Red-Team-Playbooks vs PayloadsAllTheThings
Red-team engagement references compared
Red-Team-Playbooks organizes operational notes and tools around stages of red team assessments. PayloadsAllTheThings focuses on web application vulnerabilities, with payloads and bypass techniques; both are reference collections rather than standalone testing platforms.

Red-Team-Playbooks: Plan and Reference Red Team Assessments
A collection of notes and tools organized around stages of red team operations, from reconnaissance through actions on objectives. It is intended for security practitioners who need a browsable reference while planning or conducting authorized assessments.

PayloadsAllTheThings: Find Web Security Payloads and Bypass Techniques
A community-maintained reference of payloads and bypass techniques for web application security testing. Use it to research vulnerability scenarios, support authorized penetration tests, and find ready-to-use Burp Intruder files.
| Red-Team-Playbooks | PayloadsAllTheThings | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | PowerShell | Python |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Stars | 472 | 81.4k |
| Forks | 109 | 17.4k |
| Last analyzed | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 3, 2026 |
Key differences
- Red-Team-Playbooks covers engagement phases from kickoff and reconnaissance through post-exploitation, while PayloadsAllTheThings is organized around web vulnerability areas.
- Red-Team-Playbooks includes infrastructure and operations topics such as command and control and lateral movement; PayloadsAllTheThings pairs vulnerability descriptions with payload examples and, in some sections, Burp Intruder files.
- Red-Team-Playbooks is described as being moved to GitBook, with version 1.0 still to be reworked and finalized; PayloadsAllTheThings includes a chapter template and an alternative web display.
- Red-Team-Playbooks lists PowerShell and a GPL-3.0 license; PayloadsAllTheThings lists Python and an MIT license.
- Red-Team-Playbooks is framed for red team planning and authorized engagements; PayloadsAllTheThings also names bug bounty research, CTFs, and web security learning as use cases.
Choose Red-Team-Playbooks if you…
- need a phase-based reference for planning or conducting authorized red team assessments.
- want to review engagement coverage across areas such as reconnaissance, infrastructure, and post-exploitation.
Choose PayloadsAllTheThings if you…
- need web application vulnerability payloads and bypass techniques to consult during authorized testing.
- want chapter-based material with vulnerability explanations, Burp Intruder files in some sections, or a template for contributing.
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This comparison is generated with AI from the OSRepos analyses of both projects. Always check each project's repository and documentation before choosing.