TryHackMe Review (2026): Is It Worth It?
Last updated
TryHackMe is one of the best hands-on platforms for learning cybersecurity: guided rooms, learning paths, a ready-made attack machine in the browser and offensive and defensive tracks. For anyone training for a security job, it is far deeper than a general coding platform.
Worth it if you want a security career or serious practice in hacking and defending. If you are a complete beginner who wants a free first taste of security alongside general coding, start with a free on-ramp and move to TryHackMe when you commit.
What is TryHackMe?
TryHackMe is a browser-based cybersecurity training platform. You learn through "rooms": short guided labs that mix explanation with tasks you complete on a virtual machine. Rooms are grouped into learning paths such as pre-security, cyber security and SOC analyst tracks, and the platform runs an AttackBox, a Linux machine with hacking tools you use from your browser, so you do not have to build a lab yourself.
The content covers both sides of security: offensive work such as penetration testing and web hacking, and defensive work such as SOC analysis, incident response and digital forensics. It also sells its own certifications and has business plans for teams. It is a specialist: it assumes you want to work in security, and it goes much deeper there than a general beginner platform.
TryHackMe vs Coddy at a glance
A fair side-by-side of a security specialist and a broader beginner platform. For security depth, TryHackMe wins most rows.
| Feature | TryHackMe | Coddy |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Guided rooms and labs on virtual machines | Write & run real code and commands in the browser, lesson one |
| Best for | Training for a security career | Beginners who want a first taste of security plus general coding |
| Security depth | Very deep: offensive and defensive tracks, many paths and rooms | Beginner on-ramp: investigating alerts and containing an attack |
| Hacking lab | AttackBox and target machines in the browser | Browser terminal and simulated company console |
| Scope beyond security | Security only | Frontend, backend, data, many languages |
| Free tier | Free rooms, limited paths, limited daily AttackBox time | Free to start, no credit card |
| Pricing | Paid Premium and MAX plans, roughly $10 to $30 per month depending on plan and billing | Free tier; affordable Pro |
| Certificates | Path certificates on paid plans; separate paid industry-style exams | Free, publicly verifiable certificates with one-click Add to LinkedIn |
Pros and cons at a glance
Pros
- Real security depth - offensive and defensive learning paths far beyond a beginner course
- Hands-on in the browser - the AttackBox and target machines mean no lab setup
- Guided rooms - explanation and tasks together, so beginners are not dropped into the deep end
- Job-focused progression - pre-security through SOC and penetration testing, plus its own certification exams
- A real free tier - free rooms and some path content let you try before you pay
Cons
- Best content is paid - full paths need Premium, and the newest advanced paths need the higher MAX plan
- Security only - it will not teach you to program or build software
- Rooms can feel like following steps - copying commands is easy, so you need to push yourself to understand
- Limited free AttackBox time - the free plan caps daily machine use
- Its certifications are young - employers still name older exams like Security+ and OSCP more often
Pricing: what you actually pay
TryHackMe has three individual tiers. Prices are shown in your local currency and change over time, so treat the figures here as approximate and check the pricing page before you buy.
- Free - free rooms, limited learning path access and a daily cap of about one hour on the AttackBox
- Premium - full access to the beginner and intermediate paths, unlimited AttackBox and a certificate of completion for each path. At the time of writing, around $10 to $11 per month when billed annually and roughly $14 to $17 when billed monthly
- MAX - everything in Premium plus advanced specialist paths, cloud labs, a persistent AttackBox and Recent Threats content. At the time of writing, around $19 per month on an annual plan and about $30 billed monthly
Annual billing is the cheaper way to pay, and the discount on its certification exams applies to annual subscribers. Some advanced paths moved from Premium to MAX for new subscribers in mid-2026, so check which plan includes the path you want. The page promises you can cancel anytime, but we could not confirm a refund policy, so ask support before paying if that matters.
