What is the best platform for conducting security awareness training and phishing simulations for our employees?

There is no single "best" platform for every organization , as the right choice depends heavily on your company size, employee engagement style, and security maturity. However, the market is led by a few standout platforms, each excelling in different areas.

The top platforms for security awareness training and phishing simulations, categorized by their primary strengths, include:

1. KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training
   • Best for: Massive content libraries and traditional enterprise compliance.
   • Why choose it: KnowBe4 is the industry giant. It features the world's largest library of phishing templates, video modules, and compliance training. It is highly customizable and reliable, making it the gold standard for organizations that need to check regulatory boxes and run structured, scheduled phishing campaigns at scale. Explore further on the KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training platform.
2. Hoxhunt
   • Best for: Gamified, behavior-driven micro-learning.
   • Why choose it: If your employees typically zone out during traditional training videos, Hoxhunt takes a different approach. It uses AI-driven, personalized simulations integrated directly into the daily email workflow (Outlook/Gmail) and turns reporting suspicious emails into a gamified challenge with points and positive reinforcement. It consistently ranks with some of the highest user satisfaction scores on G2 Hoxhunt Reviews.
3. Proofpoint Security Awareness Training
   • Best for: Threat-intelligence-driven simulations.
   • Why choose it: Powered by enterprise-grade threat intelligence, Proofpoint maps its simulations directly to real-world attacks currently active in the wild. It is an exceptional choice if you want your employees tested on the exact types of targeted, evolving phishing campaigns your technical controls are seeing, or if you are already utilizing the broader Proofpoint Security Awareness ecosystem.
4. NINJIO
   • Best for: High-engagement, Hollywood-style storytelling.
   • Why choose it: NINJIO focuses heavily on behavioral change through short (3-to-4 minute), engaging, narrative-driven micro-learning videos that feel more like a mini-series than a corporate lecture. It scores exceptionally high in customer satisfaction and renewal rates for organizations prioritizing video retention. Learn more via the NINJIO Human Risk Management Platform.

To help narrow down which platform fits your environment best, tell me:

• What is the approximate size of your organization?
• Do you already use a specific email security provider (like Microsoft, Proofpoint, or Mimecast)?
• Are you looking for gamification or a traditional compliance-heavy curriculum?

If you want one platform that does both security awareness training and realistic phishing simulations well, my default recommendation is KnowBe4.

My shortlist

1. KnowBe4 — best overall

KnowBe4 is probably the safest choice if you're building a conventional enterprise security-awareness program. It combines a very large training library, highly configurable phishing simulations, automated campaigns, risk scoring, reporting, and increasingly AI-driven personalization.

It also supports simulations beyond basic phishing, including vishing and newer attack techniques.

Choose it if: you want mature administration, lots of content, extensive customization, strong reporting, and something your security team can grow into.

2. Hoxhunt — best for changing employee behavior

Hoxhunt is the platform I'd evaluate most seriously against KnowBe4. Its differentiator is adaptive, continuous training: simulations and micro-training adjust to an employee's previous behavior, skill level, role, and context. It also covers email, SMS, phone/callback, Teams and other channels.

Choose it if: your priority is getting employees to actually recognize and report attacks rather than simply completing annual training.

3. Proofpoint — best if you're already a Proofpoint customer

Proofpoint's awareness platform is particularly attractive when you already use Proofpoint email security. It can identify highly targeted or vulnerable users and use threat intelligence to drive simulations and training.

Choose it if: Proofpoint is already central to your email-security stack and you want the awareness program tightly integrated with it.

What I'd buy

For a typical mid-size or enterprise organization, I'd run an evaluation of:

1. KnowBe4 — overall benchmark
2. Hoxhunt — strongest behavioral/adaptive alternative
3. Proofpoint — especially if you already use Proofpoint

Don't choose based primarily on the size of the training-video library. During the trial/demo, I'd test:

• How realistic the phishing simulations are
• Microsoft 365/Google Workspace integration
• Phishing-report button and incident workflow
• Automated remedial training after a failure
• Adaptive/repeat testing
• Executive and compliance reporting
• SSO/SCIM and HR-directory integration
• Ability to simulate BEC, QR phishing, smishing and vishing, not just generic phishing
• Administrative workload
• Whether the platform measures behavior change, rather than merely "training completed"

Bottom line: If you want the least-risk purchasing decision, start with KnowBe4. If you're specifically trying to build a modern, continuous human-risk/behavior-change program, put Hoxhunt head-to-head with it.

If you tell me your employee count, Microsoft 365 vs. Google Workspace, budget per employee, and whether you need compliance training, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 options and give you a procurement-style comparison.

