Comparison

Hacker Sim vs Security Lab

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Hacker Sim

Build a digital empire through strategic hacking, trading, and mining. Manage your "Heat" level, complete contracts, and upgrade your rig. Features a new story mode where you battle a cyber threat.

Highlights
  • Story Mode with branching objectives
  • Multi-stage hacking mechanics
  • Real-time Heat management system
  • Simulated cryptocurrency market trading
  • In-game crypto mining
  • Botnet building and management
  • Hardware and skill upgrades
Features
Read full description

Your rig is humming. The target is live. One clean breach and the Blacknet pays out. Hacker Sim is a layered hacking strategy game — not a tapper. Run live multi-stage breaches, upgrade your rig, trade a simulated crypto market, and keep your Trace low enough to stay invisible. Your operation keeps earning while you're away. RUN LIVE BREACHES Recon. Penetrate. Escalate. Extract. Cleanup. Every stage shifts your odds, payout, and Trace exposure. Push deeper for a bigger score, or abort before the grid lights up. MANAGE TRACE Every action leaves a signal. Let Trace climb and targets harden, success rates fall, and the net closes in. Cool down, lay low, and choose your moment to strike again. BUILD YOUR RIG Upgrade CPU, RAM, GPU, storage, network, and cooling. Better hardware means faster breaches, higher success rates, and stronger mining output. EARN WHILE YOU'RE AWAY Mining rigs and botnets keep working when the app is closed. Come back to stacked earnings, finished research, and a cache waiting to be claimed. TRADE THE BLACKNET Track a simulated crypto market with live price movement, volatility, and portfolio value — then unlock the Trading Desk to buy, sell, and ride the swings. COMPLETE CONTRACTS Time-boxed contract work with escalating rewards and streaks. Operator Pass members unlock the Operator Contract Board with higher-value objectives. RESEARCH NEW CAPABILITIES Develop your Research Lab to unlock new methods, skills, and permanent advantages for breaching, mining, and staying hidden. CLAIM DAILY CACHES Log in daily to build your streak and collect escalating rewards. Operator Pass unlocks a second Daily Cache Lane every day. PLAY STORY MODE Step into Aegis Sentinel's SOC in Circuit Breakers — a narrative cyber thriller where you triage threats, investigate incidents, and battle The Choir across episodic missions with branching choices. COMPETE AND PROGRESS • Earn cash, reputation, achievements, and titles • Climb Game Center leaderboards • Long-term progression that respects your time OPERATOR PASS Full Blacknet membership: the Trading Desk, Operator Contract Board, a second Daily Cache Lane, Circuit Breakers access, extra operation capacity, an extra research queue, and no ads on sponsored rewards. IMPORTANT Hacker Sim is a strategy simulation game. It does not teach, enable, or encourage real hacking. All hacking, crypto, malware, botnet, and market systems are fictional and simulated for entertainment only. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Security Lab

Features
Read full description

ENTER THE TERMINAL. INVESTIGATE. RESPOND. MASTER THE SYSTEM. Step into the role of a cybersecurity operator in Security Lab: Terminal, an interactive educational cyber simulation where every mission tests your analytical skills, decision-making and security knowledge. Build your career from trainee to experienced security operator as you investigate incidents, analyse evidence, defend simulated networks and make increasingly important operational decisions. OPERATE A LIVING CYBERSECURITY LAB • Work through an evolving campaign and mission system • Monitor live incidents in SOC Live • Explore and defend networks through the interactive Netmap • Investigate threats using Threat Intelligence • Preserve and analyse evidence in Digital Forensics • Examine suspicious samples in Malware Lab • Conduct structured Threat Hunts • Build and tune detections in Detection Engineering • Connect evidence through Unified Case Fusion • Make strategic decisions through Operations Command MASTER THE TERMINAL Learn practical cybersecurity concepts through a simulated command-line environment. Scan sandbox hosts, assess exposed services, investigate logs, respond to incidents, patch systems and improve network resilience. Everything takes place inside a fictional training environment. Security Lab: Terminal does not scan, attack or modify real external networks. BUILD YOUR OPERATOR Earn XP and reputation, unlock skills, complete challenges, develop strategic mastery and track your progression through achievements and Game Center leaderboards. KEEP OPERATING The world does not simply end with the campaign. Dynamic Operations provides renewable objectives based on your current operational weaknesses, while the simulated adversary adapts to your command decisions. TRAIN. INVESTIGATE. DEFEND. COMMAND. Security Lab: Terminal is designed for cybersecurity learners, students, enthusiasts and anyone who wants to experience the thinking behind modern defensive security operations. One purchase. No ads. No subscriptions.

Screenshots

Hacker Sim4 screens
Security Lab3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Hacker Sim at Free against Security Lab's $1.99. Hacker Sim also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). Security Lab's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 16) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Hacker Sim is free to download; Security Lab costs $1.99 up front. Hacker Sim sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Security Lab asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hacker Sim ships an update every 5 weeks, Security Lab every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Hacker Sim versus Security Lab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHacker SimSecurity Lab
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.6 (17 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings17 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 8 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB7 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperJOBEE DEVELOPMENTS LTDAdrian Dmitruk

In-app purchases

16 purchases

Hacker Sim

Subscriptions2
  • Operator Pass Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Operator Pass Annual$39.991 Year
One-time14
  • Extra Streak Freeze$0.99
  • Cash Pack (Small)$1.99
  • Heat Amnesty Token$1.99
Show 11 more
  • Recovery Kit$2.99
  • Crypto Stash (Small)$2.99
  • Heat Insurance (1hr)$2.99
  • Field Kit$3.99
  • Cash Pack (Medium)$3.99
  • Black Budget Cache$4.99
  • Research Boost Bundle$4.99
  • Crypto Stash (Medium)$5.99
  • Circuit Breakers Forever$6.99
  • Cash Pack (Large)$9.99
  • Lifetime Operator License$14.99
None

Security Lab

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hacker Sim free?
Hacker Sim is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Security Lab free?
Security Lab costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Hacker Sim or Security Lab have ads?
Hacker Sim shows ads; Security Lab does not.
Which is updated more often, Hacker Sim or Security Lab?
Hacker Sim ships an update every 5 weeks, and Security Lab every 8 days. Most recently, Hacker Sim was updated on September 28, 2026 and Security Lab on September 29, 2026.

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