The best security awareness training tools in 2026: KnowBe4, Proofpoint, Infosec IQ, Mimecast Engage, Terranova, Trend Micro, and ESET compared by how they target training.
KnowBe4 is the reference platform: the largest content library, 35 languages, simulated phishing, and 60+ reports. Mimecast Engage is the pick when you want training driven by real email behavior and inbound attack data rather than a calendar. Trend Micro Security Awareness fits organizations that want AI-driven risk scoring to decide who gets trained next.
Security awareness training is the control that addresses the person, not the system. Most breaches still start with a click, a reused password, or a convincing phone call, and the training platform is where an organization decides how to change that.
The products in this list all do the basics: a content library, simulated phishing, and reporting for compliance. The real differences are in how they decide who needs training and when. Some run on a schedule. Others watch behavior, inbound attacks, and risk scores, and intervene at the moment of a risky action.
Commercial products only, one product per company, and paid placements are labeled. None of the seven entries below is a paid placement.
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Best for: Organizations that want the broadest content library and reporting
KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training is the platform most security teams have already seen. It combines a content library localized in 35 languages, simulated phishing, and a reporting layer with more than 60 built-in reports. Content ranges from interactive modules and videos to games, posters, and newsletters.
Simulated phishing is where it goes deep. Campaigns run from existing templates or custom scenarios, including spear phishing built from personal details, and each template can carry a custom landing page that teaches at the point of failure. Smart Groups tailor campaigns to user behavior, and AI-driven recommendations pick the next training for each person.
The platform is cloud-only and fits SMB through enterprise. Our data lists no named third-party integrations, so check the connectors you need (identity provider, email gateway, LMS) during evaluation. For most buyers it is the baseline the others are measured against.
Proofpoint Security Awareness Training
Best for: Proofpoint email security customers
Proofpoint Security Awareness Training teaches employees to identify, resist, and report attacks before damage is done. The content is built around behavior change and human resilience to social engineering rather than compliance checkboxes.
It is part of Proofpoint's human risk management approach, which combines risk visibility with behavior change. The training integrates with Proofpoint's ZenGuide for automated, risk-based learning, so the people who face the most attacks get the most relevant training.
The natural buyer is an organization already running Proofpoint email security, where threat data and training live in one vendor's view of human risk. Our data lists fewer specifics on content volume and integrations than for KnowBe4 or Infosec IQ, so ask for those numbers in the demo. Cloud deployment, SMB through enterprise.
Infosec Institute Infosec Infosec IQ
Best for: Teams that want training nudges triggered by risky behavior
Infosec IQ pairs a library of more than 3,000 awareness resources with phishing simulation and human risk management. The distinctive feature is alert-based training nudges: when a risky behavior is detected, the platform delivers contextual guidance at that moment instead of waiting for the next scheduled module.
The library covers compliance training and incident response modules alongside general awareness, and it ships with prebuilt integrations to security tools so risk signals can flow in. Reporting and analytics dashboards cover program metrics.
Infosec IQ is cloud-based and fits SMB through enterprise. It is a good fit for teams that want behavior-triggered training without moving their email security to the same vendor, which is the trade-off with Proofpoint and Mimecast.
Mimecast Engage
Best for: Programs that want training driven by real email behavior
Mimecast Engage sits on Mimecast's Human Risk Management Platform and uses three data sources to decide who needs what: employee email behavior, inbound attack data, and training results. High-risk employees are identified from that data and receive personalized interventions.
Training is short video content delivered monthly, covering phishing, information protection, office hygiene, data in motion, and data privacy. Automated phishing simulations and real-time behavioral nudges round it out, and a central dashboard shows human risk signals across the organization. It integrates with Slack and Microsoft Teams for delivery.
Like Proofpoint, Engage is strongest when the email security data comes from the same vendor. Organizations on another email gateway will get the training but not the full behavioral signal. Cloud deployment, SMB through enterprise.
