KnowBe4 alternatives in 2026

KnowBe4 has a broad security awareness training library and phishing simulations for organizations that want an established training program. The fit changes when an MSP needs to deliver training under its own brand across client organizations without seat-count friction. The best KnowBe4 alternative in 2026 is DefendWise for MSPs that need white-label, multi-tenant training with unlimited seats; Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack simulation training is the better fit if you mainly need simulations inside your Microsoft environment.

TL;DR

• Among KnowBe4 alternatives, DefendWise is the best fit for MSPs selling white-label security awareness training across client organizations.
• DefendWise uses a flat-fee, unlimited-seat model; evaluate its integrations and reporting workflow before switching.
• Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack simulation training fits teams that want simulations inside their Microsoft environment.
• Hoxhunt fits teams prioritizing adaptive phishing training over an MSP-specific service model.

Why this matters

A security awareness platform serves two different buyers. An internal security team needs to run training for its own employees. An MSP also needs to administer that work across clients, keep client-facing delivery consistent, and gather evidence without turning each campaign into a separate manual job.

That distinction changes the comparison. Training content matters, but it cannot fix an awkward subclient workflow or a billing model that makes every added user an administrative decision. If you sell security awareness training as a managed service in 2026, compare how each option fits the service you deliver, not just the lessons employees see.

KnowBe4 alternatives at a glance

The table separates an MSP delivery platform from tools better suited to an internal training team. It does not treat every security awareness product as interchangeable.

Tool	Best for	Standout capability	Pricing model	How it differs from KnowBe4
KnowBe4	Organizations seeking a broad awareness program	Training content and phishing simulations	Confirm current terms	The benchmark: an established training-led platform
DefendWise	MSPs delivering training to end clients	White-label, multi-tenant delivery with unlimited seats	Flat fee	Centers the MSP’s client-service model rather than the needs of one internal team
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack simulation training	Teams administering simulations in Microsoft	Simulation workflow within Microsoft’s security environment	Check license requirements	Centers simulations in an existing Microsoft environment
Hoxhunt	Teams focused on adaptive phishing training	Personalized phishing exercises	Confirm current terms	Emphasizes employee-level phishing engagement

Best for MSP service delivery: DefendWise. That verdict depends on your business model. If your main job is running simulations for one organization in Microsoft, start with Microsoft’s option instead. If adaptive phishing exercises are the deciding requirement, assess Hoxhunt alongside KnowBe4.

1. DefendWise: best for MSP-managed client training

DefendWise is a white-label security awareness training platform for MSPs that manage training and cybersecurity compliance across end-client organizations. Its flat-fee, unlimited-seat model removes seat-count friction from that service. Multi-tenant delivery matters because your team is managing client programs, not one company-wide campaign.

The economic difference is straightforward: when coverage expands, you do not need to make a per-seat decision before including another user. That is a reason to evaluate DefendWise against KnowBe4 in 2026. It is not a reason to skip checking the work your technicians do after deployment.

Where DefendWise shines

• White-label delivery: The training service can sit under your MSP’s brand.
• Unlimited seats: User coverage does not depend on counting seats for the platform’s flat-fee model.
• End-client management: The platform is built for MSPs managing client organizations rather than only their own staff.
• Compliance work: Training and cybersecurity compliance management sit within the stated use case.

Where DefendWise falls short

• Its MSP-focused model is a weak reason to switch if you train only your own employees and do not need white-label delivery.
• A flat fee does not establish that its content library, integrations, or reporting outputs match every requirement in your current KnowBe4 program. Verify those requirements directly.
• Changing platforms still means reviewing how users, training assignments, and client evidence will move into your operating process.

Best for: MSPs that sell or manage security awareness training for multiple client organizations and want to remove seat-count friction.

