Best Ghost in the Shellcode Alternatives & Competitors in 2026

Google CTF

A Capture The Flag (CTF) platform for testing computer security skills

PentesterLab PRO

Online platform offering 700+ hands-on web security exercises and training

SudoCyber

Gamified cybersecurity training platform with hands-on labs and certifications

Arc4dia Counter-APT Training

Instructor-led training courses focused on counter-APT tactics and cyber defense.

Hack The Box Cyber Workforce Dev

Enterprise platform for cybersecurity workforce training via hands-on labs & CTFs.

Hack The Box Business

Enterprise platform for cybersecurity team training, labs, and skill gap assessment.

Hack The Box for Red Teams

Hands-on red team training platform with labs, cyber ranges, and CTF assessments.

Hack The Box CTF Platform

Gamified CTF platform for hosting cybersecurity team assessments and training.

Hack The Box Hacking Labs

Virtual hacking labs platform with 1,720+ hands-on cybersecurity challenges.

Hack The Box for Blue Teams

Hands-on blue team training platform for SOC, DFIR, and threat intel roles.

Haiku Forge

Platform for building custom game-based cybersecurity training scenarios.

Stealien Cyber Drill System

Web-based cyber hacking defense training platform with CTF-style exercises.

VIP Cyber Defense Training

Cybersecurity training platform for IT pros covering labs, CTFs, and certs.

Hack This Site

A free, safe, and legal training ground for ethical hackers to test and expand their skills

CTFGuide

Social learning platform for CTF challenges, labs, and cybersecurity training.

Exploit-Challenges

A collection of vulnerable ARM binaries designed for educational exploit development and vulnerability research practice across different architectures and exploitation techniques.

Mellivora

Mellivora Mellivora is a PHP-based CTF engine that provides comprehensive competition hosting capabilities with challenge management, team scoring, and administrative tools for cybersecurity competitions.

CloudGoat

CloudGoat is a vulnerable-by-design AWS deployment tool that creates intentionally insecure cloud environments for hands-on cybersecurity training through capture-the-flag scenarios.

NightShade

NightShade is a Django-based capture the flag framework that enables organizations to create and manage cybersecurity competitions with support for multiple contest formats and multi-tenant architecture.

Haaukins

Haaukins is an automated virtualization platform that provides hands-on cybersecurity education through capture the flag exercises in controlled vulnerable environments.

MotherFucking CTF

A lightweight CTF platform with simple setup and difficulty-based scoring that removes timezone advantages from competitions.

exploit_me

A deliberately vulnerable ARM/ARM64 application with 14 different vulnerability levels designed for CTF-style exploitation training and education.

OWASP Juice Shop CTF Extension

A Node.js CLI tool that automates the setup of CTF events using OWASP Juice Shop challenges across multiple CTF frameworks.

Security Scenario Generator (SecGen)

SecGen is an open-source framework that automatically generates vulnerable virtual machines and hacking challenges for cybersecurity education and penetration testing training.

echoCTF

echoCTF is a cybersecurity framework for running Capture the Flag competitions and training exercises on real IT infrastructure.

FBCTF

FBCTF is a platform for hosting Jeopardy and King of the Hill style Capture the Flag competitions with support for various scales and participation models.

CTFd

CTFd is a web-based framework for creating and managing Capture The Flag cybersecurity competitions with customizable challenges, scoring systems, and team management capabilities.

HackTheArch

HackTheArch is an open-source Ruby on Rails-based scoring server platform designed for hosting and managing Cyber Capture the Flag competitions with web-based problem management and hint systems.

Labs-Pentest

A comprehensive collection of free online laboratories and platforms for practicing penetration testing, CTF challenges, and cybersecurity skills development.

Root the Box

Root the Box is a real-time CTF scoring engine that provides a configurable platform for cybersecurity training through gamified wargames and competitions.

BetterMotherFucking CTF

A lightweight CTF platform inspired by motherfuckingwebsite.com that provides simple hosting capabilities for cybersecurity competitions with equal-point scoring and minimal setup requirements.

Boss of the SOC (BOTS) Dataset Version 2

A security dataset and CTF platform available in full (16.4GB) and attack-only (3.2GB) versions, pre-indexed for Splunk to help security professionals practice analysis skills.

Boss of the SOC (BOTS) Dataset Version 3

A pre-indexed Splunk security dataset and CTF platform that provides realistic security data for training, research, and educational purposes for cybersecurity professionals and students.

MemLabs

MemLabs provides CTF-styled memory forensics challenges designed to teach students and security researchers how to analyze memory dumps using tools like Volatility.

0l4bs Cross-site scripting labs

A collection of 20 cross-site scripting challenges covering various XSS attack vectors and filtering bypass techniques for educational purposes.

ROP Wargame Repository

A collection of Return-Oriented Programming (ROP) challenges designed for practicing binary exploitation techniques and developing offensive security skills.

Hack Yourself First

Platform for users to test cybersecurity skills by exploiting vulnerabilities.

DEF CON CTF Archive

A live archive of DEF CON CTF challenges, vulnerable by design, for hackers to play safely.

Splunk Boss of the SOC

Blue-team capture the flag competition for improving cybersecurity skills.

Reverse Engineering Challenges

A collection of reverse engineering challenges covering a wide range of topics and difficulty levels.

IronCircle Cybersecurity Training Platform

AI-powered browser-based cybersecurity training platform with labs and certs

SimSpace Cyber Range Platform

Cyber range platform for training, testing, and validating security controls.

ORNA AI Crisis Simulation

AI-driven tabletop exercise platform for cyber crisis simulation training

SimSpace Cyber Range

Cyber range platform for training, testing, and validating security readiness

SimSpace Attack Catalog

Catalog of simulated attack scenarios for cyber defense training and validation

TryHackMe Cyber Security Training

Hands-on cybersecurity training platform with gamified labs and challenges

Circadence Security Immersion Workshops

Gamified cyber range workshops for security product demos and training

Cyberbit Platform

Cybersecurity training and simulation platform for SOC teams