A free capture-the-flag run by George Mason University's Competitive Cyber Club, played in teams.
Details: Free to play. The scoreboard shows a start of 11 September 2026 and no published end time, so check the site for the current round before planning around it.
Nov 6, 2026 – Nov 7, 2026New Jersey Institute of Technology
A free online jeopardy-style capture-the-flag organised by the New Jersey Institute of Technology. 6 November 2026, 17:00 UTC to 7 November 2026, 17:00 UTC.
From the site: REGISTRATION IS NOW AVAILABLE! BOO!! Welcome to SpookyCTF 2026! Organized by the New Jersey Institute of Techno...
Details: Registration is open. A 24-hour format, so it fits into one weekend rather than eating a week.
A free online jeopardy-style capture-the-flag run by Cyber Hacktics with U.S. Air Force veterans for Cybersecurity Awareness Month. 17 October 2026, 14:00 UTC to 19 October 2026, 00:00 UTC.
From the site: DEADFACE CTF features jeopardy-style challenges and is hosted by Cyber Hacktics and veterans of the United States Air...
Details: Beginner-friendly as CTFs go, and a real thing to point at in an interview. Free to play.
Every open XPRIZE challenge with its prize purse, deadlines and entry requirements — multi-million-dollar competitions in health, climate, education and AI.
Details: Free to enter and open to teams anywhere — a real route to funding if you have a technical idea and a team.
A free four-week online business competition starting 24 October 2026, with over $1 million in prizes, live expert support, tools and business playbooks for people starting or growing a business.
Details: Free to enter and the four weeks of playbooks and live sessions are worth it even if you never place. Sign up early so you get the pre-work.
Nov 20, 2026 – Nov 22, 2026University of Florida Student InfoSec Team
Free 48-hour online jeopardy-style capture-the-flag competition November 20-22, 2026, run by the University of Florida Student InfoSec Team, with challenges in pwn, reverse engineering, forensics, and cryptography.
Details: Student-run CTFs are usually the most welcoming. Team up with two or three people and split the categories.
Free online hackathon for ages 13+ building AI projects for mental and physical health and concussion recovery, with cash and non-cash prizes and public voting on submissions.
Details: Social-impact hackathons are the friendliest entry point if this is your first one — judging rewards the idea as much as the code.
Free two-day online student hackathon building next-generation cybersecurity solutions, with about $6,600 in cash prizes, open to ages 13+ working solo or in teams of up to four.
Details: A weekend hackathon gives you a finished project to talk about in interviews. Ship something small and complete.
One of the oldest and largest capture-the-flag competitions, designed as an entry-level jeopardy-style CTF for students breaking into security, with a September qualifying round and a November final round. Run by NYU's student security group.
Details: A CTF placement is real, checkable evidence of security skill. Enter the qualifier even if you only solve a couple of challenges.
Canada's largest beginner-only hackathon, run by nwPlus on November 7-8, 2026, built for first-time hackers with hands-on workshops and no coding experience required.
Details: Beginner-only means nobody there expects you to know anything yet. This is the one to start with.
Free monthly AI building challenge from IBM SkillsBuild and BeMyApp: learn the tooling, submit an AI project for judging, and attend the AI Builders Conference on September 16, 2026 with IBM experts and developers. No cost to register or participate.
Details: Challenges like this give you a finished project to point at, which is worth more in interviews than another certificate.
A skills-based volunteer hackathon in New York City where participants collaborate with 1% for the Planet Impact Partners to solve real fundraising, storytelling, and launch challenges in 75 minutes.
Details: A great way to donate your professional skills rather than just your money. If you are between roles and want proof of impact, this is a high-signal, low-commitment option.
A beginner-inclusive hackathon open to developers designers and innovators of all experience levels worldwide including those with no prior hackathon experience.
Details: No explicit fee statement found on the official page; appears free based on standard hackathon format -- worth a quick double-check before publishing. Winners announced Oct 21.