Decision point	DefendWise	KnowBe4
Primary fit	MSP delivery across end clients	Organizational security awareness training
Branding	White-label platform	Verify the branding options your program requires
User coverage	Unlimited seats under a flat-fee model	Check current contract terms against your client roster
Switching test	Confirm client administration, integrations, and evidence outputs	Check which existing content and reporting you would give up

Verdict: Buy for an MSP program where white-label delivery and unlimited-seat coverage are requirements. Hold your current setup until DefendWise passes a hands-on check against your client workflow; those requirements alone do not prove every integration or report is a match.

2. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack simulation training: best for Microsoft-centered teams

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack simulation training lets administrators run attack simulations and assign related training within Microsoft’s security environment. That makes it a relevant KnowBe4 alternative when your team already administers user security there and phishing exercises are the immediate job.

It answers a narrower question than an MSP service platform: how should you run simulations for users in your Microsoft environment? If you need one branded service spanning separate client organizations, evaluate that operating model separately rather than assuming the simulation tool covers it.

Where Microsoft shines

• Simulation administration sits in the Microsoft security environment your team may already use.
• It gives teams a way to connect simulated attacks with user training.
• It is a focused option when phishing exercises matter more than replacing an entire awareness program.

Where Microsoft falls short

• Access depends on the applicable Microsoft licensing; check your tenant’s eligibility before treating it as a replacement.
• A simulation workflow does not, by itself, settle white-label delivery or MSP-wide client administration.
• Moving away from KnowBe4 can mean changing training content and the way you present results to clients.

Best for: Internal security teams, or MSPs assessing simulations for clients already administered through Microsoft, when white-label service delivery is not the deciding requirement.

Decision point	Microsoft Attack simulation training	KnowBe4
Main emphasis	Attack simulations within Microsoft	Security awareness training and phishing simulations
Administrative home	Microsoft security environment	KnowBe4 platform
Access check	Confirm eligible licensing	Confirm current contract terms
Replacement test	Check whether simulations cover your training brief	Check which existing content your users need

Verdict: Buy for a Microsoft-centered simulation brief; hold if you need to replace a broader training program. In 2026, document the lessons, reporting, and client presentation you need before assuming an existing Microsoft environment settles the decision.

3. Hoxhunt: best for adaptive phishing training

Hoxhunt emphasizes personalized phishing training and employee engagement. It belongs on a KnowBe4 alternatives shortlist when your main question is whether a different phishing experience will suit your users and security team.

That is not the same decision as choosing an MSP-wide delivery model. Ask Hoxhunt to show how its administration, branding, contract terms, and evidence outputs would work across your client roster before treating it as a direct substitute for DefendWise.

Where Hoxhunt shines

• Its adaptive approach gives phishing training a clear role in the evaluation.
• It suits a team that wants to compare employee-facing exercises, not just administrator controls.

Where Hoxhunt falls short

• Its phishing emphasis does not answer every question about a broader client-service workflow.
• You still need to confirm the terms and administration required for your MSP model rather than infer them from the training experience.

Best for: Teams prioritizing adaptive phishing exercises and willing to evaluate the operational fit separately.

Decision point	Hoxhunt	KnowBe4
Training emphasis	Adaptive phishing training	Broad awareness training and phishing simulations
Buyer’s first test	Employee-facing exercises	Existing training program requirements
MSP fit	Verify branding and client administration	Review your current client workflow

Verdict: Hold pending a side-by-side phishing exercise review; skip as an MSP replacement until its client-delivery model meets your requirements. A better employee exercise is valuable only if your team can administer and report on it at the service level you sell.

Why people switch from KnowBe4

KnowBe4 is not the wrong answer because another platform exists. A switch makes sense when a specific requirement has changed and your current arrangement no longer fits it. For an MSP, that requirement often sits outside the training lesson itself.

• Seat-count friction: You want training coverage to expand with client users without treating each additional seat as a separate platform decision. DefendWise’s unlimited-seat model directly addresses that requirement.
• Client branding: You sell the training service under your MSP’s name and need the delivery experience to support that promise. DefendWise offers a white-label platform.
• Subclient access: Your staff need to manage distinct client organizations without confusing their programs or evidence. Test the complete workflow, including what each client can see.
• Evidence workflow: You need a repeatable way to collect and present training records for client compliance work. Compare the actual outputs you would hand to a client, not a feature-list label.

