If you are budgeting for the CPTS certification price in 2026, the honest answer is a range, not a single number: most candidates spend roughly $240–$700 USD to earn Hack The Box’s Certified Penetration Testing Specialist credential, driven mainly by which HTB Academy subscription you pick and whether you need a retake. On top of that, our mentor-supported CPTS preparation is a separate, optional layer whose fee is shown live on our product page at checkout rather than as a fixed number here. This breakdown separates the stable official fees from the variable choices, so you can plan your spend before you commit.
Table of contents
What the CPTS certification price actually covers
CPTS is Hack The Box Academy’s hands-on penetration testing certification, issued after you complete the Penetration Tester job-role path and pass a 10-day practical exam with a full penetration test report. That structure matters for pricing because your total cost splits into two independent components: HTB’s own training and exam fees, and any optional third-party preparation you add on top, such as our CPTS exam-focused materials and mentoring.
The single most stable, first-party figure is the exam voucher. HTB’s help center lists the Certified Penetration Testing Specialist exam voucher at $210 USD (or $249.9 USD including VAT) as of August 28, 2026. That fee is mandatory regardless of how you access the training content, so every realistic budget starts there.
The more visible marketing number is the bundle. HTB’s Academy certifications page advertises CPTS with a “Get certified for $490” call to action in 2026. Independent pricing breakdowns describe that $490 USD figure as the Silver Annual Academy subscription (Tier II access), which includes the full CPTS training path and one CPTS exam voucher for the year. For a candidate who finishes the path and sits the exam inside that 12-month window, this single fee often covers both training and the first attempt.
There is also a lower-cost student route. Several 2025–2026 CPTS reviews show that candidates with an academic email can use a Student plan at about $8 USD/month to access all CPTS-relevant Academy modules. If you finish the Penetration Tester path in 3–4 months, those reviews calculate an estimated total of around $242 USD: roughly $32 USD in Student subscription fees plus the official $210 USD voucher. Treat that $242 figure as a realistic estimate, not an official list price, because it combines the published voucher with community-reported subscription rates and an assumed study duration.
At the higher end, the broader Gold Annual Academy plan (Tier III access) is placed by community pricing analyses at about $1,260 USD per year in 2026, including multiple exam vouchers that can cover CPTS and other HTB certifications. A standalone retake voucher adds another $210 USD (2026) if you do not pass on the first attempt. Together these fees explain why reviewers describe the realistic CPTS certification price as landing between roughly $240 and $700 USD, depending on subscription choice, exam timing, and retakes.
Before you commit, it is worth deciding whether you want only first-party HTB training or mentor-supported preparation as well. You can review our mentor-backed options and the current regional price on the CPTS exam preparation product page and match the inclusions to your exam date.
Key price drivers that move your CPTS spend
Five concrete factors push your CPTS certification price up or down. Understanding them lets you choose a route on purpose instead of paying for capacity you never use.
Academy subscription type is the largest single lever. The Student plan runs around $8 USD/month for Tier I–II modules; the Silver Annual plan is $490 USD/year in 2026 and bundles the CPTS path plus one exam voucher; the Gold Annual plan sits near $1,260 USD/year with wider Tier III access and multiple vouchers. If you only need CPTS and can study efficiently, paying for Gold is spending for certifications you may never sit.
Exam voucher and retakes are the fixed floor. The official voucher is $210 USD (or $249.9 USD with VAT) as of August 28, 2026. A retake, if needed, adds another $210 USD unless a bundle already includes an extra attempt. Passing on the first try is the cheapest optimization available.
Study duration and pace convert directly into subscription cost. A disciplined 3–4 month Student-plan window yields the estimated $242 USD total when you need only one attempt. Slow progress or switching plans mid-year raises subscription spend without changing the fixed voucher price.
Additional HTB practice is optional. External reviews mention Hack The Box platform subscriptions around $14–$18 USD/month for active boxes and Pro Labs that some candidates use alongside Academy. These are not required for CPTS but can meaningfully add to your total.
Third-party preparation is the final lever, and it is where we fit. We offer a dedicated CPTS exam-support package aimed at compressing study time for busy professionals. The fee for that support is not published as a static number; it appears directly on the product page and at checkout, reflecting currency, region, and any active promotion.
Inclusions and exclusions at each CPTS price point
Knowing what each fee actually buys prevents double-paying or arriving at the exam under-prepared.
At the Silver Annual (~$490 USD/year, 2026) level, published Academy analyses describe access to the Penetration Tester job-role path (the required CPTS curriculum), the Tier II modules that fully cover CPTS, and one CPTS exam voucher applied after you complete the path. Exclusions at this level typically include extra retakes beyond any included voucher, non-Academy HTB content such as certain Pro Labs or separate platform subscriptions, and any third-party preparation.
