monthly |
| 2 | Runbox | $0.83/mo, billed yearly |
| 2 | uTerminal | $0.83/mo, billed yearly |
| 4 | Alive | $0.99/mo, billed monthly |
| 5 | Addy.io | $1/mo, billed yearly |
Lowest entry price, per-user plans
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 52 tools priced per user, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DNSimple | $0.50/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 2 | Zoho Mail | $1/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 3 | Keeper | $2/user/mo, billed yearly |
| 4 | 1password Business | $2.49/user/mo, billed yearly |
| 5 | Corma | $3/user/mo, billed monthly |
Lowest entry price, flat team plans
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 42 tools priced as a flat team plan, verified price.
Most visited, last 30 days
Distinct visitor sessions on the tool's Toolradar page over the last 30 days, with bots excluded by our analytics. A session counts once however many times it reloads the page.
Counted among 13 tools with 50+ visits.
| # | Tool | Visits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proton VPN | 1,716 visits |
| 2 | Hide.me | 1,099 visits |
| 3 | Windscribe VPN | 861 visits |
| 4 | Opera | 683 visits |
| 5 | ZoogVPN | 421 visits |
Most media coverage, last 30 days
Number of distinct articles published in the last 30 days by independent press, blogs and newsletters that mention the tool. A story carried by several outlets counts once; the vendor's own blog, review sites, forums and republishing sites do not count.
Counted among 21 tools mentioned in the last 30 days.
| # | Tool | Articles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ServiceNow | 17 articles |
| 2 | ConnectWise | 11 articles |
| 3 | GitLab | 10 articles |
| 4 | Harmonic Security | 4 articles |
| 5 | Cloudflare | 3 articles |
A position exists only when at least 8 tools have data for that metric. 248 of 747 Security tools have a verified price; the others publish none we could read (often "contact sales"). Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source. How we compute this. Cite this: Toolradar, “Security leaderboards”, Nov 2026. Data licensed CC BY 4.0. All Security statistics.
8 alternatives to Cobalt
Direct alternatives come first, ranked by G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editor review. Tools marked "Same category as Cobalt" follow, ranked the same way.
- 1
KnowBe4
Paid Battle-tested at scaleReduce human and AI agent risk with an end-to-end human risk management platform.
4.6 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 2,424 ratings, Sep 2026
Price not published
- 2
Darktrace
PaidThe essential AI cybersecurity platform for proactive cyber resilience.
4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 68 ratings, Sep 2026
Price not published
- 3
ServiceNow
Paid Battle-tested at scaleDigitize and automate workflows for IT, HR, and customer service
4.5 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 2,341 ratings, Sep 2026
Price not published
Same category as Cobalt
- 4
NordVPN
Paid Battle-tested at scaleOnline VPN service for privacy
4.0 /5 across G2, Capterra, SourceForge and more · 18,319 ratings, Sep 2026
From $3.49/mo, billed monthly
Same category as Cobalt
- 5
NinjaOne
Paid Higher rated by usersThe easiest IT management platform for unified endpoint management and IT operations.
4.7 /5 on G2 · 3,747 ratings, Mar 2026
From $1.50/mo, billed monthly
Same category as Cobalt
- 6
1Password
Paid Higher rated by usersSecurely store passwords, cards, and docs with end-to-end encryption
4.7 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 3,945 ratings, Sep 2026
From $3.99/mo flat, billed monthly
Same category as Cobalt
- 7
IBM Cloud
Free plan Cheaper than CobaltEnterprise cloud platform by IBM
4.4 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 12,494 ratings, Sep 2026
Free plan available; paid prices not published
Same category as Cobalt
- 8
LastPass
Free plan Cheaper than CobaltSecurely store, autofill, and share passwords across all your devices
4.6 /5 across G2 and Capterra · 4,877 ratings, Sep 2026
From $3/mo flat, billed yearly; free plan available
Same category as Cobalt
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, ServiceNow. Each solves the same core job with different trade-offs on pricing, features, and integrations.
Is there a free alternative to Cobalt?
There is no fully free alternative in this list. IBM Cloud is freemium: a permanent free tier plus paid plans (Enterprise cloud platform by IBM).
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.
Spotted an outdated price or a wrong fact? Suggest a correction: we check it against the vendor's own page. Work for one of these vendors? Claim your listing to update it yourself.
Side-by-side comparisons
In-depth comparison pages for Cobalt versus each alternative.
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