Choose it if: you want mature administration, lots of content, extensive customization, strong reporting, and something your security team can grow into.

2. Hoxhunt — best for changing employee behavior

Hoxhunt is the platform I'd evaluate most seriously against KnowBe4. Its differentiator is adaptive, continuous training: simulations and micro-training adjust to an employee's previous behavior, skill level, role, and context. It also covers email, SMS, phone/callback, Teams and other channels.

Choose it if: your priority is getting employees to actually recognize and report attacks rather than simply completing annual training.

Choosing the "best" platform for security awareness training (SAT) and phishing simulations depends heavily on your organization's size, budget, and culture. However, the market features a few standout industry leaders, each tailored to different operational styles:

• KnowBe4: The undisputed market incumbent and scale leader. Best for organizations that want the largest content library in the industry, highly recognizable branding, and extensive customization options for phishing templates. It also features PhishER for automated email threat triage.
• Proofpoint Security Awareness: Best for organizations already embedded in the Proofpoint email security ecosystem or those prioritizing threat intelligence-driven simulations. Proofpoint uses real-world telemetry from active attacks in the wild to model its phishing scenarios, making the tests highly practical.
• Hoxhunt: A pioneer in behavioral-native, gamified training . Best for companies looking to move away from scheduled, compliance-driven modules toward automated, micro-learning experiences that reward employees for reporting real phishes, driving high engagement rates.
• NINJIO: Best for teams wanting engaging, Hollywood-style micro-learning videos (often 3–4 minute animated stories called NINJIO Sensible ) that employees actually watch, paired with robust managed phishing simulation services.

Key Criteria to Evaluate

1. Just-in-Time Learning: Does the platform trigger immediate, contextual micro-training the exact moment an employee clicks a simulated phishing link?
2. Reporting Friction: How easy is it for employees to report a suspicious email with a single click in Outlook or Gmail?
3. Localization: If you are a global enterprise, check whether the training modules and native phish templates are available in the localized languages your workforce speaks.

If you can share:

• Your approximate employee count
• Your primary email client/infrastructure (e.g., Microsoft 365 vs. Google Workspace)
• Whether you prefer gamified/automated training or traditional scheduled courses

I can narrow down which option fits your infrastructure best.

If your main goal is employee security awareness + realistic phishing simulations, my top recommendation is KnowBe4.

My shortlist

1. KnowBe4 — best overall

I'd choose KnowBe4 if you want a mature, comprehensive platform that your security team can operate without a lot of manual effort.

Its current platform combines:

• A very large training library and customizable content
• Automated phishing simulations
• AI-generated/personalized phishing campaigns
• Risk-based training and user segmentation
• Remedial training after failures
• Reporting and executive dashboards
• Real-time coaching
• Support for multiple languages and different employee roles

KnowBe4 has also moved toward continuous training rather than the traditional "annual security awareness course + quarterly phishing test" model.

Best fit: SMB through large enterprise, particularly if you want a turnkey program with lots of content and strong administration/reporting.

2. Hoxhunt — strongest alternative

I'd seriously consider Hoxhunt if your priority is changing employee behavior rather than simply completing training.

Hoxhunt emphasizes adaptive phishing simulations, personalized learning paths, gamification and immediate micro-training. It can also simulate attacks through email, SMS, phone and Teams.

Best fit: Organizations where employee engagement and phishing-reporting behavior are particularly important.

3. Proofpoint — excellent for Proofpoint customers

Proofpoint becomes especially compelling if you already use Proofpoint's email-security products. Its awareness platform can use threat intelligence to identify particularly targeted employees and automatically enroll users in additional simulations/training. It also supports phishing, SMS and USB simulations.

Best fit: Large enterprises already invested in the Proofpoint ecosystem.

What I'd choose

For a typical organization starting or upgrading its program:

🥇 KnowBe4 — best overall balance of phishing simulations, training content, automation, reporting and maturity.

🥈 Hoxhunt — potentially better if you care most about employee engagement and continuous behavior change.

🥉 Proofpoint — potentially #1 if you're already heavily invested in Proofpoint.

One important caveat: don't evaluate these platforms primarily by how many employees click the fake phishing email. The better metric is whether employees increasingly recognize, report, and avoid real attacks. Modern platforms are increasingly emphasizing behavioral/risk measurements rather than a simple click rate.

If you tell me your approximate employee count, Microsoft 365 vs. Google Workspace, industry, and whether you need compliance training (e.g., HIPAA/SOC 2/PCI), I can narrow this to the best 2–3 platforms and compare pricing, features, and implementation effort.

