Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
HackerOne Logo

HackerOne pros and cons

Vendor: HackerOne
4.3 out of 5
Badge Leader

Pros & Cons summary

Buyer's Guide

Get pricing advice, tips, use cases and valuable features from real users of this product.
Get the report

Prominent pros & cons

PROS

HackerOne provides numerous bug bounty opportunities and allows users to practice in a safe demo environment, making it ideal for beginners.
HackerOne offers diverse programs covering areas such as mobile, API, and websites, adding significant depth for users.
HackerOne has a good reputation and large community, leading to a smoother process compared to competitors.
The fast verification process on HackerOne keeps users motivated with prompt responses.
HackerOne balances functionality and cost-effectiveness, making it well-suited for various needs.

CONS

One issue is that traffic spikes when high-bounty opportunities arise, leading to the first person reporting a vulnerability receiving the bounty, while subsequent reporters are marked as duplicates, not receiving recognition for their efforts.
Response times can be slow, and the lack of AI use in handling reports might be contributing to the higher occurrence of duplicate reports.
New researchers face challenges as they often receive fewer private invites compared to older researchers, limiting their opportunities.
New users may not receive invites simply because they are new, despite potentially having the necessary skills, thus losing chances to demonstrate their abilities.
If a vulnerability is reported both by an insider on HackerOne and previously by an outsider, the platform struggles to consolidate this information efficiently.
 

HackerOne Pros review quotes

Hrithik Kumar - PeerSpot reviewer
SAP Security and GRC Consultant at Skillmine Technology Consulting
May 28, 2024
Apart from getting all the bug bounty opportunities, we also get the chance to practice in a safe environment, like a demo setup. These features are great for beginners who want to explore bug bounties in the future.
Jagdish SM - PeerSpot reviewer
QA Engineering Lead at Confidential
Aug 30, 2024
The most valuable feature of HackerOne is its variety of programs. These programs provide depth into various areas, such as mobile, API, and websites.
reviewer2543502 - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Sep 16, 2024
It helps me to get new sales, profits, and other benefits.
Learn what your peers think about HackerOne. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
881,707 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Faizan Nehal - PeerSpot reviewer
dApp Auditor at Hacken
Feb 3, 2025
HackerOne is larger than WebCloud and has a better reputation than BugCloud, which results in a smoother process.
Ruphus Muita - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior ICT Security Consultant at Applied Principles Limited
Oct 29, 2025
The fast verification process impacts my motivation significantly because a quick response keeps me motivated, and if I'm going to try and hunt bugs today, I would appreciate a response within the day or at least within a few days.
Ashwini B - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Security Professional at Oportun, Inc.
Jan 29, 2026
HackerOne has been the right fit for our current situation from both a functionality and cost-effectiveness perspective.
 

HackerOne Cons review quotes

Hrithik Kumar - PeerSpot reviewer
SAP Security and GRC Consultant at Skillmine Technology Consulting
May 28, 2024
One issue I've experienced is traffic. Many people try to participate when an opportunity with a bounty of around 1,000-15,000 dollars comes up. In this case, the first person to report the vulnerability gets the bounty. If a second person reports the same vulnerability, they are marked as duplicated instead of receiving some recognition. The second person also invested time finding the issue, so I think this can be improved.
Jagdish SM - PeerSpot reviewer
QA Engineering Lead at Confidential
Aug 30, 2024
Response time can be improved. The HackerOne Trust team can be slow to respond sometimes. They're not using AI, which could help reduce the number of duplicate reports.
reviewer2543502 - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Engineer at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Sep 16, 2024
The ability to view the conversation between the triagers and the programs will be really good.
Learn what your peers think about HackerOne. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
881,707 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Faizan Nehal - PeerSpot reviewer
dApp Auditor at Hacken
Feb 3, 2025
Everything has become slower on HackerOne.
Ruphus Muita - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior ICT Security Consultant at Applied Principles Limited
Oct 29, 2025
Sometimes new users don't receive invites just because they are new, despite potentially being very skilled hackers, so I feel new users should get more chances and opportunities.
Ashwini B - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Security Professional at Oportun, Inc.
Jan 29, 2026
One limitation is that if a finding has been reported on HackerOne and was also reported earlier by another user or outsider, the platform is not able to collate that information together.