Open a TryHackMe room and the first task tells you what a port is. Spawn your first Hack The Box machine and you get an IP address and nothing else. That gap is the whole TryHackMe vs Hack The Box debate: one platform teaches you, the other tests you. Which one you should pay for depends on which of those you need right now.
Not sure yet? Try both styles for free first. Our Nmap Commands Lab gives you a real target in your browser, with no VPN and no step-by-step script: if it feels exciting, you are closer to HTB; if it feels overwhelming, start on TryHackMe.
Updated September 2026 with current pricing.
TL;DR: Pick TryHackMe if you are new to IT or security: guided rooms, a gentle free tier and Premium at about $17-18 a month ($126-134 a year). Pick Hack The Box if you already know Linux and networking and want unguided machines closer to real pentests and OSCP: VIP+ costs $25 a month or $223 a year, and HTB Academy is billed separately. Plenty of people end up using both, in that order.
TryHackMe or Hack The Box? The Short Answer
TryHackMe is better for beginners; Hack The Box is better once you have the basics. TryHackMe explains each concept and then lets you apply it. Hack The Box drops you on a vulnerable machine and expects you to research your way in. Here is who should pick which:
- No IT background: TryHackMe (Pre Security, then Cyber Security 101).
- SOC / blue team goal: TryHackMe (SOC Level 1, SAL1), or HTB Academy's SOC Analyst path if you want more depth.
- IT pro moving into security: either; HTB Starting Point and easy machines are within reach.
- OSCP or CPTS target: Hack The Box (retired machines, Academy's Penetration Tester path).
- Experienced pentester: Hack The Box, or Pro Labs for multi-machine networks.
The Real Difference: Guided Rooms vs Unguided Machines
TryHackMe: Learn, Then Apply
TryHackMe organizes content into "rooms": a short lesson, a few questions, then a machine to attack. Learning paths chain those rooms into a curriculum, so you always know what comes next. Our full TryHackMe review walks through how it works.
The weakness is the flip side of the strength. Some learners complete hundreds of rooms and still freeze when a machine comes with no instructions.
Hack The Box: Figure It Out
Hack The Box is built around machines ranked Easy to Insane. You get an IP address and a goal: find the user and root flags. Chaining two or three weaknesses, reading documentation and trying things that fail is the point.
HTB has softened a little: Starting Point offers guided beginner machines, many retired machines have a Guided Mode with questions, and HTB Academy is a separate, fully guided course platform. But the core Labs experience still assumes you can find your own way.
In practice: the fastest learners we see do not pick a side. They use guided content to learn a technique, then immediately try it on a target that does not explain itself. That second step is where the skill actually sticks.
TryHackMe vs Hack The Box at a Glance
| Feature | TryHackMe | Hack The Box |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Beginners, blue team | Intermediate to advanced, pentest and OSCP prep |
| Teaching style | Guided rooms and paths | Unguided machines (Academy is guided, paid separately) |
| Content library | 750+ rooms | 200+ machines, plus Academy modules |
| Free tier | Free rooms, 1 hour/day of AttackBox | 20 active machines, 80+ active challenges, 2-hour Pwnbox trial |
| Browser attack machine | AttackBox (unlimited on paid plans) | Pwnbox (unlimited on VIP+) |
| Cheapest paid plan | Premium: ~$17-18/mo or $126-134/yr | VIP+: $25/mo or $223/yr |
| Certifications | 8 certs, from SEC0 to PT2 (PT1 $349) | CPTS, CWES, CDSA, CJCA and more (voucher $210 or bundled in annual Academy) |
| Community tone | Very beginner-friendly | Helpful, but expects you to try first |
Pricing in 2026: What You Actually Pay
TryHackMe
- Free: free rooms, limited learning paths, 1 hour of AttackBox a day.
- Premium: about $17-18 a month, or $126-134 a year billed annually (roughly $10.50-11.20 a month) depending on region. Covers all beginner paths, unlimited AttackBox and private VPN servers. Students get an extra 20% off the annual plan.
- MAX (new in June 2026): $30.73 a month or $227.88 a year in the US (EUR 29.11 / EUR 215.88). Adds the advanced paths, cloud labs and every room.
The catch in 2026: Premium no longer unlocks everything, so intermediate learners may need MAX. Our TryHackMe pricing guide covers every plan and discount.
Hack The Box Labs
- Free: 20 active machines, 80+ active challenges and a 2-hour Pwnbox trial. Retired machines and their official write-ups are paid.
- VIP+: $25 a month or $223 a year. All retired machines and challenges, unlimited Pwnbox, personal machine instances. The cheaper VIP plan stopped being sold on October 1, 2025, so VIP+ is now the only individual Labs subscription.
- Pro Labs: $49 a month or $490 a year for multi-machine enterprise networks. It does not include VIP+.
HTB Academy (prices change on October 12, 2026)
Academy is a separate subscription. HTB announced that monthly plans move from monthly "cubes" to tier-based access on October 12, 2026:
| Plan | Until Oct 12, 2026 | From Oct 12, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Student (verified students) | $8/mo | $10/mo (Tier 0-II) |
| Silver monthly | $18/mo | $30/mo (Tier 0-II) |
| Silver annual | $490/yr, 1 voucher (CPTS, CWES, CDSA or COAE) + CJCA | $550/yr, 2 exam vouchers |
| Gold annual | $1,260/yr | $1,400/yr (Tier 0-III, 2 vouchers) |
Details and what each tier includes are in our HTB Academy pricing guide.
