Certification intelligence

Compare certifications.

Purpose, experience, cost and ongoing commitment, read side by side before you choose what to study.

Comparing 2 of 4

Two usually gives the clearest comparison. Your choices are saved in this page’s address.

Your comparison

Start with role fit and entry expectations. There is no universal winning certification.

The main trade-off

Compare a broad security foundation with an operational security credential. Check each provider's experience requirements, syllabus and renewal obligations; passing an exam and qualifying for the full credential are different questions.

There is a sensible sequence here

Compare broad security foundations with operational security administration and the SSCP experience requirement.

Both cover access, network security and incident handling. Choose against your responsibilities and eligibility; a second credential needs a specific additional purpose.

TechWaymark editorial relationship · reviewed 2026-10-05

At a glanceRead across each question

CompTIA

CompTIA Security+ V7

Retirement announced · SY0-701

ISC2

Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)

Available

Role fit

Use Security+ to organise foundational security study. Pair it with an investigation or hardening exercise you can explain, and check whether a target vacancy requires this exact credential.

Operational security study for administrators and analysts. Pair it with evidence of controls you implemented and checked.

Entry expectationsDistinguish recommended preparation from mandatory certification requirements.

CompTIA recommends Network+ and about two years in a security or systems administration role.

One year of qualifying experience in an SSCP domain; eligible degrees may satisfy the requirement. Candidates without it can pursue Associate of ISC2 and have two years to gain the experience.

Exam costAllow separately for learning resources, labs, tax and any retake.

£274

£201.69

Ongoing commitmentRenewal cycles, required learning and fees. CPE, CPD and CEU are provider-specific continuing education credits.

Renew every 3 years with 50 continuing education units (CEUs) and the CE programme fee, or an eligible exam or CertMaster CE course.

Renewal sources & exceptions

The CEU route costs US$150 in CE fees per 3-year cycle, not an annual fee. Passing the latest exam or an eligible higher CompTIA certification can renew without a separate CE fee; exam or course costs still apply. Check which lower certifications are covered.

Renewal policy checked 2026-09-28. Check the linked provider policy for current fees and eligibility.

Maintain the credential through continuing professional education and the annual maintenance fee.

Renewal sources & exceptions

Check ISC2's maintenance handbook for the SSCP credit total, eligible activities and current fee. Exam registration is a separate cost.

ISC2: Certification maintenance policy

Renewal policy checked 2026-10-05. Check the linked provider policy for current fees and eligibility.

Study planningEditorial estimates, dependent on experience and weekly hours.

2–4 months

Map the syllabus against your experience before setting a date.

You do not need both by default. Add a second credential only when it covers a distinct responsibility or requirement. The exam fee is not the full cost of becoming ready.

Suitability guidance, exam facts and sources

CompTIARetirement announced

CompTIA Security+ V7

SY0-701

Check the exam end date against your planned study and booking date.

Consider it if: Use Security+ to organise foundational security study. Pair it with an investigation or hardening exercise you can explain, and check whether a target vacancy requires this exact credential.
Skip or defer if: Treating a knowledge credential as proof of incident-handling experience.

Experience: CompTIA recommends Network+ and about two years in a security or systems administration role.
Exam cost: £274

Exam details and sources

V7 (SY0-701) launched on 7 November 2023 and retires in English on 11 June 2027, with Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai following on 13 August 2027. CompTIA has not published a successor version on this page, so sit SY0-701 and check for a V8 announcement before booking late in the window.

Format: Multiple choice + performance-based (90 min) · TechWaymark-held detail; confirm the exam version with the vendor
Renewal: Renew every 3 years with 50 continuing education units (CEUs) and the CE programme fee, or an eligible exam or CertMaster CE course.
Renewal sources & exceptions
The CEU route costs US$150 in CE fees per 3-year cycle, not an annual fee. Passing the latest exam or an eligible higher CompTIA certification can renew without a separate CE fee; exam or course costs still apply. Check which lower certifications are covered.
CompTIA: Continuing education requirements
CompTIA: Renewal fees and fee-free alternatives
Renewal policy checked 2026-09-28. Check the linked provider policy for current fees and eligibility.
Study planning: 2–4 months. Editorial estimate, dependent on experience and weekly hours.

