CompTIA CySA+ vs Security+: which one should you take?
In the CompTIA CySA+ vs Security+ choice, take Security+ first unless you already work in security. CompTIA makes both. Security+ is its core security certification, CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst) its analyst-level one, with about four years of hands-on security work recommended. Each US exam voucher (a prepaid exam code) costs $439 (SY0-701 price for Security+).
Both certifications take one exam each, and neither has a formal prerequisite. The exam codes are CS0-004 for CySA+ and SY0-701 for Security+. A new Security+ version, SY0-801, is expected in November 2026 (see exam versions). In CompTIA's renewal hierarchy, CySA+ sits above Security+, so earning CySA+ can renew a Security+ you hold (timing rule unchecked, see the renewal section).
Which first · Job ads · Exam content · Difficulty · Cost · Renewal · Exam versions · Reddit
| CompTIA Security+ | CompTIA CySA+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Current exam | SY0-701 (version 7) | CS0-004 (version 4, launched June 23, 2026) |
| Questions and time | Up to 90 questions, 90 minutes | Up to 85 questions, 165 minutes |
| Question types | Multiple-choice and performance-based (tasks in a simulated system) | Multiple-choice and performance-based |
| Passing score | 750 (scaled score, 100 to 900) | 750 (scaled score, 100 to 900) |
| Recommended experience | Network+ (CompTIA's networking certification) and two years in a security or systems-administrator job | About four years as a SOC (security operations center) analyst or a vulnerability analyst (finding and ranking system weaknesses) |
| US exam voucher | $439 | $439 |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai | English; French, Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese announced as coming soon |
| Renewal (keeping the certification valid) | 3 years; 50 continuing education units (CEUs, points for approved learning) and a $150 fee | 3 years; 60 CEUs and a $150 fee |
Source: CompTIA Security+ V7 and CySA+ V4 pages, CompTIA's CySA+ V4 blog post for question types, and CompTIA continuing-education pages. Dates in Sources.
Show the numbers
| Country | CompTIA CySA+ | CompTIA Security+ |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 4% | 5% |
| India | 4% | 3% |
| United States | 1.5% | 1.4% |
| Brazil | 3 of 434 | 2 of 434 |
CompTIA CySA+ or CompTIA Security+: which do employers name more?
Instant answer from October 2026 job ads. No email needed.
CompTIA CySA+ is named in more job ads in the United States.
Source: Adzuna job ads, October 2026.
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On this page
- CompTIA Security+ vs CySA+: which should you take first?
- Do security-analyst job ads name CySA+ or Security+?
- What do the CySA+ and Security+ exams cover?
- CySA+ vs Security+ difficulty: which exam is harder?
- How much do CySA+ and Security+ cost?
- How do CySA+ and Security+ renew?
- Which exam versions should you study for?
- CySA+ vs Security+ on Reddit: what did posters ask?
- What we did not check
- Sources
CompTIA Security+ vs CySA+: which should you take first?
Security+ first, unless you already have years of hands-on security work. CompTIA's blog post on CySA+ V4 says you can take CySA+ without first earning Security+, but advises against it unless you already have substantial cybersecurity experience.
- No IT job yet: Security+ has no formal prerequisite, so you can book it without a job, but CompTIA recommends Network+ (its networking certification) and two years in a security or systems-administrator job first. Our IT-support role page lists what entry-level support ads name. Next step: open
help deskorIT supportads in your city, and note which credentials they name. - Working in IT, new to security: take Security+. It is the CompTIA exam of the two whose recommended experience (two years in a security or systems-administrator job) fits that background.
- Already working in a SOC or as a vulnerability analyst: CySA+ fits that background, for which CompTIA recommends about four years.
- Studying for the CCNA (Cisco's associate-level networking certification) and eyeing security: our CCNA vs Security+ comparison covers that route.
- Taking both: take Security+ first, then CySA+. The renewal section covers how CySA+ affects Security+.
Do security-analyst job ads name CySA+ or Security+?