Real-World Cost
A beginner doing TryHackMe Premium on annual billing pays about $126-134 a year. Someone who wants both HTB Labs and guided Academy content pays $25 + $18 = $43 a month today, rising to $55 a month after October 12 (or $223 + $490 = $713 a year on annual plans, $773 from October 12). Verified students can cut that to $33-35 a month with the Student plan.
That does not make HTB bad value. It means HTB makes the most sense once you know you need its depth.
HTB Academy vs TryHackMe
HTB Academy is the closer rival to TryHackMe, because both are guided. The difference is depth and price. Academy modules are long, text-heavy and technical, and its job-role paths lead straight to HTB's certifications. TryHackMe is shorter, more gamified and cheaper.
Start with TryHackMe if you are learning what a subnet is. Move to Academy when you want a structured path to a respected practical exam such as CPTS.
Certifications: TryHackMe vs Hack The Box
TryHackMe sells eight practical certifications, from Pre Security (SEC0) and Cyber Security 101 (SEC1) to Junior Penetration Tester (PT1, $349, a 48-hour exam), Security Analyst Level 1 (SAL1, from $349) and newer AI, web and level 2 certs. Each includes two attempts and stays valid for 3 years. See our TryHackMe certifications guide for which ones are worth it.
Hack The Box certifications come through Academy: CJCA, CPTS (penetration testing), CWES (web), CDSA (defensive), COAE (offensive AI), plus the expert-level CWEE, CAPE and CWPE. A standalone CPTS, CWES or CDSA voucher costs $210, and an annual Silver or Gold Academy plan bundles vouchers. CPTS in particular has earned a strong reputation for its long, report-based exam.
Neither brand carries the HR weight of OSCP or CompTIA yet. TryHackMe certs are the easier first step; CPTS is the tougher, more respected one.
What Both Platforms Get Wrong
The guidance gap. TryHackMe can over-explain, and HTB can leave you stuck for hours with no useful feedback. Some struggle builds skill; five hours staring at the same port rarely does.
The reporting gap. Real pentests end with a report a client can act on. TryHackMe's PT1 and HTB's CPTS both grade reports, but day-to-day practice on both platforms stops at the root flag. Write up your own machines: it is the cheapest portfolio you will ever build.
TryHackMe Alternatives Worth a Look
If neither feels right, you have options. HackerDNA sits between the two: every lab runs in your browser with no VPN, courses teach the technique, and the lab gives you a real target without a script. When you get stuck, an AI Hacking Coach nudges you (it is the same on Free and Pro, only usage differs), and Pro adds Learning Mode, step-by-step solutions and a Kali ATTACK Terminal in the browser. Pro costs $16.99 a month or $10.19 a month billed yearly, there is a free tier, and labs and courses are also available in French and Portuguese.
To be fair about the limits: HackerDNA's catalog is smaller than TryHackMe's or HTB's, and it offers lab completion certificates rather than an exam-based certification.
For completely free practice, picoCTF and OverTheWire are excellent. Our guide to Hack The Box alternatives compares more options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TryHackMe or Hack The Box better for beginners?
TryHackMe. Its rooms explain each concept before you use it, and its free tier is enough to learn whether you enjoy security. Hack The Box's Starting Point is beginner-friendly too, but the main Labs assume you already know Linux and networking.
Should I do TryHackMe before Hack The Box?
For most people, yes. A common route is 3 to 6 months of TryHackMe for fundamentals, then easy HTB machines. If you already work in IT, you can start on HTB's easy machines directly.
Which is better for OSCP?
Hack The Box. The OSCP exam gives you no guidance, so practicing on unguided retired machines is closer to the real thing than guided rooms.
Which is cheaper, TryHackMe or Hack The Box?
TryHackMe. Premium costs about $126-134 a year versus $223 a year for HTB VIP+, and HTB Academy is an extra subscription on top.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
Critical reminder: Only practice on systems you own or have explicit written authorization to test. TryHackMe, Hack The Box and HackerDNA exist precisely to give you legal targets. Unauthorized access to anything else is illegal, whatever your intent.
- Stay inside the lab. "Practicing" on random websites or networks is a crime, not initiative.
- Report real bugs responsibly. If you find a vulnerability in the wild, follow the owner's disclosure policy and never exploit or publish it.
- Don't spoil active content. HTB forbids public write-ups for active machines, and some TryHackMe rooms ask you not to share answers.
Last verified: September 2026. Prices checked on TryHackMe's pricing page, HTB's Labs subscriptions help article and HTB's Academy pricing announcement.
The Verdict
In the TryHackMe vs Hack The Box choice, there is no universal winner, only a right order. Beginners should start on TryHackMe, where Premium is cheap and every step is explained. Once rooms start feeling like reading, move to Hack The Box and learn to work without a map. Add HTB Academy only if you want CPTS or its deeper modules.
Want a middle ground? Learn the fundamentals in HackerDNA's Hacking 101 course, then put them to work on real targets in HackerDNA's labs, all in your browser with no VPN. Start with HackerDNA's free tier - no credit card required.
