KnowBe4 alternatives: where to go and how to switch cleanly
Seven destinations, one per reason for leaving, and an eight-step migration plan.
The short answer: Riot for a public price without a three-year term, SoSafe if you want a European vendor, Hoxhunt if your users have learned to game your simulations, Usecure if you're an MSP, Microsoft Attack Simulation Training if you already pay for E5, and Arsen if phone scams worry you most. One thing first: KnowBe4 is still the cheapest listed option, from $1.63 per seat per month. People rarely leave for the sticker price. They leave over the three-year term, add-ons, renewals and template fatigue. We compared all seven destinations and checked their pricing in 2026.
Our ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always flagged on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
Why teams leave KnowBe4
To be fair, KnowBe4 is among the best-rated tools in the category, around 4.6 out of 5 on the big review sites, and some admins say it was the best pricing they found for what it offers. Since Vista Equity Partners took it private, it has reshaped its plans. Teams leave for six reasons, all checked in 2026.
The list price needs three years and 25 seats
KnowBe4's pricing page shows per-seat monthly prices on a three-year term, excluding taxes and fees. There's no band below 25 seats, so a 12-person team pays for 25. For 50 users on Foundation, the full commitment is $4,320; on Advanced, $6,750.
Renewals come in higher
On software buying platforms, buyers report renewals 15% to 30% above the first contract when they don't negotiate. KnowBe4 also replaced its four editions (Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond) with two, Foundation and Advanced, and customers get mapped to one of them at renewal, with a new price attached.
Add-ons stack up
PhishER Plus is $1.50 per seat per month at 101 to 500 seats and Compliance Plus $0.93, both on top of the base plan; SecurityCoach is an Advanced add-on. The deepest library (1,000+ modules) sits in Advanced. Reviewers also mention paying for features they never fully set up.
A console that takes time
User reviews keep circling back to it: the console can be hard to navigate precisely because it does so much. If one admin also runs endpoints, mail and backups, every campaign turns into a project.
Users learn the templates
After a few years, employees recognize the style. Admins say their people got burned out on the same templates and learned how to get through them, which isn't the same as spotting a real attack. Click rates drop, but they stop meaning much.
Reporting stops at clicks
Reports tell you who clicked and who finished the module. Several admins call it a compliance checkbox with an enterprise tax. When leadership asks whether risk is going down, those numbers don't answer.
You're leaving because… go to…
The right KnowBe4 alternative depends on what's pushing you out. Usually one row fits. Each card jumps to the full write-up below.
$6.89 per employee per month, free start.
You want a European vendorSoSafeGerman vendor, GDPR, ISO 27001, TISAX badges.
Your users have learned to game the simulationsHoxhuntAdaptive simulations built around reporting.
You run security for many small clientsUsecureMonthly per-user billing for MSPs, no minimum.
You already pay for Microsoft 365 E5MicrosoftAttack Simulation Training is included; 90-day trial otherwise.
Phone and SMS scams worry you more than emailArsenAI vishing with voice cloning, plus smishing.
KnowBe4 alternatives, tool by tool
For each tool: why switch, who it's for, its limit, how to move from KnowBe4, and what it costs. Scores come from our security awareness training ranking; Usecure, Microsoft and Phished aren't scored there. Prices are as listed in 2026, in the currency each vendor shows. Two more names come up often: Mimecast Engage (200+ modules with a humorous tone, an AI template generator) and Proofpoint ZenGuide (simulations based on real attacks), both mostly worth a look if you already run their email security. Neither lists a price. Adaptive Security, Cofense, Ninjio and Infosec IQ also appear in buyer threads; we didn't find public pricing to build a fair card.
Riot: a public price and no three-year lock-in
Transparent priceWhy switch to Riot. Riot, a Paris-based vendor, does something KnowBe4 doesn't: it lists one price, $6.89 per employee per month billed annually, with a free start and no seat minimum shown. No five-band grid, no three-year term to unlock the number. Support is 24/7 and included, and results export to CSV.
