LetsDefend vs TryHackMe (2026): Which for Blue Team?

You want to work in a SOC, and two names keep coming up: LetsDefend and TryHackMe. Both are browser-based training platforms, both have a free tier, and both have a SOC analyst path. They are built around different ideas, though, and the right pick depends on what you need to practise next.

This guide compares them on the things that matter to a blue team learner: what each one costs, how you actually learn on it, what the SOC path looks like, and what you can show for it at the end. Then we say which one we would pick for different kinds of reader, including when a third option might suit you better.

Last checked: October 2026. Every price and feature below comes from each platform's public pages, linked in Sources at the end.

What is the core difference between LetsDefend and TryHackMe?

LetsDefend is built around a simulated SOC environment: alerts arrive and you investigate them. Around that sit courses, challenges, quizzes and hands-on labs. Its career paths are SOC Analyst, Incident Responder and Detection Engineering. Since September 2025 it has been owned by Hack The Box, which announced the acquisition on 16 September 2025. HTB says 191 defensive courses from LetsDefend are now integrated into HTB Academy, and LetsDefend's own site still sells its plans.

TryHackMe is a broad training platform that covers both offensive and defensive topics. It describes itself as having 1,000+ interactive labs, organised into learning paths. Its blue team route starts with the SOC Level 1 path, and it runs its own certification, SAL1 (Security Analyst Level 1), which includes a practical section in TryHackMe's SOC simulator.

Put simply: LetsDefend focuses on defensive work with the alert queue at the centre. TryHackMe focuses on guided learning paths across the whole of security, with a defensive path you can follow from day one.

How much do LetsDefend and TryHackMe cost in 2026?

Prices are as of October 2026. Prices change, so check their sites before you buy.

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.
• 50% student discount with a .edu email. Cancel any time; the subscription ends at the end of the billing cycle.

TryHackMe (pricing page; prices as shown to a US visitor, which may vary by region):

• Free: $0. Limited access to learning paths, free content only, and a 1-hour daily limit on the in-browser attack machine.
• Premium: $18.11/month, or $11.19/month billed annually. Full access to beginner learning paths, a certificate of completion per path, an unlimited in-browser machine, and 15% off certifications.
• MAX: $30.73/month, or $18.99/month billed annually. Adds advanced paths, advanced cloud content, and 40% off one certification.

On list price, TryHackMe Premium costs less per month than LetsDefend VIP, both monthly and annually. What you get for the money is different, though, so compare the format before the price.

LetsDefend vs TryHackMe: side by side

Sources: LetsDefend pricing, TryHackMe pricing, TryHackMe SOC Level 1, TryHackMe SAL1.

What does the SOC path look like on each?

TryHackMe SOC Level 1 is a defined path: 14 modules and 65 hands-on labs, with an estimated time of 65 hours 29 minutes, rated Easy. With Premium you get a certificate of completion for the path. If you like a clear list that tells you what to do tonight, this is a strong option.

LetsDefend's SOC Analyst path is one of three career paths, alongside Incident Responder and Detection Engineering, with certificates of completion on paid plans. The roles it lists also include DFIR, SIEM Engineer and Threat Hunter. The difference you will feel day to day is the alert queue: you open alerts from the simulated SOC and work out what happened. If your main goal is getting comfortable with the rhythm of triage, LetsDefend is built for exactly that.

Which certificate is worth more for a SOC job?

TryHackMe's SAL1 is its own certification: multiple-choice questions plus a practical section in TryHackMe's SOC simulator. Premium gives you 15% off certifications and MAX gives you 40% off one certification. Separately, Premium includes a certificate of completion for each path you finish.

LetsDefend gives certificates of completion on its paid plans for its career paths.

In our view, for a first SOC job the thing that moves a hiring manager most is being able to talk through an investigation you did, step by step: what you saw, what you ruled out, and why you closed it the way you did. Use whichever platform gets you doing more investigations, and write them up.

Which should you pick?

