# Certifications [checked October 22, 2026]
SOC analyst certifications compared
Fourteen certifications that SOC and security analyst candidates commonly weigh, compared on the things that change what you actually pay and prove: how the exam is assessed, how long it is, what the price includes, and what it costs to keep. Every value comes from the issuer's own page on the date shown. Where an issuer did not publish a price, showed two different prices, or loaded it in a way we could not capture, the table says so instead of guessing.
9 of 14 prices are verified. Prices can differ by country and change without notice — confirm on the official page before you buy.
| Certification | Level | Assessment | Exam length | Keeping it | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Team Level 1 (BTL1) Centri (sold at centri.org) | Entry | Practical | 24 hours | £399 GBP | None stated |
| Cisco CCNA Cybersecurity (200-201 CCNACBR) Cisco | Entry | Multiple choice | 120 minutes | $300 | Pass the current exam or a higher Cisco exam, or earn 30 CE credits, within three years. |
| CompTIA Security+ CompTIA | Entry | Mixed / hands-on items | 90 minutes | Not verified | Not verified in this check |
| CyberDefenders Certified CyberDefender Level 1 (CCDL1) CyberDefenders | Entry | Practical | Not captured in this check | $599 | Optional membership at $299/year after the included 4 months (labs access, not required to stay certified). |
| EC-Council Certified SOC Analyst (C|SA) EC-Council | Entry | Multiple choice | 3 hours | Not published | Not captured in this check |
| Google Cybersecurity Certificate (Coursera) Google, via Coursera | Entry | Course-assessed | Self-paced; Google says many learners finish in 3–6 months at 5–10 hours a week | $49/month | None stated |
| ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) ISC2 | Entry | Multiple choice | Not captured in this check | $199 | $50 annual maintenance fee and 45 CPE credits per three-year cycle. |
| TryHackMe Security Analyst Level 1 (SAL1) TryHackMe | Entry | Mixed / hands-on items | 6 hours of timed sections inside a 24-hour window | Conflicting | Not captured in this check |
| CompTIA CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst) CompTIA | Intermediate | Mixed / hands-on items | 165 minutes | Not verified | Not verified in this check |
| HTB Certified Defensive Security Analyst (HTB CDSA) Hack The Box | Intermediate | Practical | Not captured in this check | Not verified | Not captured in this check |
| Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate (SC-200) Microsoft | Intermediate | Mixed / hands-on items | 100 minutes | $165 | Free online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn every 12 months. |
| Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Analyst Splunk | Intermediate | Multiple choice | 75 minutes | $130 | Not captured in this check |
| GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) GIAC | Advanced | Mixed / hands-on items | 4 hours | $999 | $499 renewal fee per GIAC's pricing page. |
| GIAC Security Operations Certified (GSOC) GIAC | Advanced | Mixed / hands-on items | 2 hours | $999 | $499 renewal fee per GIAC's pricing page. |
How to read this table
- Practical means the exam is an investigation or lab task you complete, not a question bank. Mixed means questions plus performance-based or hands-on items.
- Price is the list price on the issuer's page for the item described on each record page. "Not verified" means we could not capture an official figure; "Conflicting" means the official page showed more than one price.
- Keeping it summarises renewal fees and requirements where the issuer states them. Some are not captured yet and are marked as such.
Not sure where to start? The training planner turns this table into a sequenced plan for your starting point and budget. Method and limits are described in the editorial policy.