LetsDefend vs CyberDefenders (2026): Which Fits You?

LetsDefend and CyberDefenders both train defenders, so they end up on the same shortlist. But they are built around different jobs. LetsDefend puts you in a simulated SOC where alerts arrive and you investigate them. CyberDefenders gives you blue team labs in the browser across DFIR, threat hunting, threat intelligence and malware analysis.

That difference matters more than any feature list. In our view, the right question is not "which is better" but "which stage am I at, and which job do I want next?" This post lays out what each platform offers, what it costs where prices are public, and who each one suits. At the end we introduce EpicDetect, our own platform, as a third option for complete beginners, along with the things it does not do.

Last checked: October 2026

What is LetsDefend?

LetsDefend's core format is a simulated SOC environment: alerts arrive and you investigate them, much like a Tier 1 analyst working a queue. Around that sit courses, challenges, quizzes and hands-on labs.

It organises learning into career paths: SOC Analyst, Incident Responder and Detection Engineering, with certificates of completion on paid plans. The roles it lists include SOC Analyst, Incident Responder, Detection Engineer, DFIR, SIEM Engineer and Threat Hunter.

One piece of context: Hack The Box acquired LetsDefend, announcing it on 16 September 2025. HTB says 191 defensive courses from LetsDefend are now integrated into HTB Academy. LetsDefend's own site still sells its plans, so you can buy either way.

Credit where it is due: if you want repetitions on the core Tier 1 motion of picking up an alert and deciding what it is, an alert-queue format is the most direct way to practise it.

What is CyberDefenders?

CyberDefenders runs blue team labs in the browser with zero setup. Its domains include DFIR, threat hunting, threat intelligence and malware analysis. It is free to start: you can create an account and begin without paying.

It also has two certifications:

• CCDL1 is entry-level SOC analyst training and certification, covering Tier 1 SOC skills. Splunk and SPL practice is part of the prep.
• CCDL2 (formerly CCD) is a threat hunting and DFIR certification with a 48-hour practical exam.

Credit where it is due here too: in-browser labs with no setup remove the biggest hurdle of investigation practice, which is building and maintaining your own environment. And a 48-hour practical exam is a serious, hands-on way to prove DFIR and hunting skills.

How much does LetsDefend cost in 2026?

As of October 2026, from the LetsDefend pricing page:

• Basic: free. Free courses, challenges, quizzes, hands-on labs for 1 hour a month, and limited SOC Analyst alerts.
• VIP: $24.99/month, or $16.99/month billed annually. 140 lab hours a month.
• VIP+: $39.99/month, or $29.99/month billed annually. Unlimited lab hours, Incident Responder alerts and courses, and connecting to endpoint machines.

There is a 50% student discount with a .edu email. You can cancel any time, and the subscription ends at the end of the billing cycle. Prices change, so check their site before you buy.

How much does CyberDefenders cost in 2026?

CyberDefenders shows its pricing only after sign-in, so we are not quoting a figure here. Pricing is shown after you create a free account, and creating one costs nothing. Check the CyberDefenders labs page for the current offer.

LetsDefend vs CyberDefenders: side by side

LetsDefend prices from the LetsDefend pricing page, as of October 2026. Prices change, check their site before you buy.

Which should you pick?

These are our opinions, based on the formats above. Use them as a starting point, not a verdict.

You want to work in a SOC and have never triaged an alert. In our view, LetsDefend is the closer match to that day-one job. Its whole format is alerts arriving and you investigating them, and its SOC Analyst path is built around that role. The free Basic plan lets you see the format before paying.

You already know the basics and want deeper investigation work. We'd lean towards CyberDefenders. Its labs cover DFIR, threat hunting, threat intelligence and malware analysis, which are the areas many analysts grow into after Tier 1.

You want a hands-on certification. It depends on the level. CCDL1 is aimed at entry-level SOC analysts and includes Splunk/SPL practice in the prep. CCDL2 is a threat hunting and DFIR certification with a 48-hour practical exam, so it suits someone heading towards hunting or DFIR rather than a first job. LetsDefend offers certificates of completion for its career paths on paid plans, which is a different thing from a certification exam.

You are aiming for incident response or detection engineering. LetsDefend has dedicated Incident Responder and Detection Engineering paths, and VIP+ adds Incident Responder alerts and courses. CyberDefenders covers DFIR and threat hunting through its labs and CCDL2. Look at both and pick the one whose content lines up with the job ads you are reading.

You are a student on a budget. LetsDefend has a 50% student discount with a .edu email. CyberDefenders is free to start. Try both free options before spending anything.

Can you use both?

Yes, and in our view it can make sense to use them in sequence rather than choosing one forever. This is opinion, not a rule:

1. Start with alert triage on LetsDefend, so you learn the rhythm of a SOC queue: what an alert is, what to check first, when to escalate.
2. Move to CyberDefenders labs once triage feels routine, and use them to go deeper into the evidence behind an alert: DFIR, hunting, threat intel and malware analysis.
3. If you want a credential at the end, look at CCDL1 for an entry-level SOC focus, or CCDL2 once hunting and DFIR are your direction.