Our opinion, by reader type:

• You are brand new and want structure. We would start with TryHackMe. The SOC Level 1 path gives you an ordered list of 65 labs, and Premium is the lower of the two entry-level paid prices here.
• You know the basics and want alert-triage reps. We would pick LetsDefend. A simulated SOC with alerts arriving is its core format, and triage is the core of a tier 1 analyst's shift.
• You are not sure if you want red team or blue team. TryHackMe, because it covers both and you can try each side before committing.
• You are heading toward incident response or detection engineering. LetsDefend, which has separate career paths for both. VIP+ adds Incident Responder alerts and connecting to endpoint machines.
• You are on a student budget. Check LetsDefend's 50% student discount with a .edu email, and compare it with TryHackMe's annual Premium price.
• You are weighing Hack The Box as well. HTB now owns LetsDefend, so read letsdefend-vs-hack-the-box-2026 before you pay for both.

In our view, the two pair well: TryHackMe for the guided fundamentals, then LetsDefend for triage practice once the fundamentals stick. For a wider look at the field, see our LetsDefend review and alternatives guide.

Is there a third option worth a look?

Yes, and to be upfront: it is ours. EpicDetect is a browser-based SOC and Security+ training site, nothing to install. It is not a like-for-like replacement for either platform, so here is what it does and what it does not.

Cases. Five live investigations, all free, set at one fictional finance firm called Straylight. Each starts with a briefing. You 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. In ED-104, "VPN Auth Spray Against Treasury Staff", you show the multi-user VPN failure burst from a single external IP, pin the first successful VPN session that followed the spray, and ship the attacker IP and compromised mailbox as IOCs with a supported verdict. Each case takes 10 to 20 minutes, and they work on a phone as well as a desktop.

Adventures. Story-driven SOC shifts. Season Zero is free: five episodes, roughly 3-4 hours in all, where you are a new analyst in your first week, working alongside Ed and Tess. Each episode moves through a briefing, checkpoints, challenges and a debrief, and the investigation carries on 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: a 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, free with an account. 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.

What EpicDetect does not have: a SIEM-style alert queue simulator, a proctored certification, offensive content, memory or disk forensics labs, malware reverse-engineering labs, cloud labs, or an incident responder career path. If alert-queue reps are what you want, LetsDefend is the better fit for that. Where we think EpicDetect fits best is a beginner who wants one free place to learn fundamentals, practise a continuous investigation, and prepare for Security+ in the same subscription. There is a full head-to-head in epicdetect-vs-letsdefend-2026.

FAQ

Is LetsDefend or TryHackMe better for SOC analysts?

They suit different stages. In our view, TryHackMe's SOC Level 1 path (14 modules, 65 labs) is the easier starting point for a complete beginner, and LetsDefend's simulated SOC alerts are the better fit once you want triage practice.

Is LetsDefend part of Hack The Box now?

Yes. Hack The Box announced it had acquired LetsDefend on 16 September 2025, and says 191 defensive courses from LetsDefend are now integrated into HTB Academy. LetsDefend's own site still sells its plans.

Can I use LetsDefend and TryHackMe for free?

Both have a free tier. LetsDefend Basic includes free courses, challenges, quizzes, 1 hour of hands-on labs a month and limited SOC Analyst alerts. TryHackMe Free gives limited path access, free content only and a 1-hour daily limit on the in-browser attack machine.

Does TryHackMe have a SOC simulator?

TryHackMe's SAL1 certification includes a practical section in TryHackMe's SOC simulator, alongside multiple-choice questions.

How long does TryHackMe SOC Level 1 take?

TryHackMe estimates 65 hours 29 minutes for the path's 14 modules and 65 hands-on labs.

How EpicDetect Can Help

If you are still choosing a platform, the cheapest test is a free one. Play Adventures Season Zero: episode 1, "First Day", takes 30-40 minutes. Tess sits with you on your first reported email, and the next one is yours alone. By the end you will know whether a continuous investigation suits the way you learn.

If you want to see the whole route first, open the Atlas and pick SOC Analyst or Security+. If Security+ is on your list too, the free 20-question Security+ practice test shows your weakest domain, no account needed.

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
• TryHackMe pricing: https://tryhackme.com/pricing
• TryHackMe SOC Level 1 path: https://tryhackme.com/path/outline/soclevel1
• TryHackMe Security Analyst Level 1 (SAL1): https://tryhackme.com/certification/security-analyst-level-1