Both appear in US security-analyst and SOC-analyst ads. We count job ads on Adzuna, a job-ad search site, by title (security analyst for our cybersecurity-analyst page, soc analyst for our SOC-analyst page) and check how many contain each search term anywhere in the text. Each term is counted on its own, so an ad that names both certifications counts for both.
The two searches are different kinds. For CySA+ we search the short name cysa. For Security+ we search the words comptia security, a search that misses ads that write only Security+ or the shorthand Sec+. Because the searches are built differently, the two counts are not a ranking.
| Ads counted (October 2026) | Total ads | Containing cysa (CySA+) |
Containing comptia security (Security+) |
|---|---|---|---|
US, title security analyst |
8,110 | 119 | 112 |
US, title soc analyst |
233 | 34 | 17 |
UK, title security analyst (small sample, read with care) |
235 | 10 | 12 |
India, title security analyst (small sample, read with care) |
250 | 9 | 8 |
Source: Adzuna API, job ads collected in October 2026. Analysis: CertWorthIt.
In the largest sample, the 8,110 US security-analyst ads we counted in October 2026 (Adzuna), the term cysa appeared in 119 of the 8,110. In the same US ads, the words comptia security appeared in 112 of the 8,110. A mention can mean required, preferred or one option among several; the count does not say which.
Our job-ad data therefore says that employers name both, and nothing about which one to take first. Our cybersecurity-analyst page and SOC-analyst page show the other credentials and skills those ads name.
Show the numbers
| Item | Ads | Share of ads |
|---|---|---|
| SIEM | 415 | 5.1% |
| CISSP | 338 | 4.2% |
| CompTIA | 162 | 2.0% |
| CISM | 134 | 1.7% |
| CompTIA CySA+ | 119 | 1.5% |
| CompTIA Security+ | 112 | 1.4% |
| Splunk | 100 | 1.2% |
| CEH | 81 | 81 of 8,110 |
What do the CySA+ and Security+ exams cover?
Security+ covers security as a whole, from concepts and architecture to running a security program. CySA+ covers the daily work of an analyst: watching systems, managing weaknesses, handling incidents and reporting on them. CompTIA splits each exam into domains, its name for the topic areas, and publishes the weight of each.
| CySA+ domain (CS0-004) | Share of the exam |
|---|---|
| Security Operations | 34% |
| Vulnerability Management | 26% |
| Incident Response and Management | 24% |
| Reporting and Communication | 16% |
Source: CompTIA, CySA+ V4 blog post.
| Security+ domain (SY0-701) | Share of the exam |
|---|---|
| General security concepts | 12% |
| Threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations | 22% |
| Security architecture | 18% |
| Security operations | 28% |
| Security program management and oversight | 20% |
Source: CompTIA, Security+ V7 page.
Security operations is the largest domain in both exams: 34% of CySA+ and 28% of Security+. Vulnerability management has a domain of its own in CySA+, while Security+ folds vulnerabilities into a domain with threats and mitigations. We compared domain names and weights only, so we cannot say how much the topics overlap.
Show the numbers
| Item | CompTIA CySA+ | CompTIA Security+ |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 85 questions | 90 questions |
| Exam time | 165 minutes (2 h 45 min) | 90 minutes (1 h 30 min) |
| Passing score | 750 (scale 100–900) | 750 (scale 100–900) |
| Format | Multiple choice, performance-based tasks | Multiple choice, performance-based tasks |
| Languages | 1 language | 5 languages |
CySA+ vs Security+ difficulty: which exam is harder?
CompTIA places CySA+ above Security+ in its certification hierarchy and recommends more experience for it (about four years of security work, against two years in a security or systems-administrator job for Security+), but we found no pass rate for either exam on the pages we read, and no independent one.
The formats differ. CySA+ gives 165 minutes for up to 85 questions; Security+ gives 90 minutes for up to 90. Both mix multiple-choice and performance-based questions (tasks in a simulated system), and both need 750 on a scale of 100 to 900. They are separate exams, so the same passing score does not mean the same difficulty. The exam whose domains match work you already do will probably feel easier.
