# Practice platforms
LetsDefend is moving to Hack The Box: what learners should know
LetsDefend built its reputation on a simulated SOC: alerts arrive in a queue and you investigate them the way a Tier 1 analyst would. When we reviewed Google results for SOC training queries in October 2026, it was still being recommended by name in AI-generated summaries and community threads. The platform is now being folded into Hack The Box, which changes what you should buy and where new material will appear.
What has been announced?
On September 16, 2025, LetsDefend posted that it had “officially signed an agreement to be acquired by Hack The Box”[LetsDefend]. At the time it reported 1,200+ lessons, 320+ simulated SOC alerts and 120+ challenges.
As of our check on October 22, 2026, a notice on LetsDefend’s pricing page says[LetsDefend]:
- all LetsDefend courses and challenges have been added to Hack The Box Academy and Labs;
- SOC alerts will follow by the end of 2026;
- starting October 15, Hack The Box platforms are the exclusive home for new courses and challenges;
- annual LetsDefend subscriptions are no longer sold, and the pricing page points annual buyers to Hack The Box.
What does LetsDefend cost right now?
| Plan | Price listed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0 | Free courses and limited features; 1 hour a month of hands-on labs |
| VIP | $24.99/month | |
| VIP+ | $39.99/month |
Source: LetsDefend pricing page[LetsDefend], checked October 22, 2026.
What should you do if you are choosing a platform now?
Editorial judgment:
- Avoid paying for long LetsDefend commitments. Annual plans are already gone, and new content is going to Hack The Box. A monthly plan for a specific goal is lower risk.
- If you want the simulated alert queue specifically, note that SOC alerts are the part still due to move by the end of 2026. Until then, LetsDefend remains where they live.
- If you are starting from zero, a fundamentals-first platform is still the usual first step. TryHackMe Premium was listed at $16.99/month (or $10.50/month billed annually) on our check date[TryHackMe].
- If you want investigation-style labs, CyberDefenders’ CyberRange was listed at $25/month[CyberDefenders].
We will update this page when Hack The Box or LetsDefend publishes migration details. See all practice platform prices.
Sources
- LetsDefend: letsdefend.io/blog/letsdefend-joining-hack-the-box — checked 2026-10-22, direct HTTP fetch
- LetsDefend: app.letsdefend.io/pricing — checked 2026-10-22, rendered in a headless browser
- TryHackMe: tryhackme.com/pricing — checked 2026-10-22, rendered in a headless browser
- CyberDefenders: cyberdefenders.org/pricing/ — checked 2026-10-22, rendered in a headless browser
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