IO Wargame vs Hack The Box Hacking Labs: 2026 Comparison
IO Wargame is a free cyber range training tool. Hack The Box Hacking Labs is a commercial cyber range training tool by Hack The Box. 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:
Security teams building incident response muscle memory on a shoestring budget should start with IO Wargame; it's free, runs offline, and lets defenders practice under fire without needing enterprise licensing or infrastructure. The platform supports multiple scenario versions and distributed team play, which means your analysts can train together across shifts without coordination overhead. Skip this if your organization needs structured compliance reporting or instructor-led curriculum tied to certifications; IO Wargame is a sandbox for hands-on reps, not a formal training program.
Security teams building a defensible workforce need Hack The Box Hacking Labs to make hands-on training stick at scale; 1,720 labs across difficulty levels mean junior analysts and architects both find relevant practice without the friction of lab sprawl. The platform covers both NIST ID.RA and PR.AT functions, with Sherlocks forensics modules and Guided Mode walkthroughs reducing the setup tax that kills most training programs before they gain momentum. Skip this if your org needs simulation of your actual infrastructure or red-team coordination; Hack The Box is a skills foundry, not an incident response sandbox.
