9 Best OWASP Juice Shop Alternatives (2026) + Docker Setup

OWASP Juice Shop is the gold standard for practicing web application security — a realistic Node.js e-commerce application with 100+ security challenges built in. But it isn’t the right tool for every situation. Some teams need PHP or Java environments to match their production stack. Others need older vulnerability patterns, broader OWASP Top 10 coverage, or a lighter-weight lab that starts in seconds.

This guide covers the 9 best OWASP Juice Shop alternatives for 2026 — what each one covers, who it’s best for, and how to get it running in Docker.

Why Look for Juice Shop Alternatives?

Juice Shop’s strengths are also its constraints:

Modern JavaScript stack only — Node.js/Express backend, Angular frontend. If your team writes Java, PHP, Python, or Go, Juice Shop’s source code doesn’t represent your actual attack surface.
CTF-style challenges — the scoreboard and hint system make it excellent for training, but it’s less useful if you need a raw vulnerable application to benchmark a scanner against.
Node.js complexity — Juice Shop’s architecture is realistic, which makes it harder to isolate specific vulnerability classes. Simpler apps are better for teaching one vulnerability at a time.
No Java/PHP taint flows — SAST tools trained on PHP or Java SQL injection patterns need a PHP or Java test bed.

Most serious security programs use 2–3 deliberately vulnerable applications, each covering different needs. Juice Shop for realistic DAST testing; DVWA or WebGoat for language-specific SAST benchmarking; bWAPP for breadth.

1. DVWA — Damn Vulnerable Web Application

Best for: OWASP Top 10 fundamentals, PHP SAST benchmarking, beginners

DVWA is the most widely deployed deliberately vulnerable application in existence. It’s a PHP/MySQL application built specifically for learning — every vulnerability page shows the source code and comes in three difficulty levels (Low, Medium, High), making it ideal for both learners and security tool developers.

What DVWA covers:

SQL Injection (including blind injection)
Command Injection
Cross-Site Scripting (Reflected and Stored)
CSRF
File Upload (unrestricted)
Local and Remote File Inclusion (LFI/RFI)
Brute Force
Insecure CAPTCHA
Weak Session IDs

docker run --rm -it -p 80:80 vulnerables/web-dvwa
# Open http://localhost/
# Default credentials: admin / password
# Click "Create / Reset Database" before logging in

Why use it over Juice Shop? DVWA exposes PHP source code, making it the benchmark for testing SAST tools against PHP codebases. If you’re evaluating whether a scanner detects SQL injection in PHP, DVWA’s /vulnerabilities/sqli/source/low.php is the reference test. Juice Shop doesn’t give you PHP source.

Limitation: The UI is functional but dated. It doesn’t represent a modern web application architecture.

2. WebGoat — OWASP’s Java Training Platform

Best for: Java developers, structured security learning, Java SAST benchmarking

WebGoat is OWASP’s Java-based security training platform. Each lesson explains a vulnerability category, walks through an attack step-by-step, and requires the learner to successfully exploit it before advancing. It’s more structured and educational than DVWA.

What WebGoat covers:

SQL Injection (including blind and order-by injection)
Cross-Site Scripting
Insecure Deserialization (Java-specific)
Path Traversal
JWT attacks
Access Control failures
XML injection / XXE
Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

docker run -it -p 8080:8080 -p 9090:9090 webgoat/webgoat
# Open http://localhost:8080/WebGoat
# Register to create an account

Why use it over Juice Shop? WebGoat’s Java source code is the benchmark for SAST tools targeting Java/Spring applications. It also covers Java-specific vulnerability classes (deserialization, XML binding issues) that don’t exist in Juice Shop’s Node.js architecture.

Limitation: The lesson-based format makes it less suitable for free-form DAST scanning. Use Juice Shop for DAST; WebGoat for Java SAST benchmarking and developer training.

3. bWAPP — Buggy Web Application

Best for: Breadth of vulnerability types, advanced practitioners

bWAPP (Buggy Web Application) covers 100+ vulnerability types — more than any other single deliberately vulnerable application. If you want exposure to vulnerability classes beyond the standard OWASP Top 10, bWAPP is where to go.

Coverage beyond OWASP Top 10:

SSRF (Server-Side Request Forgery)
XML injection and XXE
LDAP injection
SMTP injection
HTML5 security issues (localStorage, WebSockets)
Heartbleed (simulated)
Shellshock (simulated)
Client-side vulnerabilities (HTML injection, JavaScript injection, CSS injection)
iFrame injection

docker run -d -p 80:80 raesene/bwapp
# Open http://localhost/bWAPP/install.php first
# Then log in at http://localhost/bWAPP/login.php
# Default credentials: bee / bug

Why use it over Juice Shop? bWAPP covers vulnerability classes that Juice Shop doesn’t — particularly older-generation attacks (Heartbleed simulation, Shellshock simulation, LDAP injection) and a wider range of injection types. For comprehensive scanner coverage testing, bWAPP’s breadth is unmatched.

