Mellivora Alternatives: Top CTF Engines for Your Next Competition

Mellivora is a robust CTF engine written in PHP, offering a comprehensive suite of features for running capture-the-flag competitions, including arbitrary categories, a flexible scoreboard, manual or automatic submission marking, and extensive administration tools. However, for various reasons such as specific feature requirements, platform preferences, or budget considerations, you might be seeking a Mellivora alternative. This article explores some of the best options available to power your next cybersecurity challenge.

Top Mellivora Alternatives

Whether you're looking for a free, open-source solution or a commercial platform with extensive support, there's a Mellivora alternative that can meet your needs. Let's dive into some of the leading contenders.

Hack the Arch

Hack the Arch is a scoring server built using Ruby on Rails by the Military Cyber Professionals Association (MCPA). As a free and open-source solution available on Linux and self-hostable (with Docker support), it offers a compelling Mellivora alternative for those seeking a flexible and community-driven platform to manage their CTF events. While the JSON data doesn't list specific features, its open-source nature allows for significant customization and extension.

CTFd

CTFd is widely regarded as a 'CTF in a can,' providing an easily modifiable and complete solution for running jeopardy-style CTFs. It is available as a commercial product but also offers open-source components, making it a versatile Mellivora alternative. CTFd is self-hostable and known for its user-friendliness and comprehensive set of features, though the provided data doesn't detail specific ones, its popularity in the CTF community speaks to its capabilities.

BOCA Online Contest

BOCA Online Contest is a software developed to support programming contests, particularly for the Maratona de Programação of the Brazilian Computing Society. As a free, open-source, and self-hostable platform, it presents a viable Mellivora alternative for those focusing on competitive programming rather than traditional cybersecurity CTFs. While its primary focus differs slightly, its robust infrastructure for managing contests makes it a strong contender for similar event types.

Choosing the right Mellivora alternative depends heavily on your specific requirements, including budget, technical expertise for hosting, and the particular features you prioritize. We encourage you to explore each option further to find the best fit for your next CTF or programming competition.