CTFd
Open source platform for hosting capture-the-flag competitions with plugins and dynamic scoring.
Technical Architecture & Overview
CTFd is a widely used self-hostable CTF scoring platform. It handles teams, challenge deployment, dynamic scoring, and submission tracking, and a plugin and theme ecosystem extends it. The company behind it offers hosted instances and enterprise features, while the core stays Apache-2.0 and runs on modest hardware.
Targeted Technical Use Cases
Organizations and clubs running their own CTF events, from internal training days to public competitions.
Evaluation & Trade-offs
Core Strengths
- +Widely adopted for self-hosted CTFs.
- +Plugin architecture covers scoring and challenge customization.
- +Low resource requirements for smaller events.
Trade-Offs & Limitations
- -Challenge infrastructure still needs building per event.
- -Large public events need capacity planning.
Defensive Security Application
Internal CTFs that train staff on realistic attack and defense scenarios.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CTFd?→
CTFd is a widely used self-hostable CTF scoring platform. It handles teams, challenge deployment, dynamic scoring, and submission tracking, and a plugin and theme ecosystem extends it. The company behind it offers hosted instances and enterprise features, while the core stays Apache-2.0 and runs on modest hardware.
What is CTFd used for?→
Organizations and clubs running their own CTF events, from internal training days to public competitions.
What are the strengths of CTFd?→
- +Widely adopted for self-hosted CTFs.
- +Plugin architecture covers scoring and challenge customization.
- +Low resource requirements for smaller events.
What are the limitations of CTFd?→
- +Challenge infrastructure still needs building per event.
- +Large public events need capacity planning.
How is CTFd used defensively?→
Internal CTFs that train staff on realistic attack and defense scenarios.