# Nexova Cyber Academy vs Pentest Lab: side-by-side comparison (2026)

[Nexova Cyber Academy](https://cybersectools.com/tools/nexova-cyber-academy) is a commercial [cyber range training](https://cybersectools.com/categories/cyber-range) solution by [Nexova](https://cybersectools.com/companies/nexova). [Pentest Lab](https://cybersectools.com/tools/pentest-lab) is a free [cyber range training](https://cybersectools.com/categories/cyber-range) solution. Features, integrations, deployment and the company behind each one, side by side.

## Side-by-side comparison

| | Nexova Cyber Academy | Pentest Lab |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Commercial | Free |
| Category | Cyber Range Training | Cyber Range Training |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | Hybrid | On-Premises |
| Company size fit | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | Startup, SMB, Mid-Market |
| GitHub stars | – | 209 |
| Last commit | – | Jun 2025 |
| Company | Nexova | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Nexova Cyber Academy | Pentest Lab |
|---|---|---|
| Cyber Range | Yes | – |
| Tabletop Exercises | Yes | – |
| Red Team | Yes | Yes |
| Blue Team | Yes | – |
| Ransomware | Yes | – |
| Critical Infrastructure | Yes | – |
| Security Culture | Yes | – |
| Education | Yes | – |
| Gamification | Yes | – |

### Core features

**Nexova Cyber Academy**

9 features listed. Sign in on the page to see them.

**Pentest Lab**

No features listed.

## Which one fits you

Based on what each listing shows: deployment, company size, price and open source.

- [Nexova Cyber Academy](https://cybersectools.com/tools/nexova-cyber-academy) fits if you need both cloud and on-premises options and you are an enterprise.
- [Pentest Lab](https://cybersectools.com/tools/pentest-lab) fits if you need to run it on your own servers, you are a startup, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.

## Nexova Cyber Academy vs Pentest Lab FAQ

Common questions when comparing Nexova Cyber Academy vs Pentest Lab for cyber range training.

### What is the difference between Nexova Cyber Academy and Pentest Lab?

**Nexova Cyber Academy**: Built by Nexova.

**Pentest Lab**: Local pentest lab using docker compose to spin up victim and attacker services.

The table above shows where their features, integrations, deployment and company size fit differ.

### Who makes Nexova Cyber Academy and Pentest Lab?

**Nexova Cyber Academy** is made by Nexova. **Pentest Lab** is open-source with 209 GitHub stars. The vendor behind a product decides its roadmap, support, and longevity, so check each company's profile before you commit.

### Is Nexova Cyber Academy a good alternative to Pentest Lab?

Often, yes. Nexova Cyber Academy and Pentest Lab are both Cyber Range Training products, and both cover Red Team. Key differences: Nexova Cyber Academy is Commercial while Pentest Lab is Free, Pentest Lab is open-source. Use the table above to see where features, deployment and company size fit differ.

## Related comparisons

- [Nexova Cyber Academy vs MetaCTF Cloud Labs / Cloud Ranges](https://cybersectools.com/compare/metactf-cloud-labs-cloud-ranges-vs-nexova-cyber-academy)
- [Nexova Cyber Academy vs Sanctum Security Parallax](https://cybersectools.com/compare/nexova-cyber-academy-vs-sanctum-security-parallax)
- [Nexova Cyber Academy vs GemForge Labs](https://cybersectools.com/compare/gemforge-labs-vs-nexova-cyber-academy)
- [Pentest Lab vs MetaCTF Cloud Labs / Cloud Ranges](https://cybersectools.com/compare/metactf-cloud-labs-cloud-ranges-vs-pentest-lab)
- [Pentest Lab vs Sanctum Security Parallax](https://cybersectools.com/compare/pentest-lab-vs-sanctum-security-parallax)
- [Pentest Lab vs GemForge Labs](https://cybersectools.com/compare/gemforge-labs-vs-pentest-lab)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Nexova Cyber Academy alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/nexova-cyber-academy)
- [See all Pentest Lab alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/pentest-lab)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/nexova-cyber-academy-vs-pentest-lab

For AI agents: each product above has its own Markdown page (add .md to its URL, for example https://cybersectools.com/tools/nexova-cyber-academy.md). Every CybersecTools shortlist is listed at https://cybersectools.com/shortlists.md.

More on Nexova Cyber Academy and Pentest Lab: funding, momentum, hiring and news, plus the full product and company record, are available through the Mandos MCP Server (paid plans), which connects to AI assistants: https://mandos.io/mcp?utm_source=cybersectools.com&utm_medium=compare-md