How much do CySA+ and Security+ cost?
In CompTIA's US store, read October 6, 2026, each voucher costs $439, so one attempt at each comes to $878. With Retake Assurance (a higher-priced voucher option), each costs $579.
| Security+ | CySA+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Exam voucher (US) | $439 | $439 |
| Voucher with Retake Assurance | $579 | $579 |
| CE (continuing education) fee per three-year cycle, CEU renewal | $150 | $150 |
| Voucher plus one CE fee | $439 + $150 = $589 | $439 + $150 = $589 |
Source: CompTIA US store on the Security+ V7 and CySA+ V4 pages; continuing-education renewal fees. Totals exclude training and tax.
If you take both, Security+ then CySA+, the vouchers come to $878. If CySA+ renews Security+, you skip the Security+ CE fee. If you renew CySA+ by earning CEUs, add its $150 CE fee, due after three years: $1,028 for both vouchers plus one CySA+ CE fee. The CEU activities themselves cost extra, and the $439 Security+ price is for SY0-701.
Show the numbers
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| CompTIA CySA+: Fees to get certified: Exam | $439 |
| CompTIA CySA+: Fees to get certified: Renewal, every 3 years | $150 |
| CompTIA Security+: Fees to get certified: Exam | $439 |
| CompTIA Security+: Fees to get certified: Renewal, every 3 years | $150 |
How do CySA+ and Security+ renew?
Both last three years. Security+ renews with 50 CEUs and CySA+ with 60, and CompTIA lists a $150 CE fee for CEU renewal.
The two are linked. CompTIA's continuing-education FAQ says a certification can be renewed by earning a higher-level CompTIA certification, and that you then do not pay the CE fee for the lower one. CompTIA's hierarchy, from high to low, runs SecurityX (advanced security) at the top, then CySA+ and PenTest+ (penetration testing), then Security+, Network+ and A+ (entry-level IT support). CompTIA's FAQ, as we read it, does not say whether CySA+ must be earned within Security+'s three years or what date it sets, so check before relying on it.
Which exam versions should you study for?
For CySA+, study CS0-004. For Security+, SY0-701 is the current exam and SY0-801 is expected in November 2026; after June 11, 2027 only version 8 remains in English. We do not know which is bookable in between, so check CompTIA's V8 page below before booking.
- CySA+: version 4 (CS0-004) launched June 23, 2026, in English. The English CS0-003 exam (version 3) retires December 22, 2026, and its English learning products retire November 22, 2026.
- Security+: version 8 (SY0-801) is expected on or around November 17, 2026. The current SY0-701 retires in English on June 11, 2027, and in Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai on August 13, 2027. CompTIA lists version 8 with up to 90 questions, 90 minutes and a passing score of 750, in English.
The Security+ domain table, price and renewal facts on this page are for SY0-701; we did not check version 8. Check the Security+ V8 page.
CySA+ vs Security+ on Reddit: what did posters ask?
The Reddit posts we collected asked which exam to focus on, whether CySA+ makes sense without experience, and which study material to trust. We found the questions, not survey data, so read them as examples.
- Which to focus on: the same question, whether to focus on Security+ or CySA+, was posted in September 2026 in r/CompTIA, r/ITCareerQuestions and r/SecurityCareerAdvice. CompTIA's own answer is Security+ first unless you have substantial security experience.
- CySA+ without experience: the poster also asked whether CySA+ would be a waste of time without enough experience for a security role. CompTIA lets anyone book the exam; the recommended experience is about four years in a SOC or vulnerability role.
- CCNA or CySA+ for SOC jobs: a poster in r/ccna asked whether to pause the CCNA and take CySA+ to apply for SOC roles sooner. Our data cannot say which route gets a SOC job faster; see our CCNA vs Security+ comparison.
- Study material for version 4: a poster in r/CompTIA planning to take CySA+ next year asked whether to buy a book now or wait for better V4 material. CS0-004 launched on June 23, 2026 and is the only English CySA+ exam after December 22, 2026, so the material needs to cover it.