Who it's for. Small and mid-sized companies that want short, regular training without a dedicated admin, and a bill they can forecast.
Who it isn't for. Large teams chasing the lowest per-seat rate: Riot costs more per head than KnowBe4 Foundation at every band.
Its limit. Per-seat cost. For 50 employees, Riot runs $4,134 a year, versus $1,440 for KnowBe4 Foundation. You pay for simplicity and a shorter commitment. Riot's pricing page doesn't say where data is hosted, so ask before you sign.
How to switch. Rebuild your groups from your directory, then run Riot on a pilot group while KnowBe4 is still live. Export results to CSV at the end of every audit period, the same habit you need on the way out of KnowBe4.
- Price
- $6.89/employee/mo, annual
- Labs score
- 4.1/5
- Support
- 24/7 included
- Limit
- pricier per seat than KnowBe4
SoSafe: a European vendor with SMS and voice drills
European vendorWhy switch to SoSafe. SoSafe, based in Cologne, shows GDPR, ISO 27001 and TISAX badges. If you sell into Europe or have European subsidiaries and your legal team prefers a European vendor, that's the strongest case on this list. Ask in the demo where your data is hosted. Content ships in 36 languages.
Who it's for. Companies with 50+ employees, especially with operations in the EU, that also want smishing (SMS phishing) and vishing (voice phishing) drills.
Who it isn't for. A 15-person shop: the Advanced plan includes 50 seats, so you pay for 50.
Its limit. Entry ticket and currency. Advanced starts at €625 per month billed annually for 50 seats, or €7,500 a year; SoSafe lists that price in euros. Smishing and vishing are Advanced-only, and Core is quote-only.
How to switch. Get quotes for Core and Advanced on your real headcount and line them up against your KnowBe4 renewal quote, add-ons included. Have your mail team allowlist SoSafe before the first campaign.
- Price
- Advanced from €625/mo (50 seats)
- Labs score
- 4.0/5
- Languages
- 36
- Limit
- SMS and voice on Advanced only
Hoxhunt: when your people have memorized the templates
Against fatigueWhy switch to Hoxhunt. The most common complaint from admins leaving KnowBe4 isn't price. It's that users get burned out on the same style of templates and learn to game them. Hoxhunt, from Finland, built its product around simulations that adapt to each person and around reporting rather than click rates. Its users rate it very highly.
Who it's for. Mid-sized and large companies that have run three or four years of campaigns and watched their numbers flatten.
Who it isn't for. A buyer who wants a number today: Hoxhunt lists no price and its pricing page mentions no trial.
Its limit. Sales process and mail setup. Pricing is per employee, given after a 30-minute call. On Microsoft 365, Hoxhunt requires Defender's advanced delivery policy plus a mail flow rule that routes simulations to the Focused inbox; it doesn't inject messages directly into mailboxes.
How to switch. Have your Microsoft admin set up advanced delivery and the mail flow rule before the first send. Walk into the sales call with your KnowBe4 renewal quote in hand.
- Price
- quote, per employee
- Labs score
- 3.5/5
- Trial
- none listed
- Limit
- no public price
Usecure: no license minimum for MSPs
Best for MSPsWhy switch to Usecure. If you're an MSP running awareness for twenty clients of 8 to 40 people, KnowBe4's 25-seat floor adds up fast. Usecure, a UK vendor, bills MSPs monthly per user, with no minimum licenses and no long commitment.
Who it's for. MSPs and resellers adding security awareness to their stack, and internal IT teams, who sign annual contracts with a multi-year discount.
Who it isn't for. Anyone who wants a listed price: Usecure quotes on request, with a free trial.
Its limit. Hidden pricing, and "30+ language options" with no detail on the page we read. Check content quality in each language your clients need.
How to switch. Start the free trial, then move clients one by one at each KnowBe4 renewal date, starting with the smallest, the ones paying for 25 seats with 10 users. That's where the savings show first.
