NodeGoat vs WebGoat: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
NodeGoat is a free secure code training tool. WebGoat is a free secure code training tool. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best secure code training fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of available product data, here is our conclusion:
Junior developers and AppSec teams building internal training programs should use NodeGoat because it maps directly to OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities with runnable Node.js code you can actually break and fix, not just read about. The project has 2,021 GitHub stars and costs nothing, making it ideal for bootstrap security education before developers touch production code. Skip this if you need a scoring system, compliance reporting, or automated remediation; NodeGoat is a teaching tool, not a scanner, and it won't integrate into your CI/CD pipeline.
Security teams building developer training programs need WebGoat because it's free, actively maintained by OWASP, and lets developers exploit real vulnerabilities in a sandbox rather than memorizing attack vectors. With 9,028 GitHub stars and regular updates, it has genuine community adoption that keeps the vulnerability catalog relevant. Skip it if you need role-based training paths or compliance reporting; WebGoat is a teaching tool, not a tracking tool, and works best paired with instructor oversight rather than self-paced certification programs.
