Everyone asks this question when they’re starting out. And most answers you’ll find online are vague: “all three are great, use them together!” That’s not helpful. Let me give you a straight answer based on what actually matters: does this platform build real skills you can use in a pentest or bug bounty?
The Short Answer
- PortSwigger → Start here if you’re learning web/API security
- TryHackMe → Good for structure and fundamentals for those who are new to cybersecurity
- HackTheBox → The real test. Do this when you’re ready
Now, let me break each one down.
PortSwigger Web Security Academy
Free. No excuses not to use it.
PortSwigger is made by the same people who built Burp Suite. That matters. Every lab is built around real vulnerability classes: SQL injection, XSS, SSRF, IDOR, authentication bypasses, business logic flaws, and more.
What makes it different is the focus on manual testing. You’re not running a scanner and calling it a day. You’re understanding why the vulnerability exists, how to craft a payload, and how to exploit it step by step. That thinking process is exactly what you need in real pentests and bug bounty.
The labs go from apprentice to expert level. Apprentice is genuinely beginner-friendly. Expert is genuinely difficult. There’s no filler.
Who should use it: Anyone getting into web or API security, from zero knowledge to intermediate. It’s also valuable if you’re prepping for BSCP. Or getting into Bug hunting, web penetration testing.
The catch: It’s only web security. No AD, no network, no privesc. That’s fine: focus is good.
TryHackMe
Best for structure. Good for beginners. Those who are new to cybersecurity
TryHackMe is perfect for beginners who are just starting in the field of cybersecurity as a whole, and do not know how to use Linux, networking, cryptography, etc. Every room tells you what to do, gives you hints, and walks you through concepts. If you’ve never opened a terminal before, this is where you start.
The learning paths worth your time:
- Pre-Security: Network Fundamentals, Operating Systems Basics, etc
- Cyber Security 101: Linux and Windows Fundamentals, cryptography, etc
- Web Fundamentals: HTTP, requests, basic recon
- Web Application Pentesting: solid intro to web vulns
- Jr Penetration Tester: covers web, network, and basic privesc in a structured way
Who should use it: True beginners who are just starting a cybersecurity career as a whole and want to explore different fields, or anyone who wants a structured path with clear progression. Also useful for covering gaps in areas you haven’t touched yet.
The catch: It’s guided. The machine holds your hand. In a real pentest, nobody tells you what to look for. So don’t stay here forever: it can create a false sense of progress if you treat following walkthroughs as “learning.”
HackTheBox
This is where real skill gets tested.
HTB is difficult. Intentionally. The machines give you almost nothing: an IP address, maybe a name, and that’s it. No hints unless you pay for them. No guided steps. You figure it out, or you don’t.
The web challenges on HTB are especially sharp. Most of them come with source code. You download the app, read the code, find the vulnerability, and build an exploit. That’s not a CTF skill: that’s code review, which is a core part of real web pentesting.
The difficulty curve is honest. If you solve a medium HTB machine, you’ve actually earned it. There’s no shortcut, no point-and-click. You have to understand what’s happening.
Who should use it: Anyone past the beginner stage who wants to test real skills. The Hacker rank is a genuine checkpoint. Pro Labs (Dante, Offshore) are as close to real-world red teaming scenarios as you’ll get in a practice environment.
The catch: It’s hard to start here cold. If you jump in with no fundamentals, you’ll just read writeups without understanding anything. Build the base first.
The Honest Recommendation
It depends on where you are and where you want to go.
If you’re new to cybersecurity and don’t know where to start, begin with TryHackMe. Do Pre-Security, then Cyber Security 101. Get comfortable with Linux, networking, and the basics before anything else.
If you want to go into web security or bug bounty, PortSwigger is your main resource. Do the labs understand every vulnerability class manually. Pair it with TryHackMe’s Web Fundamentals and Web Application Pentesting paths for extra context. This combo will take you further than any course you can buy.
If you want to go into red teaming or test real offensive skills, HackTheBox is where you belong. The machines are hard, the web challenges have source code to review, and nothing is handed to you. Pro Labs like Dante and Offshore are as close to real-world red team scenarios as a practice environment gets.
Don’t try to do all three at once. Figure out your direction first, then pick the platform that matches it.
Final Thought
Free doesn’t mean worse. PortSwigger is 100% free and is arguably the most valuable platform for web security. The skills you build there: reading requests in Burp, manipulating parameters, understanding how auth flows break, directly apply to real bugs in real applications.
HTB will show you where you actually stand. There’s no better feedback than a machine you can’t crack.
Use the platforms as tools, not badges. The goal isn’t to finish every room. The goal is to actually understand what you’re doing.
Wanna start TryHackMe