- Price
- on request
- MSPs
- monthly, no minimum
- Languages
- 30+
- Trial
- free
Microsoft Attack Simulation Training: already paid for on E5
Included in E5Why switch to Microsoft. If you're on Microsoft 365 E5 or Defender for Office 365 Plan 2, you already own a phishing simulator. Attack Simulation Training covers credential harvest, malicious attachments, malicious links, OAuth consent grant (a fake app asking for mailbox access) and QR codes. Data stays inside your Microsoft 365 tenant. A Plan 2 trial runs 90 days.
Who it's for. E5 shops that are tired of paying twice for the same capability.
Who it isn't for. A solo admin with no spare hours. Admins who run it describe it as fine but not a true one-to-one replacement, with a lot of manual management. With E3 alone, you only get a subset of features, in trial.
Its limit. Comfort. Fewer ready-made training modules, more hands-on configuration, and simulation URLs that Google Safe Browsing sometimes blocks for users on Chrome.
How to switch. Check your licenses in the admin center first. If E5 is there, run a pilot campaign during the trial or alongside KnowBe4, and keep a specialist tool only if your audit reporting needs it.
- Price
- included in E5 or Defender P2
- Trial
- 90 days (Plan 2)
- Data
- stays in Microsoft 365
- Limit
- manual management
Arsen: AI voice cloning for vishing drills
Voice and SMSWhy switch to Arsen. Attacks don't stop at email. Arsen, a French vendor, runs email phishing, smishing and AI-powered vishing with voice cloning: the fake CFO calling accounts payable for an urgent wire. That's the drill most click-focused programs never run.
Who it's for. Finance, procurement and help desk teams, the people attackers phone.
Who it isn't for. A buyer who wants to compare prices online without a sales call.
Its limit. Everything is quote-based: tiered by user count, with 10% to 20% off multi-year terms. Hosting location isn't stated on its pricing page.
How to switch. Start with its free vishing simulator on two or three volunteers to see whether the exercise lands. If you sign, align the term with your KnowBe4 end date so you never pay two company-wide licenses.
- Price
- quote, tiered
- Labs score
- 3.3/5
- Channels
- email, SMS, voice
- Free
- vishing simulator
Phished: framed around NIS2, NIST and DORA
Certified vendorWhy switch to Phished. Phished, a Belgian vendor, says it is ISO/IEC 27001 certified and SOC 2 audited, and describes its Core plan as compliant with NIS2, NIST, DORA and ISO 27001. That's the vendor's claim: no tool makes your company compliant on its own. But if your auditors want proof of recurring training, a product designed around those frameworks saves time.
Who it's for. Companies with European operations and financial firms in DORA scope.
Who it isn't for. Anyone who needs a number up front: prices for Core, Advanced and All-in-One are hidden on its page, in USD, EUR and GBP.
Its limit. No public price and no Labs score yet. Judge it on a demo and on its audit reports.
How to switch. Before the demo, export two years of KnowBe4 completion reports and ask how Phished brings that history into its own reporting, or whether you archive it separately.
- Price
- Core, Advanced, All-in-One on quote
- Certifications
- ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2
- Frameworks
- NIS2, NIST, DORA (vendor claim)
- Limit
- no public price
KnowBe4 and its alternatives side by side
Our default picks: Riot for a small or mid-sized team that wants a clear price, Usecure for MSPs, Microsoft if E5 is already paid. For scale, 50 employees for one year: $1,440 on KnowBe4 Foundation ($2,250 on Advanced), but on a three-year term; $4,134 on Riot; €7,500 on SoSafe Advanced. Hoxhunt, Usecure, Arsen and Phished need a quote.
