awesome-vulnerable-apps vs Damn Vulnerable Web Application (DVWA): Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

Security teams building internal cyber ranges or red team labs should use awesome-vulnerable-apps for its curated library of real vulnerable applications; the 1,229 GitHub stars reflect active community maintenance and regular updates rather than abandoned code. This works best for hands-on training where learners need to exploit actual CVEs in isolated environments, not for compliance checkbox exercises or managed security service delivery. Skip it if your team needs guided labs with scoring rubrics or instructor dashboards; awesome-vulnerable-apps is a raw ingredient list, not a packaged training platform.