The order can flip if you already work in IT and want forensics depth first. The point is that the two platforms cover different stages, so overlap is smaller than it looks.

For more on each platform on its own, see our LetsDefend review and alternatives and CyberDefenders alternatives.

Where does EpicDetect fit? (Disclosure: it's ours)

EpicDetect is our platform, so read this section with that in mind. We think it fits one reader in particular: the complete beginner or career changer who wants one free place to learn fundamentals and practise investigating before choosing between platforms like these two. It is browser-based, with nothing to install, and has four parts.

Cases. Five live investigations, all free, set at one fictional finance firm called Straylight. Each one has a code, such as ED-101 Open Enrollment Benefits Notice (email analysis) or ED-104 VPN Auth Spray Against Treasury Staff (log/SIEM analysis). You read a briefing, work the evidence in a console that matches the case (email, threat intel, SIEM/log search or endpoint), pin the evidence that supports your call, and finish with a verdict and the IOCs, like a real ticket. Most take 10-20 minutes and they work on phones as well as desktops.

Adventures. Season Zero is free: five episodes, roughly 3-4 hours in all, following a new analyst through a first week. Each episode moves through a briefing, checkpoints, challenges and a debrief, and the investigation carries across episodes. Season One adds five more episodes on Premium.

The Atlas. A skill map of nine zones, from foundations through SOC, detection, threat intel and hunting, laid out in tiers you climb in order. You pick a route at sign-up, such as SOC Analyst or Security+, and the map shows your next step. As of October 2026 there are 60 modules and 9 tracks live. The first tier of each zone is free, and many lessons include typed-answer questions you cannot skip.

Exam prep. Free: the 20-question Security+ practice test (no account needed, scored against the pass line, shows your weakest domain) and the Security+ daily drill, 10 questions a day with every answer explained. Premium adds the Security+ track (8 modules, 46 lessons in exam order), timed exam simulators for Security+, Network+, A+ Core 1 and Core 2, and nine Security+ flashcard decks with spaced review.

The free plan needs no card and has no time limit. Premium is $25/month, or $180/year ($15/month billed annually), with a 7-day free trial.

Now the honest part. EpicDetect does not have a SIEM-style alert queue or simulated SOC monitoring environment, which is LetsDefend's core format. If alert-queue reps are what you want, LetsDefend is the better fit. We also have no memory or disk forensics labs and no malware reverse-engineering labs, which is where CyberDefenders focuses. And we have no proctored certification, no offensive content, no cloud labs and no incident-responder career path.

If you want to see how we compare head to head with LetsDefend, read EpicDetect vs LetsDefend.

FAQ

Is LetsDefend or CyberDefenders better for beginners?

It depends on what you mean by beginner. If you want to practise the Tier 1 SOC job directly, LetsDefend's alert-based format is the closer match in our view. If you want investigation labs across DFIR, hunting, threat intel and malware analysis, CyberDefenders is the closer match. Both can be started for free.

Is CyberDefenders free?

CyberDefenders is free to start. Its pricing is shown after you create a free account, so check there for paid options.

How much is LetsDefend in 2026?

As of October 2026, LetsDefend's Basic plan is free, VIP is $24.99/month ($16.99/month billed annually) and VIP+ is $39.99/month ($29.99/month billed annually), with a 50% student discount for .edu emails. Prices change, check the LetsDefend pricing page before you buy.

What is the difference between CCDL1 and CCDL2?

CCDL1 is CyberDefenders' entry-level SOC analyst training and certification, with Splunk/SPL practice in the prep. CCDL2, formerly called CCD, is a threat hunting and DFIR certification with a 48-hour practical exam.

Who owns LetsDefend?

Hack The Box, which announced the acquisition on 16 September 2025. LetsDefend's own site still sells its plans.

How EpicDetect Can Help

If you are still deciding between platforms, start with a story instead of a sales page. Adventures Season Zero is free: five episodes of a first week on a SOC team, roughly 3-4 hours in all. It is a quick way to find out whether investigation work suits you before you pay anyone.

If you want structure around it, the Atlas shows your next step on a route like SOC Analyst, and the five free cases give you short, ticket-style investigations to practise on.

Start free. No card needed.

Sources

• LetsDefend pricing: https://app.letsdefend.io/pricing
• Hack The Box acquires LetsDefend: https://www.hackthebox.com/blog/hack-the-box-acquires-letsdefend
• HTB Academy pricing and LetsDefend course integration: https://www.hackthebox.com/blog/new-academy-pricing
• CyberDefenders blue team labs: https://cyberdefenders.org/blue-team-labs/
• CCDL1: https://cyberdefenders.org/certifications/certified-cyberdefender-level1/
• CCDL2: https://cyberdefenders.org/certifications/certified-cyberdefender-level2/