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Hack The Box vs iluminr
Hack The Box and iluminr tie at 6.7 of 10 on our weights. Hack The Box leads on hands-on depth (9 to 2), breadth and free access (8 to 6) and pricing (6 to 1); iluminr leads on realism (7 to 6), cross-team (9 to 7), evidence (9 to 7) and effort to run (8 to 5).
Editorial assessment · Assessed from vendor sites, product pages and published pricing, September 2026
Editorial verdict
Hack The Box for hands-on labs or range work for analysts and responders; iluminr for exercises that are quick to prepare, so you can run them often.
11-1How do they score?
| Criterion | Hack The Box | iluminr |
|---|---|---|
| Realism (22%) | 6 | 7Higher |
| Cross-team (20%) | 7 | 9Higher |
| Evidence (16%) | 7 | 9Higher |
| Effort to run (14%) | 5 | 8Higher |
| Hands-on depth (12%) | 9Higher | 2 |
| Breadth and free access (8%) | 8Higher | 6 |
| Pricing (8%) | 6Higher | 1 |
| Weighted total | 6.7 | 6.7 |
11-2How do pricing and formats compare?
| Question | Hack The Box | iluminr |
|---|---|---|
| What it sells | Technical training platform with a large learner community, plus Crisis Control, a platform-led tabletop with optional hands-on investigation. | Operational resilience exercising for boards, executives and crisis teams, from 3–5 minute microsimulations to facilitated tabletops, with evidence mapped to regulations. |
| Formats | Tabletop and crisis simulation, Hands-on labs | Tabletop and crisis simulation |
| Audiences | Executives and board, Incident response team, SOC analysts | Executives and board, Incident response team, Whole company |
| How it is delivered | Online platform; Crisis Control tabletops are platform-led with facilitator guidance | Microsimulations, team exercises and facilitated tabletops |
| Free access | HTB Academy free start; Lite plan 14-day free trial | No free tier |
| Published price | Professional plan $2,500 per seat per year ($250 per seat per month); other plans not published | Not published |
| Pricing notes | Professional plan published. Lite, Base and Ultimate plans and Crisis Control are not priced publicly. | Not published, contact sales. |
Choose Hack The Box if
- You need hands-on labs or range work for analysts and responders: Hack The Box scores 9 to 2 here.Academy modules, Professional Labs, machines and CTFs, plus optional hands-on investigation inside the tabletop.
- You need a published price to budget against before a sales call: Hack The Box scores 6 to 1 here.Professional plan published at $2,500 per seat per year; the other business plans are not priced publicly.
Choose iluminr if
- You need exercises that are quick to prepare, so you can run them often: iluminr scores 8 to 5 here.3–5 minute individual microsimulations and 30–45 minute team exercises make frequent practice practical.
- You need executives, legal, communications and responders in the same exercise: iluminr scores 9 to 7 here.Built for boards, executives, crisis teams and risk functions, from single-player microsimulations to multiplayer team drills.
11-3Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Hack The Box or iluminr?
They tie at 6.7 of 10 on our weights. Hack The Box leads on 3 of seven criteria and iluminr on 4. The better choice depends on your gap: see the criterion table above.
Which is cheaper, Hack The Box or iluminr?
Hack The Box: Professional plan $2,500 per seat per year ($250 per seat per month); other plans not published. iluminr: Not published. Prices in different currencies or units are not directly comparable.
Can you use Hack The Box and iluminr together?
They overlap on tabletop and crisis simulation, so most teams choose one of them for that format. Hack The Box also sells hands-on labs, which iluminr does not.
Sources: hackthebox.com/business, hackthebox.com/business/tabletop-exercises, hackthebox.com/business/pricing, hackthebox.com, academy.hackthebox.com, iluminr.io, iluminr.io/pricing · Reviewed Sep 2026