Limitation: The UI is older and some simulated vulnerabilities (Heartbleed, Shellshock) require additional setup to function correctly. Not as realistic as Juice Shop for DAST workflow testing.

4. NodeGoat — Vulnerable Node.js Application

Best for: Node.js/Express teams, JavaScript SAST benchmarking

NodeGoat is OWASP’s deliberately vulnerable Node.js application, covering the OWASP Top 10 with vulnerability patterns specific to the JavaScript/Node.js ecosystem.

Node.js-specific vulnerabilities:

NoSQL injection (MongoDB query manipulation)
Server-Side JavaScript injection (eval() misuse)
Prototype pollution
Insecure Express session configuration
Missing security headers
Dependency vulnerabilities (vulnerable npm packages)

git clone https://github.com/OWASP/NodeGoat
cd NodeGoat
npm install
docker-compose up
# Open http://localhost:4000/
# Default: admin / Admin_123

Why use it over Juice Shop? NodeGoat uses Express.js patterns that are more representative of typical Node.js backend APIs than Juice Shop’s more complex architecture. For teams building standard Express.js APIs, NodeGoat’s source code is a better benchmark for SAST tools than Juice Shop. It also explicitly includes MongoDB injection patterns.

Limitation: Requires Docker Compose and takes longer to set up than single-container alternatives.

5. HackTheBox Web Challenges

Best for: Advanced practitioners, realistic CTF-style web challenges, real-world vulnerability patterns

HackTheBox offers a library of web application security challenges that go significantly beyond what any local vulnerable app covers. Challenges include real CVE-style vulnerabilities in real frameworks, logic flaws, and chained attack scenarios.

What HackTheBox web challenges cover:

Template injection (SSTI in Jinja2, Smarty, Pebble)
Deserialization attacks in PHP, Java, and Python
Authentication bypass via JWT manipulation
SQL injection in modern ORMs
Server-side prototype pollution
SSRF chained with internal service exploitation
Race conditions

Why use it over Juice Shop? HackTheBox challenges represent real-world vulnerability patterns found in production applications — not toy examples. When you can consistently solve Medium and Hard-rated HTB web challenges, you’re finding the same vulnerability classes that appear in enterprise security assessments.

Limitation: HackTheBox is primarily a training platform, not a locally deployable scanner benchmark. For SAST/DAST tool testing, use a locally deployed application.

6. PortSwigger Web Security Academy

Best for: Structured learning, web security fundamentals to advanced, completely free

PortSwigger Web Security Academy is the most comprehensive free web security training resource available. Each topic includes labs that run in the browser — no local setup required.

Topics covered (free):

SQL injection (15+ labs including blind, time-based, and out-of-band)
XSS (30+ labs covering all contexts)
CSRF, SSRF, XXE, CORS
HTTP request smuggling
Authentication vulnerabilities
Business logic flaws
Advanced clickjacking and DOM-based attacks

Why use it over Juice Shop? PortSwigger’s labs are targeted — each lab tests exactly one vulnerability class in a realistic but controlled context. The explanatory content is among the best in the industry. Labs run in the browser, so there’s nothing to install or configure.

Limitation: Labs are browser-based and can’t be scanned by local SAST/DAST tools. Not suitable for scanner benchmarking.

7. VulnHub

Best for: Download-and-run VM-based challenges, network + web combined scenarios

VulnHub hosts downloadable VMs with pre-configured vulnerable systems — covering both network exploitation and web application vulnerabilities on the same machine. Many VulnHub VMs are retired HackTheBox machines.

Common VulnHub web scenarios:

Apache/PHP applications with injection vulnerabilities
WordPress and CMS installations with plugin vulnerabilities
Web applications as entry points to privilege escalation chains

Why use it over Juice Shop? VulnHub scenarios combine web vulnerabilities with post-exploitation — ideal if you’re preparing for OSCP or want to practice web attacks as part of a full attack chain (web → remote code execution → privilege escalation → root flag).

Limitation: VMs can be large downloads and require a hypervisor (VirtualBox, VMware). Not suitable for quick scanner benchmarking.

