CertCompass
10 certifications covered

Cybersecurity
certifications.

Honest, in-depth analysis of every major cybersecurity certification — costs, difficulty, what employers actually value, and whether each one is worth it.

6

Defensive certs

4

Offensive certs

7

Beginner-friendly

10

Total reviewed

All certifications

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Each card links to our deep-dive comparison guide.

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CompTIA Security+

Defensive · Foundation

$425
Beginner Industry standard

ISC2 CC

Defensive · Foundation

Free*
Beginner Growing

Google Cybersecurity Certificate

Defensive · Foundation

~$300
Beginner Career changers

TryHackMe SAL1

Defensive · Hands-on

$349
Beginner New (2025)

CompTIA CySA+

Defensive · SOC

$404
Intermediate Strong

Microsoft SC-900

Defensive · Cloud

$99
Beginner Microsoft ecosystem

eJPT v2

Offensive · Hands-on

$249
Beginner Best entry pentest

TCM PJPT

Offensive · Budget

$199
Beginner Growing

CompTIA PenTest+

Offensive · Vendor-neutral

$404
Intermediate Strong (DoD 8140)

CEH

Offensive · Theory

$1,199
Intermediate Global, controversial
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10 Best Certs for Beginners

In-depth analysis with pros/cons, who should pick each, and which to skip.

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