HEAD TO HEAD
Immersive Labs vs TryHackMe: which crisis simulation platform fits your team?
THE SHORT ANSWER
On our published weights Immersive Labs scores 7.30 and TryHackMe 5.95. Immersive Labs scores higher on scenario realism, executive and board focus, measurement and after-action reporting and regulatory evidence; TryHackMe scores higher on exercise delivery effort, customisation and pricing clarity.
By The Exercise Desk · Crisis Simulation Ranked · Published 2026-10-11
Desk research from public vendor pages, vendor announcements and standards documents read between 27 September and 13 October 2026. Editorial assessment; we did not run any exercise on these platforms.
How do Immersive Labs and TryHackMe score on each criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | Immersive Labs | TryHackMe | Higher score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scenario realism | 20% | Dynamic injects and AI actors that players can question, built around the customer's playbooks. Source: Immersive Labs: Crisis Sim · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Built from industry, attack vector and tech stack, with injects the team can edit or re-prompt; adaptation to each decision is not described. Source: TryHackMe: tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Immersive Labs |
| Executive and board focus | 20% | Crisis Sim targets executives, incident leaders and cross-functional teams, and digital tabletops include the board. Source: Immersive Labs: digital tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Aimed at managers, practitioners and security leaders; the boardroom is not the focus. Source: TryHackMe: tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Immersive Labs |
| Exercise delivery effort | 15% | The AI Program Builder drafts scenarios, but the crisis simulation sits in a multi-product platform that needs programme ownership. Source: Immersive Labs: digital tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026 | The vendor states a 10-minute average launch, with unlimited exercises and participants. Source: TryHackMe: tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026 | TryHackMe |
| Measurement and after-action reporting | 15% | Decision-level measurement, a Resilience Score, benchmarks across teams and enhanced after-action reporting (March 2026). Source: Immersive Labs press release: Immersive One expands exercising and compliance benchmarking (17 March 2026) · Read 27 Sep 2026 | "Audit-ready reports" with performance insights. Source: TryHackMe: tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Immersive Labs |
| Regulatory evidence | 10% | "Prove regulatory alignment" with NIS2 and DORA evidence, NIST CSF heat maps and GRC content for ISO 27001, ISO 42001 and SOX. Source: Immersive Labs press release: Immersive One expands exercising and compliance benchmarking (17 March 2026) · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Scenarios align to NIST and ISO 27035. Source: TryHackMe: tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Immersive Labs |
| Customisation | 10% | AI scenario creation, the AI Program Builder and an AI-Powered Crisis Simulator for custom scenarios. Source: Immersive Labs press release: Secure With AI (21 January 2026) · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Industry, attack vector and stack inputs, Co-Create, editable injects and upload of the team's own IR playbooks. Source: TryHackMe: tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026 | TryHackMe |
| Pricing clarity | 10% | No price published. Source: Immersive Labs homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026 | Individual plans are published; business plans with tabletop exercises go through sales. Source: TryHackMe pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026 | TryHackMe |
| Total | 100% | Immersive Labs |
Which stages of an exercise does each cover?
Build: Documented
AI scenario creation and an AI Program Builder; scenarios built around the customer's playbooks.
Source: Immersive Labs: digital tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026
Adapt: Documented
Dynamic injects and AI actors that players can question.
Source: Immersive Labs: Crisis Sim · Read 27 Sep 2026
Seats: Documented
For executives, incident leaders and cross-functional teams; digital tabletop audiences include the board.
Source: Immersive Labs: digital tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026
Run: Not described
Who facilitates a session is not described on the pages reviewed.
Source: Immersive Labs: Crisis Sim · Read 27 Sep 2026
Report: Documented
Decision-level measurement, a Resilience Score and benchmarks; enhanced Crisis Simulation after-action reporting announced in March 2026.
Source: Immersive Labs press release: Immersive One expands exercising and compliance benchmarking (17 March 2026) · Read 27 Sep 2026
Map: Documented
"Prove regulatory alignment"; evidence for NIS2 and DORA; heat maps for NIST CSF and GRC content for ISO 27001, ISO 42001 and SOX.
Source: Immersive Labs press release: Immersive One expands exercising and compliance benchmarking (17 March 2026) · Read 27 Sep 2026
Build: Documented
Scenarios generated from industry, attack vector and tech stack; teams can upload their own IR playbooks and co-create.
Source: TryHackMe: tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026
Adapt: Partial
Facilitators can edit injects or re-prompt; branching on each player decision is not described.
Source: TryHackMe: tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026
Seats: Partial
Aimed at managers, practitioners and security leaders rather than the boardroom.
Source: TryHackMe: tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026
Run: Not described
Who facilitates a session is not described; the vendor states a 10-minute average launch.
Source: TryHackMe: tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026
Report: Documented
"Audit-ready reports" with performance insights.
Source: TryHackMe: tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026
Map: Documented
Scenarios align to NIST and ISO 27035.
Source: TryHackMe: tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026
Immersive Labs documents 5 of 6 stages and TryHackMe documents 3 of 6.
What do they cost?
Immersive Labs
Packaging: Part of the Immersive One platform alongside labs, drills and ranges; pricing through sales.
Not published Immersive Labs publishes no prices.
Source: Immersive Labs homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026
TryHackMe
Packaging: Part of TryHackMe for business; business pricing through sales.
Not published Individual plans are priced publicly; business plans, which include tabletop exercises, are not.
Source: TryHackMe pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026
Which frameworks do they map results to?
Immersive Labs
- NIS2
- DORA
- NIST CSF
- ISO 27001
- ISO 42001
- SOX
Source: Immersive Labs press release: Immersive One expands exercising and compliance benchmarking (17 March 2026) · Read 27 Sep 2026
TryHackMe
- NIST
- ISO 27035
Source: TryHackMe: tabletop exercises · Read 27 Sep 2026
Which should you choose?
Choose Immersive Labs if
- Measurement and after-action reporting: 9 / 10, Decision-level measurement, a Resilience Score, benchmarks across teams and enhanced after-action reporting (March 2026).
- Scenario realism: 8 / 10, Dynamic injects and AI actors that players can question, built around the customer's playbooks.
- Crisis simulation inside a wider readiness platform
Choose TryHackMe if
- Customisation: 9 / 10, Industry, attack vector and stack inputs, Co-Create, editable injects and upload of the team's own IR playbooks.
- Exercise delivery effort: 8 / 10, The vendor states a 10-minute average launch, with unlimited exercises and participants.
- Fast, security-team tabletops from a large training platform
Immersive Labs profileTryHackMe profileAlternatives to Immersive LabsAlternatives to TryHackMeSee them side by side
Frequently asked questions
Is Immersive Labs or TryHackMe better for executive crisis exercises?
Immersive Labs scores higher on executive and board focus (8 against 4 out of 10). Read each profile for the detail.
Which is easier to run, Immersive Labs or TryHackMe?
TryHackMe scores higher on delivery effort, where a higher score means less effort, (8 against 7 out of 10). Read each profile for the detail.
Do Immersive Labs and TryHackMe publish prices?
Neither Immersive Labs nor TryHackMe publishes a price for its exercise product.