TryHackMe course quality and content depth
This is where TryHackMe earns its reputation. Rooms are written by security practitioners, paths are sequenced from the basics (networking, Linux, web) to specialist work, and you practise on live machines instead of reading about attacks. For defenders there are SOC analyst tracks with realistic alert triage, and for attackers there are web, network and Active Directory labs. Few beginner platforms come close to this breadth in security.
Two honest caveats. Guided rooms hold your hand, and the gap between completing rooms and being job-ready is real: learners often add outside challenges and projects. And you need foundations. Comfort with the command line and networking makes everything easier, which is why many beginners start with a Linux command line course and a networking primer first. The broader market is mapped in our best sites to learn coding roundup.
Certificates and LinkedIn
TryHackMe gives a certificate of completion for each learning path on paid plans, and separately sells its own certification exams: Security Analyst Level 1 and Junior Penetration Tester, at the time of writing priced in the region of 300 to 350 dollars with a retake included. The exams are practical, not multiple choice only, which is a strength. They are also young, so recognition among employers is still growing and you should treat them as a complement to established credentials.
Coddy issues free certificates too, publicly verifiable, with a polished one-click "Add to LinkedIn profile" button. Its cybersecurity course gives a free certificate for each of its sections. It is a beginner credential, not a substitute for a practical security exam, but it costs nothing and shows you have started.
The honest trade-off: TryHackMe's paid exams carry more weight for a security job search, while Coddy's certificate is free, verifiable and one click onto your LinkedIn profile.
Who TryHackMe is best for
TryHackMe is a strong fit for:
- Aspiring security professionals - SOC analysts, penetration testers and incident responders who want a structured path
- Career switchers into security who want guided labs instead of building their own home lab
- IT staff and developers adding hands-on offensive or defensive skills
- Students preparing for security certifications who want practice on live machines
- Teams that want structured security training, through its business plans
Look elsewhere if you mainly want to learn programming, if you are not sure security is for you, or if you want a free first step before paying for a specialist platform.
Is TryHackMe worth it?
Yes - if you are serious about security work. The depth, the ready-made attack machine and the job-oriented paths justify a Premium subscription for most committed learners, especially on annual billing, and the free tier lets you test the style first. MAX makes sense only if you need the advanced specialist and cloud content.
It is not worth it yet if you are curious but undecided, cannot commit to a subscription, or want to learn to code rather than to hack. In that case a free beginner course is a cheaper way to find out whether you like security.
A free, hands-on alternative to TryHackMe
To be clear, Coddy does not replace TryHackMe for someone training for a security job. Coddy is a beginner on-ramp. Its cybersecurity course puts you at a simulated company's security desk, where you read alerts, investigate what happened and contain an attack from a terminal, with no setup. Around it sits general coding, so you can build the Python and command line skills security work leans on.
- Free to start - real interactive courses with no credit card required
- A free, publicly verifiable certificate for each cybersecurity section
- One-click "Add to LinkedIn profile"
- A browser terminal playground and a Linux commands cheat sheet for practice between lessons
They fit together well: start free on Coddy to learn fundamentals and see whether security appeals, then move to TryHackMe for deep, career-focused paths once you are committed.
Try Coddy freeTryHackMe review FAQ
Is TryHackMe worth it?
Is TryHackMe free?
Are TryHackMe certificates worth anything?
Path certificates show completion. The separate paid exams, Security Analyst Level 1 and Junior Penetration Tester, are practical and well regarded for hands-on skill, but they are young and employers still name established exams more often. Use them as a complement, and let your lab work and projects do the talking.
What's a good TryHackMe alternative for beginners?
Do I need to know how to code to use TryHackMe?
Not to start. The early paths teach networking, Linux and web basics from scratch. Some scripting skill, often in Python or Bash, helps a lot as you move to intermediate and advanced content.
Does Coddy give certificates you can add to LinkedIn?
Keep learning with Coddy
More comparisons
