TL;DR: TryHackMe is the most beginner-friendly way to learn how AI systems get attacked and defended, because you practise in a browser instead of watching videos. It is free to start with hundreds of free rooms and one hour of its AttackBox lab machine a day. Premium, at $10.50 a month billed annually, unlocks the full beginner learning paths and unlimited AttackBox time. Start free; pay only when a full path pulls you in.
Bottom line: best first step if you want hands-on AI security skills, not just AI theory.
What is TryHackMe?
TryHackMe is a browser-based learning platform built around short, guided exercises called rooms, grouped into learning paths by job role. It made its name in cyber security, and it now runs a dedicated AI Security learning path — 25 rooms across 5 modules, roughly 40 hours, structured around the OWASP LLM Top 10 — plus a newer Agentic AI Security path covering how AI agents get hijacked and defended. The first AI room, The Building Blocks of AI, explains AI, machine learning, neural networks and LLMs from the ground up and needs no prior rooms. You learn by doing tasks inside real lab environments, not by passively watching lectures. If you prefer learning by reading and coding at your own pace instead, our KodeKloud review covers a lab-heavy alternative for cloud and AI courses.
How much does TryHackMe cost?
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Free rooms only (650+ free rooms per TryHackMe), limited access to learning paths, AttackBox capped at 1 hour per day |
| Premium | $10.50/month billed annually ($16.99 month-to-month) | Full access to beginner learning paths, unlimited AttackBox, a certificate of completion for each path, 15% off TryHackMe certifications |
| MAX | $17.99/month billed annually ($29.11 month-to-month) | Everything in Premium plus advanced learning paths, advanced cloud content, a persistent AttackBox, recent-threat labs, and 40% off one certification |
Prices display in your local currency on TryHackMe’s pricing page; the figures above are the amounts listed there on the check date. There is no separate per-course fee: one subscription covers the paths in its tier.
What the pricing page doesn’t make obvious
Two things catch beginners out. First, TryHackMe’s professional certifications (such as its AI security certificate, AI1) are sold separately — Premium only gives you 15% off, while the certificates of completion for finishing a learning path are included. Second, the newest Agentic AI Security path is not fully included with Premium: its first module is free for everyone, but the full path is included with MAX only, per TryHackMe’s own path page. If AI agents are your main goal, that tier gate decides what you should buy.
What’s good
- A genuinely usable free tier. Hundreds of free rooms and a daily hour of AttackBox time let you build real skills before paying anything.
- No setup. The AttackBox lab machine runs in your browser, so there is nothing to install or configure.
- AI content that is current. The AI Security path is built around the OWASP LLM Top 10, and the Agentic AI path works through the full OWASP Agentic Top 10 inside a live multi-agent system you can attack and defend.
- Clear structure. Paths map to job roles, so a beginner always knows the next step instead of facing a giant course catalogue.
What’s not so good
- It teaches AI security, not AI building. If you want to train models or build apps with Python, a coding-first platform fits better — see our CBT Nuggets review for broader IT training, or start with a fundamentals credential like the one in our CompTIA AI Essentials review.
- The free hour runs out fast. One hour of AttackBox a day is enough to taste a room, not to finish a long one in a single sitting.
- Tier gates on the newest content. Advanced and agentic AI material sits behind MAX, so the cheapest plan does not cover everything AI-related.
Who is TryHackMe best for?
Complete beginners who want a job-relevant, practical route into AI security: students, career changers, and working IT or security staff whose organisations are starting to deploy AI systems. It is a poor fit if your goal is data science, model development, or a general no-code introduction to AI tools.
Frequently asked questions
Is TryHackMe really free?
Yes. A free account gives you 650+ free rooms, introductory rooms in the major learning paths, and one hour of AttackBox time per day, with no time limit on the free plan itself.
Does TryHackMe teach AI, or only cyber security?
Both. Its AI Security path teaches how AI and LLMs work and how they are attacked and defended, and its Agentic AI Security path covers securing AI agents. It does not teach you to build or train your own models.
Do I get a certificate?
Premium and MAX include a certificate of completion for each learning path you finish. TryHackMe’s professional certifications are separate paid exams; Premium takes 15% off and MAX takes 40% off one certification.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. TryHackMe lists its paid plans as cancel-anytime, and the free plan needs no payment details.
Verdict
TryHackMe earns its place as the beginner pick for AI security: a real free tier, honest flat pricing, and hands-on AI content you cannot get from video courses. Take the free rooms and the first AI module first — if you are still going after a week, Premium at $10.50 a month billed annually is easy to justify. Only step up to MAX if the agentic AI material is specifically what you came for.
Prices checked 2026-11-09 and can change — confirm on the platform’s site before buying.