# Nexova Cyber Academy vs Sadcloud: 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). [Sadcloud](https://cybersectools.com/tools/sadcloud) 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 | Sadcloud |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Commercial | Free |
| Category | Cyber Range Training | Cyber Range Training |
| Verified | No | No |
| Deployment type | Hybrid | Cloud |
| Company size fit | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise | SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | – | 757 |
| Last commit | – | Jul 2021 |
| Company | Nexova | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Nexova Cyber Academy | Sadcloud |
|---|---|---|
| Cyber Range | Yes | – |
| Tabletop Exercises | Yes | – |
| Red Team | Yes | – |
| Blue Team | Yes | – |
| Ransomware | Yes | – |
| Critical Infrastructure | Yes | – |
| Security Culture | Yes | – |
| Education | Yes | Yes |
| Gamification | Yes | – |
| AWS | – | Yes |
| Infrastructure as Code | – | Yes |
| Misconfiguration | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Nexova Cyber Academy**

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

**Sadcloud**

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.
- [Sadcloud](https://cybersectools.com/tools/sadcloud) fits if you want a cloud product, you need a free product and you want an open-source product.

## Nexova Cyber Academy vs Sadcloud FAQ

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

### What is the difference between Nexova Cyber Academy and Sadcloud?

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

**Sadcloud**: A Terraform tool that creates intentionally misconfigured AWS infrastructure with 84 vulnerabilities across 22 services for security training and testing purposes.

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

### Who makes Nexova Cyber Academy and Sadcloud?

**Nexova Cyber Academy** is made by Nexova. **Sadcloud** is open-source with 757 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 Sadcloud?

Often, yes. Nexova Cyber Academy and Sadcloud are both Cyber Range Training products, and both cover Education. Key differences: Nexova Cyber Academy is Commercial while Sadcloud is Free, Sadcloud 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)
- [Sadcloud vs MetaCTF Cloud Labs / Cloud Ranges](https://cybersectools.com/compare/metactf-cloud-labs-cloud-ranges-vs-sadcloud)
- [Sadcloud vs Sanctum Security Parallax](https://cybersectools.com/compare/sadcloud-vs-sanctum-security-parallax)
- [Sadcloud vs GemForge Labs](https://cybersectools.com/compare/gemforge-labs-vs-sadcloud)

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Nexova Cyber Academy alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/nexova-cyber-academy)
- [See all Sadcloud alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/sadcloud)

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

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 Sadcloud: 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