8. OWASP WebScarab NG + Altoro Mutual (AltoroJ)

Best for: Java web application security testing, banking application simulation

AltoroJ is a vulnerable Java/JSP banking application maintained by IBM for security tool testing. It simulates a realistic banking portal with SQL injection, XSS, path traversal, and insecure authentication.

Why use it? AltoroJ’s banking application context — account transfers, transaction history, user management — provides a more realistic business context than DVWA or WebGoat. It’s a standard benchmark for enterprise DAST tools.

# Clone and run locally
git clone https://github.com/AppSecDev/AltoroMutual
cd AltoroMutual
mvn package
java -jar target/altoromutual.war
# Open http://localhost:8080/
# Default credentials: admin / admin

9. TryHackMe Web Learning Paths

Best for: Guided learning, beginners to intermediate, structured progression

TryHackMe offers guided web security learning rooms — browser-based labs with step-by-step instructions covering specific vulnerability classes. The Jr Penetration Tester and Web Fundamentals paths cover the OWASP Top 10 in a structured format.

Why use it alongside Juice Shop? TryHackMe’s guided format fills the gap between reading about a vulnerability and actually exploiting it. The rooms break down exactly what to do and explain why each step works — more educational scaffolding than Juice Shop’s open-ended challenge format.

Choosing the Right Juice Shop Alternative

Goal	Best Option
PHP SAST benchmarking	DVWA
Java SAST benchmarking	WebGoat
Node.js SAST benchmarking	NodeGoat
Realistic DAST testing	OWASP Juice Shop (or AltoroJ)
100+ vulnerability types	bWAPP
Advanced real-world challenges	HackTheBox
Free structured learning (no setup)	PortSwigger Web Security Academy
Full attack chain (web → root)	VulnHub
Guided learning for beginners	TryHackMe

Most security programs run two or three of these simultaneously:

Juice Shop or DVWA — for DAST tool testing and realistic application scanning
WebGoat or NodeGoat — for language-matched SAST benchmarking
PortSwigger Academy — for structured vulnerability learning

Using These Applications to Benchmark Security Scanners

The primary professional use of deliberately vulnerable applications is benchmarking SAST and DAST tools before deploying them on production code.

SAST Benchmarking Checklist

Clone the source code of your target app (DVWA, WebGoat, NodeGoat) from GitHub
Run your SAST scanner against the source directory
Verify it flags known-vulnerable functions — e.g., the SQL injection in DVWA’s vulnerabilities/sqli/source/low.php
Check Medium and High difficulty levels — the same vulnerability, slightly obfuscated
Measure false positives — does it flag the safe versions on the High difficulty page?

If a SAST tool can’t find SQL injection in low.php — where the vulnerability is completely unobfuscated — it will miss similar patterns in your production codebase.

DAST Benchmarking Checklist

Run Juice Shop, DVWA, or AltoroJ in Docker locally
Point your DAST scanner at the local URL
Configure authentication credentials so the scanner reaches authenticated endpoints
Verify the scanner finds XSS, SQLi, and authentication bypass
Measure false positives on known-clean endpoints

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use these applications to prepare for OSCP?

Deliberately vulnerable web applications (DVWA, WebGoat, Juice Shop) are useful supplementary practice for OSCP’s web modules. For the full OSCP experience — which emphasizes network exploitation, active directory, and privilege escalation — VulnHub VMs and HackTheBox machines provide more representative practice.

Is it legal to attack these applications?

Yes — provided you run them in your own isolated environment (a local Docker container or private VM). Never point your tests at a vulnerable application running on a shared server or someone else’s infrastructure without explicit authorization.

Which app is best for a complete beginner?

Start with DVWA at Low difficulty. Its source code viewer shows exactly what makes each page vulnerable, and the three difficulty levels provide a structured progression. Once you can identify and exploit all categories at Medium difficulty, move to Juice Shop for a more realistic challenge.

Do these apps work with automated security tools?

Yes — this is one of their primary use cases. DVWA and WebGoat are standard SAST benchmarks. Juice Shop and AltoroJ are standard DAST benchmarks. Most enterprise security tool vendors publish scanner detection rates against these applications.

Run a Real Scanner Against a Deliberately Vulnerable App

Testing your security scanner against a known-vulnerable application before applying it to production code is standard practice in any serious security program. A scanner that can’t find SQL injection in DVWA’s low.php is not ready for your codebase.

Offensive360 SAST and DAST are benchmarked against DVWA, Juice Shop, and WebGoat on every release:

One-time SAST scan for $500 — submit your source code, get a full vulnerability report within 48 hours, no subscription required
DAST scan for your running application — authenticated dynamic scanning of your live web app
Book a demo — see a live scan against a vulnerable web application or your own codebase