For the Student plan (~$8 USD/month, 2026), reviews indicate you get Tier I–II module access suitable for completing the CPTS path, but no exam voucher is included, so you still buy the $210 USD voucher separately. The standalone $210 USD voucher buys only the exam seat: the 10-day practical engagement plus report submission and grading, with no training material attached.
Our CPTS support sits structurally on top of those HTB fees, not in place of them. We provide exam-focused resources built around CPTS objectives, mentor support whose timing and channel vary by package, and near-instant digital delivery so you can start working immediately before your scheduled exam. Two exclusions you should assume by default: we do not sell official HTB Academy subscriptions or CPTS exam vouchers, which must come directly from HTB; and no external preparation can change HTB’s prerequisites or the 10-day exam scoring rules. If you are still mapping the curriculum to your schedule, our guide on how to study for the HTB CPTS exam effectively explains where mentor support saves the most time.
HTB alone vs HTB plus our CPTS support
This like-for-like view keeps official HTB fees in one column and shows where our support layers on. Every figure is dated 2026 and in USD.
| Route (2026) | Core 2026 cost (USD) | What you get | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| HTB Student plan + voucher | Estimated $242 total ($32 subscription over 3–4 months + $210 voucher, Aug 28 2026) | CPTS path via Student subscription plus one official attempt; no retake or mentor support | Budget-conscious students with academic email and months to self-study |
| HTB Silver Annual + voucher | $490/year bundle including training and one voucher | Full CPTS path on Tier II plus one exam seat during the subscription year | Working professionals wanting one predictable annual fee |
| HTB Gold Annual (multi-cert) | ~$1,260/year with multiple vouchers and wider access | Broad Tier III curriculum and several vouchers covering CPTS and other certs | Candidates planning multiple HTB certifications in one year |
| HTB route + our CPTS support | Official HTB fees above, plus a variable price shown on our product page at checkout | HTB Academy access and exam seat, augmented with our CPTS materials and mentor support | Time-constrained professionals wanting guided, exam-focused prep |
Because we do not publish a static CPTS price table, our fee cannot honestly be expressed as a fixed or average number here; you check the current amount for your region, currency, and package on the CPTS exam preparation product page. If you are also weighing CPTS against an OffSec route, our comparison of OSCP vs CPTS key differences sets the pricing choice in context.
Exact inputs we need to quote your CPTS support
To give you a precise CPTS price including our support, we map your situation instead of quoting a generic figure. Have these details ready:
- Target certification and track — confirm you are pursuing HTB CPTS and whether you are combining it with another credential such as OSCP or CRTO.
- Exam timeline — your intended CPTS exam window (month and year) and whether an HTB voucher is already booked.
- Current HTB Academy status — whether you have finished the Penetration Tester path, are mid-way, or starting from scratch.
- Support level and format — materials only, materials plus scheduled mentor sessions, or intensive week-of-exam coaching.
- Region and currency — your billing country and preferred currency, which affect the payable amount and any VAT or sales tax.
- Previous attempts and constraints — any prior CPTS attempt, your weekly study hours, and hard deadlines such as an employer date.
With these inputs we match you to the right package and show an exact price at checkout, with no guesswork. When you are ready, open the CPTS exam preparation product page, review the inclusions and price in your currency, and finalize your purchase so your mentorship and materials line up with your scheduled HTB CPTS exam.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the official CPTS certification price in 2026?
The concrete official figures are $210 USD for the exam voucher ($249.9 USD with VAT) and $490 USD for the common bundled route (“Get certified for $490”) that pairs HTB Academy access with one voucher.
What is the cheapest realistic CPTS route right now?
For eligible students, independent 2025–2026 reports show an estimated ~$242 USD total using the Student plan (~$8 USD/month) for 3–4 months plus the $210 USD voucher. It assumes you finish the path in that window and pass on the first attempt.
Do we replace HTB Academy and the official voucher?
No. Hack The Box still requires completing the Penetration Tester path and buying its official voucher to sit the exam. We add exam-focused resources and mentor support on top of those requirements without altering HTB’s rules or fees.
Why isn’t a fixed price for our CPTS support listed here?
Our CPTS support price appears directly on the product page and at checkout and can vary with promotions, currency, and package choice. The only accurate way to see your figure is to open the CPTS product entry for your configuration.
How should I budget overall for CPTS in 2026?
A practical planning assumption is $240–$700 USD total for Academy access plus the official voucher and any retake, with extra budget reserved if you add our mentor-supported prep or extended HTB platform subscriptions.