Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

HackThisSite VS PentesterLab

Compare HackThisSite VS PentesterLab and see what are their differences

HackThisSite logo HackThisSite

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

PentesterLab logo PentesterLab

Learn all about web hacking through online courses spanning the basics to advanced vulnerabilities
  • HackThisSite Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-11-14
  • PentesterLab Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-16

HackThisSite features and specs

  • Educational Experience
    HackThisSite offers practical, hands-on hacking challenges that help users improve and apply their cybersecurity skills in a controlled, legal environment.
  • Community Support
    The platform has a thriving community of cybersecurity enthusiasts and experts who actively engage in forums and discussions, providing support and knowledge-sharing opportunities.
  • Variety of Challenges
    HackThisSite provides a wide range of challenges, from basic to advanced levels, covering various aspects of cybersecurity, which caters to different skill levels and interests.
  • Legal and Safe Environment
    The site allows users to practice hacking legally, reducing the temptation to engage in unethical hacking activities.

Possible disadvantages of HackThisSite

  • Potential for Misuse
    Despite its educational intentions, there is a risk that some individuals may use the skills learned for unethical or illegal hacking activities.
  • Limited Real-World Scenarios
    While HackThisSite provides valuable practice, some challenges may not fully replicate real-world cybersecurity scenarios, which can limit practical application.
  • Resource Intensity
    Some users may find the challenges resource-intensive in terms of time and effort required to solve them, especially for beginners.
  • Potential Outdated Content
    Certain challenges and content on the site may become outdated as cybersecurity threats and technologies evolve over time.

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.

HackThisSite videos

HackThisSite Basic Challenge 1

More videos:

  • Tutorial - HackThisSite: Realistic 1 Tutorial - Uncle Arnold's Band Review
  • Review - HackThisSite Realistic Challenge 1

PentesterLab videos

THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD GET A PENTESTERLAB PRO SUBSCRIPTION!

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to HackThisSite and PentesterLab)
Education
49 49%
51% 51
Education & Reference
41 41%
59% 59
Security & Privacy
43 43%
57% 57
Monitoring Tools
37 37%
63% 63

User comments

Share your experience with using HackThisSite and PentesterLab. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PentesterLab seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 17 times since March 2021. 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.

HackThisSite mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of HackThisSite yet. Tracking of HackThisSite recommendations started around Mar 2021.

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
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing HackThisSite 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.

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

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

PwnTillDawn Online Battlefield - PwnTillDawn Online Battlefield is an online platform that allows you to learn and improve your pentesting and other cybersecurity assessments skills.

Strobes PTaaS - Perform recurring and on-demand pentests.

Hackbox - Hackbox is an open-source, container-based platform that makes it easy to launch vulnerable systems to test your hacking skill!