Pros of ssl-kill-switch2

• Simpler to use for disabling SSL certificate validation
• Designed specifically for SSL/TLS testing and debugging
• Supports a wider range of iOS versions

Cons of ssl-kill-switch2

• Less comprehensive SSL/TLS security features
• Not actively maintained (last update in 2021)
• Limited to SSL/TLS interception, lacks additional security functionalities

Code Comparison

TrustKit:

NSDictionary *trustKitConfig =
@{
    kTSKSwizzleNetworkDelegates: @YES,
    kTSKPinnedDomains: @{
        @"www.example.com": @{
            kTSKPublicKeyAlgorithms : @[kTSKAlgorithmRsa2048],
            kTSKPublicKeyHashes : @[
                @"public_key_hash_1",
                @"public_key_hash_2",
            ],
        },
    }
};
[TrustKit initializeWithConfiguration:trustKitConfig];

ssl-kill-switch2:

#import "SSLKillSwitch.h"

- (void)viewDidLoad {
    [super viewDidLoad];
    [SSLKillSwitch enableSSLKillSwitch];
}

TrustKit offers more comprehensive SSL/TLS security features, including certificate pinning and reporting capabilities. It's actively maintained and provides a robust solution for enhancing app security. ssl-kill-switch2, on the other hand, is simpler to use and focused specifically on disabling SSL certificate validation for testing purposes. However, it lacks the advanced security features of TrustKit and hasn't been updated recently.

Pros of certstrap

• Written in Go, offering better performance and cross-platform compatibility
• Focused on certificate authority (CA) management and certificate generation
• Simpler to use for basic PKI tasks and certificate creation

Cons of certstrap

• Limited to certificate management, lacking broader SSL/TLS pinning features
• Less comprehensive security features compared to TrustKit
• May require additional tools for full SSL/TLS implementation in applications

Code Comparison

TrustKit (Objective-C):

[TrustKit initSharedInstanceWithConfiguration:@{
    kTSKSwizzleNetworkDelegates: @YES,
    kTSKPinnedDomains: @{
        @"www.example.com": @{
            kTSKPublicKeyAlgorithms : @[kTSKAlgorithmRsa2048],
            kTSKPublicKeyHashes : @[
                @"public_key_hash_1",
                @"public_key_hash_2",
            ],
        },
    }
}];

certstrap (Go):

key, err := pkix.CreateRSAKey(2048)
crt, err := pkix.CreateCertificateAuthority(key, "CN=Example CA", time.Now(), time.Now().AddDate(5, 0, 0), "Example Organization", "Example Country")

While TrustKit focuses on SSL pinning configuration, certstrap provides straightforward certificate generation functionality. TrustKit offers more comprehensive SSL/TLS security features, while certstrap is more specialized for certificate management tasks.

Pros of mkcert

• Simple and user-friendly local certificate authority for development purposes
• Supports multiple platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux) and browsers
• Automatically installs the root CA in the system trust store

Cons of mkcert

• Limited to local development environments, not suitable for production use
• Lacks advanced features for SSL pinning and certificate validation
• Does not provide runtime security checks or reporting capabilities

Code Comparison

mkcert:

mkcert example.com "*.example.com" localhost 127.0.0.1 ::1

TrustKit:

let trustKitConfig = [
    kTSKSwizzleNetworkDelegates: false,
    kTSKPinnedDomains: [
        "www.example.com": [
            kTSKPublicKeyAlgorithms: [kTSKAlgorithmRsa2048],
            kTSKPublicKeyHashes: [
                "HXXQgxueCIU5TTLHob/bPbwcKOKw6DkfsTWYHbxbqTY=",
                "0SDf3cRToyZJaMsoS17oF72VMavLxj/N7WBNasNuiR8="
            ]
        ]
    ]
]

Summary

mkcert is a lightweight tool for generating locally-trusted certificates, ideal for development environments. TrustKit, on the other hand, is a more comprehensive SSL pinning library for iOS and macOS applications, offering advanced security features and runtime checks. While mkcert simplifies local certificate management, TrustKit provides robust protection against man-in-the-middle attacks in production environments.

Pros of cfssl

• More comprehensive PKI/TLS toolkit with broader functionality
• Supports multiple platforms and can be used as a CLI tool
• Active development with regular updates and contributions

Cons of cfssl

• Steeper learning curve due to wider feature set
• May be overkill for simple SSL pinning needs
• Requires more setup and configuration for basic use cases

Code Comparison

TrustKit (Objective-C):

[TrustKit initSharedInstanceWithConfiguration:@{
    kTSKSwizzleNetworkDelegates: @YES,
    kTSKPinnedDomains: @{
        @"example.com": @{
            kTSKPublicKeyHashes : @[
                @"public_key_hash_1",
                @"public_key_hash_2",
            ],
        },
    }
}];

cfssl (Go):

c := cli.Config{
    CFG:  &config.Config{},
    Root: cfsslConfig,
}
err := c.Start([]string{"serve", "-address=localhost", "-port=8888"})
if err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}

TrustKit focuses on SSL pinning for iOS and macOS apps, while cfssl provides a more comprehensive set of PKI and TLS tools. TrustKit offers a simpler setup for certificate pinning, whereas cfssl requires more configuration but offers greater flexibility for various PKI operations.