Top Platforms to Practice Ethical Hacking in 2025

Source: Pentesterlab

This is one of the best platforms for hacking online practice. The platform offers courses on web application hacking, penetration testing, network security, reverse engineering, and more. Their courses are a little pricey, but they are well worth it. The courses are designed in such a way that they cover all aspects of ethical hacking, from basic to advanced levels. The platform also provides certification programs for different levels of expertise in ethical hacking. Some tests require more advanced knowledge, but they're not common. 

Features:

• Realistic scenarios and challenges for learning web penetration testing.
• Extensive coverage of web vulnerabilities and exploits.
• Step-by-step guides and detailed explanations.
• Certificates of completion for courses.
• Interactive exercises and practical labs.

Pricing:

• Free and premium courses available.
• Premium subscription with additional features and advanced courses.

Basic	Student	Pro
Free	$34.99/3 Months	199.99/3 Months

Rating:

• Highly regarded for its practical approach and in-depth content.

3. HackThisSite

Source: Wikipedia

This site provides vulnerable systems to test your skills on. It also hosts an entire community to learn about IT security and share information about everything from penetration testing tools to ethical hacking techniques. The system is split into different levels, with each level having a different difficulty level and many challenges. The levels range from easy to advance, so it's great for beginners and experts alike! HackThisSite has an entire community behind it, so you can learn more about other people's experiences and ask questions if needed. So, try to practice ethical hacking online on this site.

Features:

• A wide variety of hacking challenges and missions.
• Realistic scenarios ranging from basic to advanced levels.
• Community-driven with forums and user-generated content.
• Educational resources and tutorials.

Pricing:

• Free to use.

Rating:

• Popular among beginners and hobbyists for its community and diverse challenges.

4. HellBound Hackers

Source: hbh

HellBound Hackers, is an online community that brings together hackers from around the world who love sharing their knowledge with others through tutorials, guides, and forums. The website focuses on teaching people how to protect themselves against hackers rather than how to use hacking tools and techniques themselves. It offers great resources for beginners and those who want to learn advanced hacking techniques like exploiting mobile devices and networks using Wi-Fi-related vulnerabilities like KRACK or BlueBorne attacks (which affect Android devices). 

Features:

• Extensive range of hacking challenges including web, network, and cryptography.
• Community forums and collaboration opportunities.
• Tutorials and articles for learning different hacking techniques.
• Regular updates with new challenges and content.

Pricing:

• Free access to challenges and resources.

Rating:

• Well-regarded for its community support and variety of challenges.

Top Websites to Practice Ethical Hacking 

The best way to learn ethical hacking is through practice. If you want to learn how to hack, you need to take Cyber Security classes online. In addition, many websites offer ethical hacking challenges where users can test their skills and earn badges by completing various challenges. 

1. TryHackMe

Source: Tryhackme

TryHackMe is another website where users can hack into vulnerable machines using their tools and techniques. The site lets users set up their servers and invite others to try and break into them using exploits they've found or developed themselves. This allows users to learn how real-world systems respond under attack while also allowing them to hone their skills by trying their hand at increasingly complex challenges over time as they become more comfortable with ethical hacking. 

Features:

• Guided and self-paced labs for learning cybersecurity.
• Interactive rooms covering various topics and skills.
• Learning paths for structured progress.
• Integration with tools like OpenVPN for real-world practice.
• Certifications upon completion of certain pathways.

Pricing:

• Free and premium subscriptions available.
• Premium offers additional content and features.               

Free	Premium	Business
$0	$10.50/Per Month	$40/Per User/Month

Rating:

• Highly rated for its user-friendly interface and Complete learning paths.

2. Security Shepherd

This OWASP fragile initiative focuses on web app and smartphone app flaws. The program is available for download on GitHub and can be installed directly on your computer. Skilled programmers can then work on various ethical hacker certification practice test tasks while improving their expertise. Users can also obtain help from hints if they get trapped. The tasks are centered on understanding the top ten OWASP problems and other frequent flaws. This platform allows users to take many different courses based on their expertise, from beginner to advanced levels. This is a reputable website to Practice Ethical Hacking, rapidly growing in popularity.

Features:

• Focus on web application security training.
• Variety of challenges ranging from beginner to advanced.
• Detailed tutorials and hints for each challenge.
• Educational resources and references.
• Gamified learning experience.

Pricing:

• Free access to all challenges.

Rating:

• Appreciated for its educational focus and detailed explanations.

3. Defend the Web

Defend the Web is another great website that offers free courses on ethical hacking and penetration testing. The courses are divided into web app security, mobile app security, and information security management system (ISMS). You can also check out their blog, where they post articles related to cybersecurity news, tools, and tutorials. The site also features an impressive list of tools that can be used by hackers and security professionals alike, including Metasploit, Nmap, and Aircrack-ng. 

Features:

• Interactive challenges focused on web security.
• Community-driven with forums and user interactions.
• Regular updates with new challenges and content.
• Educational articles and resources.

Pricing:

• Free access.

Rating:

• Popular for its active community and variety of challenges.

4. Game of Hacks

This website offers challenges in various categories like cryptanalysis, reverse engineering, forensics, web security, etc. You must solve problems in each category and earn points based on the difficulty level of the challenge. You also get a rank depending on your performance in each challenge. Once you complete all the challenges at a particular level, you are promoted to the next rank, and if you fail in any challenge, you'll be demoted to the previous rank.

Features:

• Interactive game for learning web security vulnerabilities.
• Real-time scenarios and problem-solving.
• Focus on identifying and fixing vulnerabilities.
• Educational and fun approach to learning.

Pricing:

• Free access.

Rating:

• Well-received for its engaging and interactive format.