These are reasons to evaluate an alternative, not claims that KnowBe4 cannot serve an MSP. Your contract and configuration determine what you already have. In 2026, write down the step that consumes technician time or blocks client coverage; use that step as the pass-or-fail test in every product demonstration.

How to test an alternative without losing the program you have

Start with a client workflow you run today. Create the same assignment in each candidate platform, inspect what an end user receives, then produce the record you would give the client. A polished demonstration is not a substitute for those steps.

Check administration first. Can your team keep client organizations distinct and find the correct users, assignments, and results without rebuilding its process? Ask the vendor to show the work in the administrator interface, including any access a client contact would receive.

Check coverage next. Decide who should receive training before comparing contract terms. For an MSP, a model that encourages leaving users out changes the service you can deliver. DefendWise’s unlimited-seat model removes that particular seat-count decision; it does not remove the need to maintain an accurate user roster.

Check evidence last. Take an actual client request for training records and trace how you would answer it in the new platform. Record what you can export, what needs manual preparation, and whether the result identifies the right client and training activity. Do not replace a working KnowBe4 evidence process with a promise that needs extra technician work to fulfill.

A 2026 shortlist should end with a plain result for each candidate: which workflow improves, which workflow changes, and which requirement remains unconfirmed. That is more useful than counting features across platforms built for different buyers.

When staying with KnowBe4 is the right call

Stay with KnowBe4 if its training content, simulations, administration, and current contract already support the service you deliver. Switching for a flat-fee model alone makes little sense if your team would lose training material it relies on or take on more manual client reporting.

KnowBe4 is also a sensible benchmark for an internal security team that does not need white-label, multi-client delivery. In that case, compare employee training and simulation workflows first. The MSP economics that make DefendWise compelling are less relevant when you are not packaging training for end clients.

Verdict: Hold KnowBe4 until an alternative fixes a documented problem without breaking a working process. If the problem is seat-count friction across client organizations, put DefendWise’s flat-fee model and day-to-day administration at the top of the 2026 evaluation.

FAQ

What is the best KnowBe4 alternative for MSPs in 2026?

DefendWise is the best fit when an MSP needs white-label, multi-tenant security awareness training with unlimited seats. Verify its integrations and client evidence workflow against your current program before switching.

Is DefendWise better than KnowBe4 for a single company?

DefendWise has its clearest advantage when an MSP delivers training across end-client organizations. A single company that does not need white-label delivery should compare training content and administration before changing platforms.

Does DefendWise charge by seat?

DefendWise uses a flat-fee model with unlimited seats rather than a per-seat model. That removes a seat-count decision when an MSP expands training coverage.

Can Microsoft Attack simulation training replace KnowBe4?

Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack simulation training is an option for running simulations and related training in Microsoft’s security environment. Check licensing and compare your full training and reporting requirements before treating it as a complete replacement.

Is Hoxhunt a good KnowBe4 alternative for phishing training?

Hoxhunt is an option when adaptive phishing exercises are your priority. MSPs should separately verify its branding, client administration, and evidence workflow.

What should an MSP check before switching from KnowBe4?

Test client separation, user coverage, branding, administrator work, and the training records you give clients. Use a real client workflow to find out what improves and what creates manual work.

Should I leave KnowBe4 just to change the pricing model?

No; switch only when the new model solves a documented service problem and the replacement meets your training and reporting requirements. A different contract structure does not compensate for a weaker client workflow.

One last thing

Before choosing among KnowBe4 alternatives in 2026, pick the user your current process makes hardest to include and the client report that takes longest to prepare. Test both in the replacement platform. If coverage becomes simpler but evidence still needs manual repair, you have moved the work rather than removed it.

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