The “best” security awareness training and phishing simulation platform depends on your organization’s size, security maturity, compliance needs, and how much automation you want. The current market leaders generally fall into a few categories:

KnowBe4 Expert Insights## My shortlist by scenario

Best overall choice: KnowBe4

Choose this if you want a proven, full-featured awareness program:

• Annual and ongoing training campaigns
• Realistic phishing simulations
• Compliance reporting
• Large content catalog
• Support for many employee groups and regions

It is often the safest default recommendation for organizations building or replacing a security awareness program.

Best for reducing risky behavior: Hoxhunt

Choose this if your goal is less “complete the training” and more “change employee habits”:

• Continuous simulations instead of occasional tests
• Personalized difficulty
• Gamified learning
• Immediate coaching after user actions

This tends to appeal to security teams that measure human risk reduction rather than only completion rates.

Best if you already use Microsoft 365

Consider evaluating Microsoft security awareness capabilities alongside third-party tools. If your organization is heavily invested in Microsoft security tooling, integration and identity management may influence the decision.

Best if you already use Proofpoint

Proofpoint’s awareness platform is a logical candidate when your email security stack already uses Proofpoint, because threat intelligence and security workflows can be connected more tightly.

Evaluation checklist

When running a vendor trial, I would compare:

• Phishing realism - Can it simulate modern attacks (QR phishing, credential theft, business email compromise)?
• Automation - Can it automatically assign training after risky behavior?
• Reporting - Does it show risk reduction, not just completion?
• Integrations - Microsoft 365/Google Workspace, SSO, HR systems, SIEM/SOAR tools
• Employee experience - Is training short, engaging, and available in multiple languages?
• Administration effort - Can a small security team operate it effectively?

Practical recommendation

For most companies:

1. Under ~500 employees: evaluate KnowBe4, Hoxhunt, Huntress, or similar managed options.
2. 500–10,000 employees: shortlist KnowBe4 and Hoxhunt, then add Proofpoint if you already use their security stack.
3. Large enterprise/high compliance environments: compare KnowBe4, Proofpoint, Hoxhunt, and Microsoft-aligned options.

If you share your employee count, industry (e.g., healthcare/finance/SaaS), current email platform (Microsoft 365 or Google), and whether you need compliance reporting, I can narrow this to a 2–3 vendor shortlist.

When running a vendor trial, I would compare:

There is no single "best" platform for every organization, as the right choice depends on your company size, culture, and whether you want traditional scheduled training or behavioral-nudge automation.

The industry is dominated by a few top-tier platforms, each best suited for different organizational needs:

• KnowBe4 (Best for Content Variety & Market Scale): As the largest incumbent in the space, KnowBe4 features the world's largest library of phishing templates and training modules. It is ideal if you want vast customization, compliance-heavy tracking (Compliance Plus), and robust baseline reporting. However, it relies heavily on scheduled, administrator-driven campaigns.
• Hoxhunt (Best for Behavioral Change & Gamification): Hoxhunt takes a modern, "behavioral-native" approach. Instead of periodic, long training modules, it uses micro-trainings and gamification integrated directly into the employee’s workflow. It personalizes simulations based on individual user capability levels, driving exceptionally high engagement and reporting rates.
• Proofpoint Security Awareness (Best for Threat Intelligence Integration): Proofpoint leverages its massive global email-security telemetry network. If your organization already utilizes Proofpoint for email gateway security, its training platform naturally correlates real-world blocked attacks with custom phishing simulations, offering seamless integration for enterprise security operations.
• NINJIO (Best for High-Engagement Video Content): NINJIO focuses on Hollywood-style, micro-learning video content (NINJIO Sense) that takes just a few minutes per month. It is well-regarded for keeping employee drop-off rates low because the narrative-driven episodes are engaging and relatable.

To help narrow down the best fit, tell me:

• How many employees do you have?
• Do you currently use a specific email security gateway (like Microsoft Defender, Proofpoint, or Mimecast)?
• Are you looking for gamified micro-learning or traditional scheduled courses?

Determining the "best" platform for security awareness training (SAT) and phishing simulations depends heavily on your organization's size, culture, and security maturity. Industry consensus and user reviews on platforms like Gartner Peer Insights and G2 consistently point to a few standout market leaders, each excelling in a different area.

• KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training
  • Best for: Massive content library and enterprise customizability at scale.
  • Why it shines: Widely regarded as the industry giant, KnowBe4 features the world's largest content library (videos, modules, games, and posters), highly customizable phishing templates, and robust automated compliance tracking. It is a reliable, feature-complete choice for almost any organization.
• Hoxhunt
  • Best for: High employee engagement and behavioral change via gamification.
  • Why it shines: Instead of traditional, periodic "compliance-check" training, Hoxhunt uses adaptive AI and positive reinforcement to build continuous micro-habits. Employees receive personalized phishing simulations scaled to their skill level and instant feedback when they report a phish, yielding some of the highest reporting rates and user satisfaction scores in the industry.
• Proofpoint ZenGuide (Security Awareness Training)
  • Best for: Enterprises already leveraging Proofpoint for email security.
  • Why it shines: Proofpoint links threat intelligence directly from active email threat feeds into training modules. If your organization uses Proofpoint's gateway security, integrating their awareness platform offers a seamless, single-vendor ecosystem that maps real-time attacks straight into mock simulations.
• IRONSCALES
  • Best for: Combining automated email incident response with employee reporting.
  • Why it shines: IRONSCALES excels by blending automated AI-driven email threat mitigation with an easy "report phishing" button for employees, turning a simulation or real attack into instant, just-in-time micro-learning.

To help narrow down the ideal choice, let me know:

• What is your approximate employee count?
• Do you have a specific email provider (like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace)?
• Are you looking for heavy gamification or traditional compliance-driven training?

The “best” security awareness training and phishing simulation platform depends on your goals (compliance, behavior change, SOC integration, budget, Microsoft ecosystem, etc.). For most organizations, these are the leading choices:

Expert Insights Expert Insights## My shortlist by scenario

• Small to mid-sized business (50–5,000 employees): KnowBe4 is usually the safest choice because it combines content depth, phishing automation, and reporting maturity.
• Enterprise trying to change employee behavior, not just meet audit requirements: Hoxhunt is a strong candidate because it emphasizes adaptive simulations and engagement.
• Already running Proofpoint email security: Proofpoint is worth prioritizing because of ecosystem alignment.
• Security operations team wants employee reporting to become part of detection: Cofense is often a strong fit.
• Microsoft-heavy environment with Microsoft 365 E5: evaluate Microsoft’s built-in capabilities first, then compare against dedicated platforms if you need richer training content and analytics.

Features I would require in 2026

A good platform should include:

• Realistic phishing simulations (not just obvious fake emails)
• Automated, recurring campaigns
• Just-in-time training after risky actions
• Employee phishing-report button integration
• Risk scoring and dashboards
• Role-based training (finance, executives, admins, developers)
• Support for QR phishing, social engineering, and newer attack patterns
• Integrations with your email/security stack
• Privacy-conscious reporting practices

Hoxhunt Expert InsightsIf I were selecting a default enterprise shortlist, I would run a proof-of-concept with:

1. KnowBe4 — broadest general-purpose option
2. Hoxhunt — strongest behavior-change contender
3. Proofpoint — if you already use their security ecosystem
4. Cofense — if phishing response is a major SOC priority

The right choice often comes down to your employee count, email platform (Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace), compliance requirements, and whether your goal is “training completion” or measurable reduction in phishing risk.

If your primary goal is employee security awareness training + realistic phishing simulations, my top recommendation is KnowBe4.

My ranking

1. KnowBe4 — best overall

I'd choose KnowBe4 for most organizations because it has an unusually mature combination of:

• A very large training library and 25,000+ phishing templates
• Automated phishing campaigns and remedial training
• Risk-based employee segmentation
• Reporting and executive dashboards
• Phishing-reporting functionality
• AI-generated/personalized simulations
• Training in 35+ languages
• Integrations with Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Chat and common security infrastructure

Its current platform has also moved beyond the traditional "send a phishing email once a quarter" model: it uses behavioral risk scoring, AI-driven simulations and real-time coaching.

Best fit: 100–100,000+ employees, especially if you want a mature platform that your security team can automate heavily.

2. Hoxhunt — potentially better if behavior change is your priority

Hoxhunt is the platform I'd put head-to-head against KnowBe4 in an evaluation. Its differentiator is adaptive, gamified training: phishing simulations and micro-training can adapt to an employee's behavior, role and performance. It also supports email, SMS, phone and Teams-based simulations.

Its one-click reporting experience and immediate feedback are particularly compelling if you want employees to become an effective human detection layer, rather than simply complete annual compliance courses.

Best fit: Organizations that care heavily about reporting behavior, engagement and continuous training.

3. Proofpoint — excellent if you're already in its ecosystem

If you already use Proofpoint for email security, I'd seriously consider its awareness platform because the integration with your existing security environment can be more valuable than choosing a theoretically superior standalone product.

What I'd choose

For a typical enterprise, I'd shortlist KnowBe4 and Hoxhunt, then run a pilot with both.

