# Nexova Cyber Academy vs Xtreme Vulnerable Web Application (XVWA): 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). [Xtreme Vulnerable Web Application (XVWA)](https://cybersectools.com/tools/xtreme-vulnerable-web-application-xvwa) 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 | Xtreme Vulnerable Web Application (XVWA) |
|---|---|---|
| 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, Enterprise |
| GitHub stars | – | 1,745 |
| Last commit | – | Sep 2020 |
| Company | Nexova | – |
| Headquarters | – | – |

### Use cases and capabilities

| | Nexova Cyber Academy | Xtreme Vulnerable Web Application (XVWA) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | – |
| MySQL | – | Yes |
| SQL Injection | – | Yes |
| PHP | – | Yes |
| SSRF | – | Yes |
| XSS | – | Yes |
| CSRF | – | Yes |
| Vulnerable Applications | – | Yes |

### Core features

**Nexova Cyber Academy**

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

**Xtreme Vulnerable Web Application (XVWA)**

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.
- [Xtreme Vulnerable Web Application (XVWA)](https://cybersectools.com/tools/xtreme-vulnerable-web-application-xvwa) 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 Xtreme Vulnerable Web Application (XVWA) FAQ

Common questions when comparing Nexova Cyber Academy vs Xtreme Vulnerable Web Application (XVWA) for cyber range training.

### What is the difference between Nexova Cyber Academy and Xtreme Vulnerable Web Application (XVWA)?

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

**Xtreme Vulnerable Web Application (XVWA)**: XVWA is an intentionally vulnerable PHP/MySQL web application designed for security education, containing multiple common web vulnerabilities for hands-on learning and practice.

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

### Who makes Nexova Cyber Academy and Xtreme Vulnerable Web Application (XVWA)?

**Nexova Cyber Academy** is made by Nexova. **Xtreme Vulnerable Web Application (XVWA)** is open-source with 1,745 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 Xtreme Vulnerable Web Application (XVWA)?

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

## Alternatives to each

- [See all Nexova Cyber Academy alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/nexova-cyber-academy)
- [See all Xtreme Vulnerable Web Application (XVWA) alternatives](https://cybersectools.com/alternatives/xtreme-vulnerable-web-application-xvwa)

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Source: https://cybersectools.com/compare/nexova-cyber-academy-vs-xtreme-vulnerable-web-application-xvwa

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 Xtreme Vulnerable Web Application (XVWA): 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