| Price | Terms | |
|---|---|---|
| KnowBe4Where you start | Foundation $2.40 to $1.63, Advanced $3.75 to $2.79 per seat per month | 3-year term, 25-seat minimum, add-ons extra |
| RiotPublic price | $6.89 per employee per month, billed annually | Free start, no minimum listed |
| SoSafeEuropean vendor | Core on quote; Advanced from €625 per month | Advanced: 50 seats included, billed annually |
| HoxhuntAgainst fatigue | Quote, per employee | Price after a 30-minute call |
| UsecureMSPs | On request | MSPs monthly, no minimum; IT teams annual |
| MicrosoftPaid on E5 | Included in E5 or Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 | 90-day Plan 2 trial |
| ArsenVoice and SMS | Quote, tiered | 10% to 20% off multi-year |
| PhishedNIS2, DORA | Core, Advanced, All-in-One on quote | Amounts hidden on pricing page |
Prices as listed by vendors in 2026, excluding taxes. KnowBe4 notes its prices exclude taxes and fees and can change at any time.
Leaving KnowBe4 in eight steps
Order matters. Each step protects something: budget, audit evidence, employee trust, mail flow. To automate report exports or user sync, KnowBe4 also has a Make connector.
Pull your contract and mark the renewal date
Day -90KnowBe4's list price assumes a three-year term. Find your end date, notice period and renewal clause. Start 90 days out; any later and you negotiate with your back against the wall.
Write down your edition (legacy Silver, Gold, Platinum or Diamond, or the new Foundation and Advanced) and every add-on billed separately: PhishER Plus, SecurityCoach, Compliance Plus. Each one needs a replacement or a decision to drop it.
- When
- 90 days before term end
- Risk
- auto-pilot renewal
Put KnowBe4 in competition, even if you stay
Day -75Get two competing quotes on your real headcount. Buyers report 15% to 30% renewal increases when nobody pushes back, and one cut a quoted 52% increase down to 10% by bringing a competitor to the table. Ask for a written cap on the next increase.
- Goal
- written increase cap
- Quotes
- at least 2
Export your audit evidence before access ends
Before term endCompletion reports are evidence for ISO 27001, SOC 2 or NIS2 audits. Export them by year and by group. Per-user phishing results come out of the KnowBe4 Reporting API, campaign by campaign; we found no one-click full export, so budget half a day with someone comfortable calling an API.
- Keep
- completions, phishing results
- Tool
- reports and Reporting API
Tell employees before the first new simulation
Before any sendA new tool means new sender domains, new templates and sometimes a new report button. Announce the change. A simulation that blindsides everyone does more damage to trust than it teaches.
- Who
- employees, managers, HR
Connect your directory and turn off KnowBe4 sync
Week 1KnowBe4 provisions users through SCIM (from Okta or Entra ID), Active Directory sync or CSV import. SCIM is one-way, IdP to KnowBe4, and SAML has to be configured before SCIM. Deleting a user in the IdP archives them in KnowBe4 rather than removing them.
Wire the same source into the new tool with the same groups (department, site, language), and disable KnowBe4 sync before your contract ends.
- Methods
- SCIM, AD, CSV
- Gotcha
- SAML before SCIM
Set up the mail allowlist for the new tool
Week 1On Microsoft 365, KnowBe4 uses Defender's advanced delivery policy. Your new tool needs the same, with its own domains and IPs; Hoxhunt also requires a mail flow rule to the Focused inbox.
Send a simulation to three seed mailboxes (Outlook desktop, Outlook web, mobile) and confirm it lands, isn't rewritten by link protection, and that reports come through. On Google Workspace, check whether a report is logged as a click: admins have seen failure rates inflated that way.
- Microsoft
- advanced delivery
- Check
- 3 seed mailboxes
Run both tools in parallel on a pilot group
After week 1Pick 20 to 50 people across departments and move them to the new tool while everyone else stays on KnowBe4. Compare report rates, not just click rates. If a vendor offers to buy out the rest of your KnowBe4 contract to speed things up (admins say it happens), get it in writing.
- Size
- 20 to 50 people
- Metric
- report rate
Cut over company-wide and clean up behind you
At term endSwitch everyone on the contract end date, not before: you've paid KnowBe4 until then. Then remove KnowBe4 from advanced delivery and mail flow rules, retire its report button and service accounts. A forgotten allowlist entry is an open door for a sender you no longer control.
