Hack the Route Start free Open app Compare
Hack the Route vs TryHackMe for networking
Pick TryHackMe if you want a broad tour of cybersecurity, from web hacking to defensive work, in guided rooms in your browser. Pick Hack the Route if networking itself is what you want to learn: each lab is a small network of real Linux machines where you run ip, tcpdump and ss, watch every packet, and find and fix what broke, from your first IP address to attacking and defending a network.
Side by side
| Hack the Route | TryHackMe | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Real Linux machines on real links: each lab is a small network | Virtual machines for each room, reached in the browser or over a VPN |
| Install | Nothing to install | Nothing for most rooms; a VPN connection is an option |
| In the browser | Yes: the shells, the map and the packet capture all open in a browser tab | Yes |
| Guided steps and checks | Every lab says what to run and why, checks what you did, and has faults to switch on, find and fix | Guided rooms with tasks and questions to answer |
| Price | Free: 14 labs, no card. Pro: $15 a month or $120 a year for all 99 labs | A free tier and a paid subscription |
| Focus | Networking first, with network security on top: the Red Team, Night Watch and Sealed Lines roads cover attacks, detection and secure links | Broad cybersecurity, offensive and defensive, with some networking among it |
When to pick TryHackMe
- You want breadth across security, such as web application hacking, privilege escalation and defensive work. Hack the Route covers networking and network security only.
- You want a large community and many security learning paths to follow.
- You are aiming at a security role and want practice across many security tools.