HackTricks is an excellent documentation resource for learning methodology. Payload Playground takes a different approach — action-oriented cheat sheets with one-click copy payloads, plus generators that create custom payloads for your target.
A fair note: HackTricks and Payload Playground serve different purposes. HackTricks is a documentation resource for learning security testing methodology. Payload Playground is a toolkit for generating and copying payloads during active testing. Many pentesters use both — HackTricks for the "how" and Payload Playground for the "what".
| Feature | Payload Playground | HackTricks |
|---|---|---|
| Copy-Ready Payloads | 26 cheat sheets | Embedded in docs |
| One-Click Copy | ||
| Custom Payload Generators | 25 generators | |
| Vulnerability Documentation | Concise | Comprehensive |
| Encoding / Transformation Tools | 286 operations | |
| JWT Decoder & Attack Builder | ||
| CLI Tool | ||
| Testing Methodology Guides | Blog posts | Comprehensive |
| Privilege Escalation Guides | ||
| 100% Client-Side | N/A (docs site) |
Every payload in every cheat sheet is one click away. No scrolling through documentation to find the command — just copy and use.
25 generators create payloads tailored to your target. Enter your IP, port, domain, or parameters — get a customized payload instantly.
Cheat sheets for XSS, SQLi, SSRF, SSTI, XXE, JWT, CORS, IDOR, file upload, deserialization, command injection, LFI, WAF bypass, and more.
Cheat sheets work alongside generators and encoding tools. Grab a payload, customize it in a generator, encode it in the pipeline — all in one place.
XSS, SQLi, SSRF, SSTI, XXE, JWT, WAF bypass, and more
Custom payloads for every major vulnerability type
Encoding, hashing, JWT decoder, encoding pipeline
Copy-ready XSS payloads for every context
SQL injection payloads by database type
One-liner reverse shells for every language