Loading...
ACI Learning Skill Labs is a commercial cyber range training tool by ACI Learning. Root the Box is a free cyber range training tool. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best cyber range training fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of NIST CSF 2.0 coverage, core features, company size fit, deployment model, here is our conclusion:
Academic programs and corporate training teams need ACI Learning Skill Labs because it actually lets students break things hands-on instead of watching videos, which is the only way network and security fundamentals stick. The CollegePro sets align with real course calendars across years 1-2, and auto-grading cuts instructor overhead on repetitive validation work. This is built for schools and training departments, not for security operations teams looking to upskill existing staff on incident response or threat hunting; if your goal is certifications and foundational competency, this works; if you need role-specific depth for security engineers already in the field, look elsewhere.
Security teams running internal capture-the-flag programs or red team training will get the most from Root the Box because it handles real-time scoring and leaderboards without vendor lock-in or licensing friction. Free pricing and 1,092 GitHub stars signal active maintenance and a community willing to self-host, which matters when you're iterating on wargame content monthly. Skip this if you need a managed SaaS platform with built-in scenario libraries; Root the Box requires you to author and maintain your own challenges.
Virtual hands-on IT & cybersecurity lab platform for academic programs.
Root the Box is a real-time CTF scoring engine that provides a configurable platform for cybersecurity training through gamified wargames and competitions.
Access NIST CSF 2.0 data from thousands of security products via MCP to assess your stack coverage.
Access via MCPNo reviews yet
No reviews yet
Explore more tools in this category or create a security stack with your selections.
Common questions about comparing ACI Learning Skill Labs vs Root the Box for your cyber range training needs.
ACI Learning Skill Labs: Virtual hands-on IT & cybersecurity lab platform for academic programs. built by ACI Learning. headquartered in United States. Core capabilities include Hands-on virtual lab exercises for IT and cybersecurity courses, CollegePro term-aligned lab sets (4 sets covering years 1-2 of academic programs), AI Skill Lab Sets covering AI governance, oversight, and agentic systems..
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..
Both serve the Cyber Range Training market but differ in approach, feature depth, and target audience.
Get strategic cybersecurity insights in your inbox
