Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

TryHackMe VS PentesterLab

Compare TryHackMe VS PentesterLab and see what are their differences

TryHackMe logo TryHackMe

TryHackMe is an online platform for learning and teaching cyber security, all through your browser.

PentesterLab logo PentesterLab

Learn all about web hacking through online courses spanning the basics to advanced vulnerabilities
  • TryHackMe Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-27
  • PentesterLab Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-16

TryHackMe features and specs

  • Hands-On Experience
    TryHackMe provides practical, hands-on labs and challenges, allowing learners to gain real-world experience in cybersecurity and ethical hacking.
  • Wide Range of Topics
    The platform covers a broad spectrum of topics, from basic cybersecurity principles to advanced penetration testing techniques.
  • Guided Learning Paths
    Structured learning paths and tutorials make it easier for beginners to advance their knowledge in a systematic manner.
  • Cost-Effective
    Many of the rooms and learning paths are available for free, and the premium subscription is relatively affordable compared to other cybersecurity training platforms.
  • Interactive Community
    An active community of users can help with troubleshooting, provide tips, and foster a collaborative learning environment.
  • Certificates and Badges
    The platform offers certificates and badges upon completion of certain modules or challenges, which can be added to professional profiles.

Possible disadvantages of TryHackMe

  • Limited Advanced Content
    While the platform is excellent for beginners and intermediates, some advanced users may find the content lacking in depth or complexity.
  • Dependence on VM
    Most exercises rely on virtual machines (VMs), which can be resource-intensive and may not run smoothly on all computers.
  • Connectivity Issues
    Users sometimes experience connectivity problems with the platform's servers or VMs, affecting the learning experience.
  • Subscription Model
    Although affordable, some users may find it inconvenient to unlock certain valuable content behind a paywall.
  • Varied Quality of Rooms
    The quality of rooms and challenges can be inconsistent, as they are often created by different individuals with varying levels of expertise.

PentesterLab features and specs

  • Comprehensive Learning
    PentesterLab offers a wide range of practical exercises and challenges that cover various aspects of web application security, providing users with a comprehensive learning experience.
  • Hands-On Labs
    The platform provides hands-on labs that simulate real-world scenarios, enabling learners to practice and enhance their penetration testing skills in a controlled environment.
  • Beginner to Advanced Content
    PentesterLab caters to users of different skill levels by offering content that ranges from beginner to advanced, making it suitable for both novices and experienced professionals.
  • Certificates of Completion
    Users receive certificates of completion after successfully finishing each module, which can be used to demonstrate their skills and knowledge to potential employers.
  • Community Support
    The platform has a community of users and a forum where learners can discuss challenges, share insights, and seek help, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

Possible disadvantages of PentesterLab

  • Subscription Fee
    Access to PentesterLab's full range of content requires a subscription, which may not be affordable for everyone, especially students or hobbyists.
  • Complexity for Beginners
    While the platform offers beginner content, some users may find certain modules challenging if they lack a foundational understanding of networking and programming concepts.
  • Limited Free Content
    Only a small portion of the platform's resources is available for free, which may limit the ability to fully assess the platform before committing to a paid subscription.
  • Self-Paced Learning
    The self-paced nature of the learning process requires users to be highly self-motivated and disciplined, which might not suit everyone’s learning preference.
  • Requires Technical Setup
    Some of the labs may require specific technical setups or require users to use their own machines, which could pose a barrier for those who are not familiar with these processes.

TryHackMe videos

Hackthebox, TryHackme, Hacker101: Which one to choose? #hacking #bugbounty

More videos:

  • Review - TryHackMe Overview | Cybersecurity 101

PentesterLab videos

THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD GET A PENTESTERLAB PRO SUBSCRIPTION!

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to TryHackMe and PentesterLab)
Training & Education
100 100%
0% 0
Education & Reference
0 0%
100% 100
Monitoring Tools
79 79%
21% 21
Education
75 75%
25% 25

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare TryHackMe and PentesterLab

TryHackMe Reviews

Hack the Box vs TryHackMe – A Comparative Analysis
In the dynamic landscape of cybersecurity, the need to learn and evolve has never been greater. Security enthusiasts, pen-testers, and cybersecurity professionals need to stay ahead of potential adversaries. For this reason, platforms like Hack The Box (HTB) and TryHackMe (THM) have come to the fore, providing immersive environments to practice and learn cybersecurity...
Source: nextdoorsec.com
Top 5 Cyber Security Online Courses to Make a Good Pay
TryHackMe provides information for persons new to cybersecurity courses and covers a wide range of subjects, including offensive and defensive security training. Capture the Flag activities with walk-through write-ups by contributing users that show members how to approach and solve difficulties are also available on TryHackMe. There are four tiers to choose from:
Get Your Cybersecurity Career Started: The Best Websites for Newbies to Practice Cybersecurity
TryHackMe is an online platform that offers a wide range of cybersecurity courses and challenges. The platform is designed to be beginner-friendly and offers hands-on experience with real-world cybersecurity scenarios. TryHackMe covers topics such as Linux, networking, web application security, and more.