5. CTFlearn

CTFlearn is an online platform that provides users with various hacking challenges to help them learn the skills necessary to become an IT security professional. The site has many different categories, including cryptography, malware analysis, network security, web application security, etc. In addition, users earn points as they practice ethical hacking and complete an ethical hacker certification practice test, which can be redeemed for certificates or badges from many different colleges and universities. The interface is user-friendly, and it has a large community where you can learn from other users.

Features:

• Capture The Flag (CTF) challenges covering various topics.
• Community-driven with user-generated challenges.
• Educational resources and hints for beginners.
• Regular competitions and events.

Pricing:

• Free access.

Rating:

• Highly rated for its community engagement and diverse challenges.

6. Root Me

Root Me is another free platform that allows users to learn how to hack into systems by completing challenges. There are currently over 100 challenges available on the site that cover several different topics like networking protocols (PPTP), mobile devices (Android), operating systems (Linux), and more. Each challenge has its own set of instructions, so you'll know exactly what needs to be done to complete it. This site provides an online learning environment for cyber defenders, who will use their skills to protect against attacks on their systems.

Features:

• Extensive range of CTF challenges and labs.
• Covers web security, cryptography, reverse engineering, and more.
• Community forums and support.
• Regularly updated with new challenges.
• Educational resources and tutorials.

Pricing:

• Free access with optional premium content.

Rating:

• Renowned for its comprehensive and challenging content.

7. BodgeIt Store

BodgeIt Store is one of the best websites to practice ethical hacking. It contains a wide range of tutorials and articles on ethical hacking, which will help you learn the basics of penetration testing, web security, etc. In addition, it includes multiple courses on ethical hacking, networking, and much more.

Features:

• Deliberately vulnerable web application for testing.
• Realistic e-commerce site scenario.
• Ideal for learning and practicing web application security.
• Open-source and customizable.

Pricing:

• Free to use.

Rating:

• Widely used for educational purposes in security training.

8. HackerRank

HackerRank is a platform where you can solve coding challenges to improve your programming skills and get rewarded with certificates if you solve all the problems correctly within the time limit. The platform has over 1 million developers solving coding challenges every day to improve their skill sets in different areas such as algorithms, data structures, etc. It is one of the best platforms for practicing ethical hacking online, free of cost!

Features:

• Coding challenges and competitions across various domains.
• Focus on algorithms, data structures, and programming.
• Skill assessments and certifications.
• Community and leaderboard features.

Pricing:

• Free and premium subscriptions available.
• Premium offers additional features and content.

Basic	Starter	Pro
Free	$100/Per Month	$450/Per Month

Rating:

• Highly regarded for coding practice and competitive programming.

What is Ethical Hacking?

Ethical hacking tests a system, network, or computer for security holes and vulnerabilities. To do this, one must first understand how a hacker works, how they think, and attack. Ethical hacking is also known as penetration testing, white-hat hacking (or white hat hackers), or vulnerability assessment/testing (VAT). CEH V12 certification courses are required to succeed in the field.

Hackers are very intelligent people who know how to find their way around computers and systems to access information that is not theirs. They use this information for criminal purposes or to expose security flaws in the system. People who want to become successful ethical hackers must take CEH-certified ethical hacker practice exams.

A good ethical hacker reverse-engineers software, identifies potential issues, and collaborates with developers to fix them before they become security threats. They also know how to protect themselves from identity theft. Ethical hacking is different from cybercrime: while cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities to steal personal information, ethical hackers find and fix these vulnerabilities to prevent harm.

Here are some reasons why you should consider practicing ethical hacking in these controlled environments:

What is the Importance of Practicing Ethical Hacking?

To develop any type of skill, practice is a must! Thus, you need to practice your ethical hacking skills to achieve proficiency, which makes you eligible for real-life operations.

You should practice ethical hacking in lab environments to avoid real-life implications. Use cloud or home-based labs to safely practice hacking techniques without compromising real infrastructure or data.

1. Provides a Safe Learning Environment

While learning a new skill, making mistakes is natural. Therefore, practice ethical hacking in lab environments. Here, mistakes have no detrimental consequences, allowing you to repeat scenarios, identify errors, correct them, and improve your skills.

2. Helps You Try Out Various Hacking Tools

In ethical hacking, there is a wide array of tools and techniques which you can use to execute an attack. Ethical hacking labs can enable you to try out all of them, note their effects, and understand which technique is suitable based on a given scenario.

3. Facilitates Overall Skill Development

When performing ethical hacking operations, you need to locate and take advantage of system flaws. As you keep practicing in lab environments, your expertise in identifying these security loopholes increases, thus enhancing your efficiency as an ethical hacker.

What Are Ethical Hacking Labs?

Ethical hacking labs are controlled environments for simulating real-world situations and practicing hacking skills. These labs, ideal for ethical hacking, come with pre-configured networks, applications, and operating systems for various attacks like vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, and password cracking. Separated from your main operating system, they are secure, customizable, and provide a safe, legal environment to hone your hacking skills.

You can build ethical hacking labs at home using virtual machines (VMs), unpatched operating systems, and vulnerable VMs. Alternatively, cloud-based labs require no setup—just open an account and start practicing. These labs offer diverse scenarios to acquaint you with the latest hacking techniques and cyber threats. Being cloud-based, they provide convenient, anytime access, making them ideal for learning ethical hacking.

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Conclusions

Throughout my career, I've found numerous websites for ethical hacking that offer valuable insights and certified ethical hacker practice tests. I recommend KnowledgeHut's CEH V12 certification for enhancing hacking skills, as it provides comprehensive training for those looking to practice ethical hacking.

Ethical hacking operates within legal boundaries, unlike unethical hacking, which involves illegal activities like data theft. The key distinction is permission; ethical hackers access systems with explicit authorization, ensuring their actions are legal and ethical.