- Remove
- allowlist, button, accounts
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes a KnowBe4 exit go wrong
The same mistakes show up again and again in sysadmin threads. None of them is technical, strictly speaking: they're calendar, evidence and configuration misses.
Letting the renewal date slip
On a three-year contract, missing the window by a few weeks can cost you another term. Put the date in your calendar at 90, 60 and 30 days, and read your own renewal clause before you sign anything new.
Losing your training history
Your auditor will ask for prior years. Once KnowBe4 access ends, that evidence is gone. Export completions and phishing results, with dates and headcount.
Letting mail filtering break simulations
A link rewritten by protection, a simulation sent to junk, or a URL blocked by Google Safe Browsing will poison your first month of data. Seed mailboxes first, on every client.
Counting a report as a failure
Some admins found Google's report button logged as a click, which inflates failure rates. Check it during the pilot, before you show leadership any numbers.
Comparing prices with different units
KnowBe4 lists per seat per month on three years, Riot per employee billed annually, SoSafe a monthly bundle for 50 seats in euros. Bring everything to annual cost for your headcount, add-ons included. For 50 people: $1,440 on KnowBe4 Foundation, $4,134 on Riot, €7,500 on SoSafe Advanced.
Trusting vendor comments on Reddit
Threads about KnowBe4 alternatives are full of vendor reps posting as users. Read them for the questions they raise, not the answers they push, and ask peers who have nothing to sell.
- Renewal date noted, process started 90 days out
- Two competing quotes in hand
- Completion reports and phishing results exported
- Employees told before the first simulation
- Allowlist set and checked on 3 seed mailboxes
- 20 to 50 person pilot run in parallel
- KnowBe4 entries removed after cutover
KnowBe4 alternatives: frequently asked questions
What is KnowBe4's main weakness?
Contract terms more than product. The listed price requires a three-year commitment and 25 seats minimum, and add-ons like PhishER Plus and SecurityCoach are billed on top. Admins also mention a busy console and users who learn to spot the templates after a few years.
How much does KnowBe4 cost per user?
$1.63 to $3.75 per seat per month on a three-year term. Foundation is $2.40 at 25 to 50 seats down to $1.63 at 501 to 1,000; Advanced runs $3.75 to $2.79. For 25 users on Foundation, that's $720 a year before tax, plus any add-ons.
What is the cheapest KnowBe4 alternative?
Microsoft Attack Simulation Training, if you already pay for E5 or Defender for Office 365 Plan 2. Among standalone tools with a public price, KnowBe4 Foundation is still cheaper per seat than Riot at $6.89. Cheaper isn't always the point: you're often leaving for contract flexibility, not the sticker price.
What is the best KnowBe4 alternative for MSPs?
Usecure, because it bills MSPs monthly per user with no license minimum and no long commitment. KnowBe4's 25-seat floor hurts on small clients. Huntress also comes up among admins who say they don't have time to administer a full platform; we didn't read its pricing, so it has no card here.
Can I run KnowBe4 and a new tool in parallel?
Yes, and you should, on a pilot group of 20 to 50 people. Allowlist both tools, keep campaigns on different weeks so users aren't flooded, and compare report rates. Plan the full cutover for your contract end date.
Should I pick KnowBe4 Foundation or Advanced if I stay?
Foundation for baseline compliance, Advanced for a long-running program. Foundation includes 200+ modules and limited smart groups; Advanced has 1,000+ modules, unlimited smart groups and the SecurityCoach add-on option. For 50 seats: $1,440 versus $2,250 a year.
Does switching tools affect SOC 2 or ISO 27001 audits?
Only if you lose your history. Auditors want evidence of recurring training. Export KnowBe4 completion reports and phishing results before access ends, and keep them with dates and headcount. The new tool covers the period after cutover.
Who owns KnowBe4 now?
Vista Equity Partners. The private equity firm announced the deal in 2022 and KnowBe4 left the Nasdaq. Its editions were later simplified from four to two, Foundation and Advanced, which changes what you pay at renewal.
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