PentesterLab Reviews

We have no reviews of PentesterLab yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, TryHackMe seems to be a lot more popular than PentesterLab. While we know about 373 links to TryHackMe, we've tracked only 17 mentions of PentesterLab. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

TryHackMe mentions (373)

  • Ask HN: Who is hiring? (November 2024)
    TryHackMe | Full-time | Remote | with annual team retreats | https://tryhackme.com/ TryHackMe is the fastest-growing online cyber security training platform. Our mission is to make learning and teaching cyber security easier by providing gamified security exercises and challenges. Having only been around for a handful of years, we've grown to more than 3 million community members and our growth isn't slowing down!... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Exploiting Active Directory: How to Abuse Kerberos
    This will be a write-up post for the Attacktive Directory room on TryHackMe. It's a learning room in the Cyber Defense path, under the Threat Emulation section. The idea is to attempt to exploit a vulnerable Domain Controller in Active Directory. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Why are CTFs so important???
    CTF Platforms: Sign up on platforms like CTFtime, Hack The Box, and TryHackMe. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Ask HN: Good book to learn modern networking?
    It's more focused on security than just networking, and I don't believe it's quite what you're looking for, but https://tryhackme.com/ might be enjoyable. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Beginner question
    HTB Academy is definetely more suitable than jumping straight into solving boxes as it explains the methodology behind solving boxes. Try Hack Me learning paths is similar to HTB Academy, so what you choose between them is a matter of personal taste. If you want something to study kind of long-termish the Penetration Tester Job Role Path might be of interest. Source: over 1 year ago
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PentesterLab mentions (17)

  • Diving into Bug Bounty Hunting: My Journey Begins with Resources and Tips for Beginners
    Learning Websites: PortSwigger Web Security Academy - Free, comprehensive web security training. I recommend PortSwigger Academy if you are starting out. Bugcrowd University - Free educational resources for bug bounty hunters. Bugcrowd also provides a platform for the Vulnerability Disclosure Program (VDP) and Bug Bounty Programs (BBP). It is a good place to start your bug bounty hunting by creating an account... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Where to start?
    For pentesting, look at the below: - https://portswigger.net/web-security - https://pentesterlab.com/ - https://www.hackthebox.com/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Seeking Advice and Opinions
    These codes can be useful in different situations. A good site to test out different types of attacks and recon is: http://pentesterlab.com (mind it has a premium subscription plan but u can use it free). Source: over 2 years ago
  • Simple site Security audit - NoSQL injection, buffer overflow...
    I’d strongly recommend PentesterLab (https://pentesterlab.com/) as they have very real world examples that should be helpful to you. I have no affiliation with this company, just a fan. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Are there any Computer Science activities for a high schooler in Baton Rouge? Things like hackathons, internships, and volunteering at a programming summer camp!
    Https://www.hackthebox.com/ has free retired boxes to punch and it isn't expensive if you want to access new ones. It is security orientated, but you still have to understand the basics and there are plenty of walk throughs. Proving Ground is another. https://www.offensive-security.com/labs/ pentersterlabs has a free tier https://pentesterlab.com/ https://www.udemy.com/ has free courses for about anything If... Source: almost 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing TryHackMe and PentesterLab, you can also consider the following products

Hack The Box - An online platform to test and advance your skills in penetration testing and cyber security.

VulnHub - VulnHub provides materials allowing anyone to gain practical hands-on experience with digital security, computer applications and network administration tasks.

LetsDefend - LetsDefend is a security operation center analysis and response training platform that provides a full lifecycle of learning modules in the form of courses, labs, and exercises to help organizations meet their compliance and cyber-resilience needs.

Strobes PTaaS - Perform recurring and on-demand pentests.

HackThisSite - Hack This Site is a legal free training ground for users to test and expand their hacking skills.

Astra Pentest - Astra’s is the cloud-based hacker-style Pentest