What we did not check
- Exam prices outside the US. We used CompTIA's US store prices only.
- The price of Security+ version 8. The Security+ price here is for SY0-701.
- Retake Assurance terms. We saw the prices but not what the option covers.
- CertMaster CE and training prices. We did not price the renewal course or the activities that earn CEUs.
- The renewal timing rule. Whether CySA+ must be earned within Security+'s three years, and what date it sets.
- Pass rates. CompTIA publishes none on the pages we read.
- The full exam objectives. We compared domain names and weights only.
- Salaries. We found no dated official source that compares pay for CySA+ and Security+ holders.
Sources
- CompTIA: Security+ V7, Security+ V8, CySA+, CySA+ V4, CySA+ V4 questions answered, earning CEUs, continuing-education renewal fees, continuing-education FAQ. Voucher prices read October 6, 2026; renewal pages read October 3, 2026; exam pages and the blog post read October 11, 2026 (Security+ domain weights October 5, 2026).
- Job ads: Adzuna API, October 2026, ads with the titles
security analystandsoc analyst; search termscysaandcomptia security. Analysis: CertWorthIt. Method.
Questions people ask
Should I take Security+ or CySA+ first?
Take CompTIA Security+ first unless you already work in security. Security+ is CompTIA's core security certification and CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst) its analyst-level one. CompTIA recommends Network+ (its networking certification), Security+ or equivalent knowledge plus about four years of hands-on security work before CySA+, against Network+ and two years in a security or systems-administrator job before Security+. Neither exam has a formal prerequisite, so you can book Security+ without a job. If you already have years in a SOC (security operations center, the team that watches a company's systems for attacks), you can book CySA+ directly.
Do I need Security+ before CySA+?
No. CompTIA sets no formal prerequisite for CySA+ (exam CS0-004). Its CySA+ page recommends about four years as a SOC (security operations center) analyst or a vulnerability analyst (finding and ranking system weaknesses), and a CompTIA blog post on the new exam recommends Network+ (CompTIA's networking certification), Security+ or equivalent knowledge first. The same post says you can take CySA+ without Security+ but advises against it unless you already have substantial security experience. Both are recommendations, not rules.
Is CySA+ harder than Security+?
CompTIA places CySA+ above Security+ in its hierarchy and recommends more experience for it, but we found no pass rate for either exam. CySA+ (CS0-004) has up to 85 questions in 165 minutes; Security+ (SY0-701) has up to 90 questions in 90 minutes. Both mix multiple-choice and performance-based questions (tasks in a simulated system) and both need 750 on a scale of 100 to 900, but they are separate exams.
How much do CySA+ and Security+ cost?
In CompTIA's US store, read October 6, 2026, the CySA+ voucher (a prepaid exam code) costs $439 and the Security+ voucher $439, so one attempt at each comes to $878. If you renew CySA+ by earning continuing education units (CEUs, points for approved learning), CompTIA lists a $150 CE (continuing education) fee per three-year cycle. That makes $1,028: two vouchers plus one CySA+ CE fee, due at renewal after three years. The learning itself costs extra.
Does CySA+ renew Security+?
Yes. CompTIA's continuing education FAQ says a certification can be renewed by earning a higher-level CompTIA certification, and that you then do not pay the CE (continuing education) fee for the lower one. Its hierarchy places CySA+ above Security+, so earning CySA+ renews Security+ without the $150 Security+ CE fee. We could not confirm the timing rule; see the renewal section.
Which do SOC analyst job ads name, CySA+ or Security+?
Both. Of the 233 US SOC (security operations center) analyst ads we counted in October 2026 on Adzuna, a job-ad search site, 34 contained the short name cysa and 17 contained the words comptia security. The two searches are built differently (the Security+ search misses ads that write only Security+ or the shorthand Sec+), so the counts are not a ranking. Choose by your experience: Security+ first if you are new to security work.