UK storefront exam voucher only, quoted in GBP. Confirm VAT and the final booking total; training, retake assurance and renewal fees are separate. Vendor price checked 2026-09-24.

Current vendor pricing source Vendor source · record checked 2026-09-22

The record date applies to recorded vendor facts, not every price or editorial judgement.

Read guidance and practical tasks →

ISC2Available

Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)

Consider it if: You administer infrastructure or investigate security events
Skip or defer if: You need introductory IT and networking study first; You expect an exam pass alone to confer full certification

Experience: One year of qualifying experience in an SSCP domain; eligible degrees may satisfy the requirement. Candidates without it can pursue Associate of ISC2 and have two years to gain the experience.
Exam cost: £201.69

Exam details and sources

Current ISC2 credential for security administration and operations. Passing the exam alone is not the full certification.

Format: Exam format not yet verified — check the vendor's exam page
Renewal: Maintain the credential through continuing professional education and the annual maintenance fee.
Renewal sources & exceptions
Check ISC2's maintenance handbook for the SSCP credit total, eligible activities and current fee. Exam registration is a separate cost.
ISC2: Certification maintenance policy
Renewal policy checked 2026-10-05. Check the linked provider policy for current fees and eligibility.
Study planning: Map the syllabus against your experience before setting a date.

Standard exam registration. Training, maintenance fees and retakes are separate; confirm applicable tax at booking. Vendor price checked 2026-09-24.

Current vendor pricing source Vendor source · record checked 2026-10-05

The record date applies to recorded vendor facts, not every price or editorial judgement.

Read guidance and practical tasks →

Editorial assessment: three distinct criteria

These qualitative judgements are not a hiring survey. Role relevance describes where each credential fits. Employer examples and vendor requirements are linked on the individual certification pages. No overall winner is calculated.

Certification editorial assessments
Criterion	CompTIA Security+	ISC2 SSCP
Role relevance The responsibilities this credential is designed to support.	Security foundations and security-adjacent work	Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)
Practical depth Practical learning depth, not a percentage of lab questions.	low	moderate
Renewal burden Ongoing effort; lower means less maintenance.	moderate	moderate

Before you start

How to read this comparison

Each row answers one question across every certification, so the differences stand out at a glance. Vendor facts and editorial judgement are always labelled separately, and no overall winner is calculated.

Read the full methodology

Vendor facts first

Exam codes, published fees, format and renewal rules come from the vendor. Each record carries the date it was checked, and pricing links to its source.

Judgement, kept separate

Role fit, entry expectations and study planning are editorial. They sit beside the facts and are labelled as estimates, never mixed into them.

No overall winner

The board reads across each row. Which trade-off matters depends on the role you are heading for, so no total is calculated and no credential is crowned.

Frequently compared

Popular matchups

The pairings people ask about most. Add either to the board above, or open the dedicated comparison for the fuller read.

CompTIA Security+CySA+

Entry security baseline vs the analyst step-up. Security+ first, CySA+ once you're working tickets.

Open the dedicated comparison →

OSCPCPTS

The two practical offensive benchmarks. OSCP still wins on recognition; CPTS is closer to modern engagement reality.

Open the dedicated comparison →

CISSPCISM

Compare broad security practice and architecture with security programme management. Let the responsibilities you want to develop decide; both credentials have experience requirements beyond passing an exam.

Open the dedicated comparison →

CompTIA Security+ISC2 SSCP

Open the dedicated comparison →

Azure Security Engineer (AZ-500) (retired)Microsoft SC-100

An Azure security engineering exam and a security architecture credential serve different responsibilities. AZ-500 is retained for historical context; check its retirement notice and current alternative before planning new study.

Open the dedicated comparison →

Cisco CCNANetwork+

Entry networking, vendor-specific vs vendor-neutral. CCNA carries more hiring weight; Network+ is easier on-ramp.

Open the dedicated comparison →

Certified Kubernetes AdministratorCKAD

Same Kubernetes family. Admin vs developer. Pick by which side of the cluster you operate.

Open the dedicated comparison →

RHCSALFCS

Linux sysadmin, Red Hat vs distro-neutral. RHCSA dominates enterprise hiring; LFCS is the open alternative.

Open the dedicated comparison →