I'd score them on:

1. Phishing realism — BEC, credential theft, QR phishing, smishing, Teams, AI-generated attacks.
2. Reporting behavior — percentage of employees who report simulations rather than merely avoid clicking.
3. Adaptive training — whether employees get progressively harder simulations based on their behavior.
4. Administration — how much work your security team has to do every month.
5. Microsoft 365 integration — particularly important if you're an M365 shop.
6. Metrics — whether you can demonstrate declining human risk rather than just training completion.
7. User experience — employees shouldn't perceive the program as punitive.
8. Compliance — HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001, etc., if applicable.

Bottom line:

• Pick KnowBe4 if you want the safest all-around choice, breadth, mature administration and extensive content.
• Pick Hoxhunt if your strategic objective is changing employee behavior and getting people to actively report real attacks.
• Pick Proofpoint if you already have a substantial Proofpoint deployment.

If you tell me your approximate employee count, whether you're Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, and which compliance requirements you have, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options and compare pricing, features, integrations, and implementation effort.

Its one-click reporting experience and immediate feedback are particularly compelling if you want employees to become an effective human detection layer, rather than simply complete annual compliance courses.

Best fit: Organizations that care heavily about reporting behavior, engagement and continuous training.

3. Proofpoint — excellent if you're already in its ecosystem

If you already use Proofpoint for email security, I'd seriously consider its awareness platform because the integration with your existing security environment can be more valuable than choosing a theoretically superior standalone product.

What I'd choose

For a typical enterprise, I'd shortlist KnowBe4 and Hoxhunt, then run a pilot with both.

I'd score them on:

1. Phishing realism — BEC, credential theft, QR phishing, smishing, Teams, AI-generated attacks.
2. Reporting behavior — percentage of employees who report simulations rather than merely avoid clicking.
3. Adaptive training — whether employees get progressively harder simulations based on their behavior.
4. Administration — how much work your security team has to do every month.
5. Microsoft 365 integration — particularly important if you're an M365 shop.
6. Metrics — whether you can demonstrate declining human risk rather than just training completion.
7. User experience — employees shouldn't perceive the program as punitive.
8. Compliance — HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001, etc., if applicable.

Bottom line:

• Pick KnowBe4 if you want the safest all-around choice, breadth, mature administration and extensive content.
• Pick Hoxhunt if your strategic objective is changing employee behavior and getting people to actively report real attacks.
• Pick Proofpoint if you already have a substantial Proofpoint deployment.

If you tell me your approximate employee count, whether you're Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, and which compliance requirements you have, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options and compare pricing, features, integrations, and implementation effort.

Choosing the "best" platform depends heavily on your organization's size, budget, and specific security culture. However, the market is led by a few standout platforms, each excelling in different areas.

The top platforms for security awareness training and phishing simulations break down as follows:

• KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training
  • Best for: Massive content library and traditional compliance.
  • Why it shines: KnowBe4 is the industry giant with the largest library of training modules, videos, and templates. It is exceptionally reliable for automated phishing campaigns, robust reporting, and meeting strict regulatory compliance frameworks.
  • Explore further: Check out the KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training on G2.
• Hoxhunt
  • Best for: Behavioral change through gamification.
  • Why it shines: Instead of tedious, long annual modules, Hoxhunt uses behavioral science and a heavily gamified approach. It empowers employees to report real threats easily, providing micro-trainings and instant positive feedback that build an active security culture rather than an annoyed workforce.
  • Explore further: Read user feedback on the Hoxhunt on G2.
• Wizer
  • Best for: SMBs, lean IT teams, and budget-conscious rollouts.
  • Why it shines: Wizer offers engaging, short-form video content and AI-driven phishing simulations with a surprisingly generous free tier, making it a favorite for smaller organizations or Managed Service Providers (MSPs) who need high impact with minimal admin fatigue.
  • Explore further: Review details on the Wizer Platform.
• Proofpoint Security Awareness (ZenGuide)
  • Best for: Enterprise-grade threat intelligence integration.
  • Why it shines: Proofpoint leverages its world-class threat intelligence data to target actual, active threat campaigns hitting your industry. It pinpoints "very attacked people" (VAPs) in your company and auto-enrolls them in targeted training relative to the exact attacks they face.
  • Explore further: Check out Proofpoint Security Awareness Training.

To help narrow down the ideal fit, could you share:

• Your company size / employee count
• Whether you have a specific compliance requirement (e.g., HIPAA, SOC2, PCI-DSS)
• If you prefer a gamified/micro-learning approach or a traditional robust course catalog