GPEN vs OSCP
| GPEN GIAC (SANS) | OSCP OffSec | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Offensive · Intermediate | Offensive · Intermediate |
| Price | $979 Exam attempt only; the SANS SEC560 course costs over USD 8,000. | $1,749 PEN-200 course with 90 days of lab access and one exam attempt. |
| Study hours | 80–120 h | 300–600 h |
| Real difficulty | ●●●○○ | ●●●●○ |
| Exam | Multiple choice Length: 3 h | Hands-on Length: 24 h |
| Validity | 4 years (credits + fee) | OSCP does not expire; OSCP+ lasts 3 years |
| Job ads in United States | – | – |
| Avg. salary | – | – |
| Index | – | – |
| Summary | Well respected in large companies and the public sector, usually paid by the employer together with the SANS course. Open-book exam with lab questions. | The pentesting certification most requested in job ads. A 24-hour exam plus a report. Expensive, but it still opens more doors than any other hands-on cert. |
Highlighted: the best in that row.