Looking for Security Awareness Training Alternatives? Start with the Right Shortlist.
Compare drop-in replacements for popular Security Awareness Training tools, ranked by feature overlap, integrations, and customer fit.
Best for: Campaign-style programs with customized, gamified content
Fortra Terranova Security is a campaign-oriented awareness platform. Organizations build and run campaigns against specific threats, including phishing, ransomware, malware, smishing, and vishing, with customizable courses, quizzes, and phishing simulations tailored to their environment.
Content is gamified to keep engagement and retention up, and the phishing simulation emulates real attacks so users practice identifying and reporting them. The size fit runs from startup to enterprise, which makes it one of the more flexible options for smaller teams in this list.
Our database holds limited feature and integration detail for this product, so treat the specifics as things to confirm. It belongs on a shortlist for organizations that want to shape their own program rather than adopt a vendor's risk model.
Trend Micro Security Awareness
Best for: Organizations that want AI risk scoring to target training
Trend Micro Security Awareness uses AI-driven attack path analysis to find the employees most likely to fall for an attack, then automatically deploys training modules to them. Phishing simulations feed a cyber risk index, and risk scores are tracked over time so you can see whether the program is working.
Training is tailored to each risk profile and delivered through automated remediation, and regulatory compliance content is included. Real-time vulnerability identification means a new risky behavior can trigger training without an administrator scheduling it.
It is cloud-based and fits startup through enterprise. The strongest case is for organizations that already use Trend Micro for endpoint or email protection and want awareness training fed by the same risk data. Our data lists no named integrations, so confirm what feeds the risk index in your environment.
ESET CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS TRAINING
Best for: Small and mid-size teams that want a simple, self-paced course
ESET Cybersecurity Awareness Training is a self-paced online course with a phishing simulator. The basic course runs about 60 minutes and the premium version up to 90, and both can be completed remotely. The phishing simulator supports unlimited realistic tests.
The content uses gamification, interactive sessions, and role-playing to hold attention, and learners earn industry-recognized certifications and LinkedIn badges on completion. Administrators get a dashboard for learner status, granular reports on simulation and completion, automated reminders, and a training portal that can carry your logo, custom URL, and SMTP server.
This is the lightest product in the list and fits startups and SMBs that need compliance coverage and a credible phishing program without building a human risk function. Larger organizations will want the behavior-driven platforms above.
How to Choose the Right Tool
Every vendor here will show you a content library and a phishing click rate. Choose on how the platform decides who to train, what data feeds that decision, and whether it fits the email security you already run.
Decide between scheduled training and behavior-driven training. If you want interventions at the moment of risk, shortlist Mimecast Engage, Infosec IQ, and Trend Micro. If you want a predictable annual program, KnowBe4 and Terranova fit.
Check the email security vendor. Proofpoint and Mimecast training get their best signal from their own gateways. On another gateway, compare KnowBe4 and Infosec IQ first.
Count languages and regions. KnowBe4's 35 languages matter for global workforces; confirm coverage for the others.
Ask what the phishing simulator can do beyond templates: custom spear phishing, landing pages, smishing and vishing, and reporting-button integration.
Look at the reporting you will actually show the board and the auditor. Risk scores over time (Trend Micro, Mimecast) tell a different story than completion rates.
Test delivery inside the tools people use. Slack and Teams delivery (Mimecast) and LinkedIn badges (ESET) change completion rates.
Match the product to team size. ESET and Terranova scale down to startups; the behavior-driven platforms assume someone owns the program.
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If you are starting a program, KnowBe4 is the safe default and the one most auditors recognize. If you already run Proofpoint or Mimecast email security, their training products get more from your own attack data than any third party can. If you want training to follow risk rather than a calendar, Infosec IQ and Trend Micro do that without an email gateway dependency. Small teams should look at ESET and Terranova first. Run a 90-day pilot and judge on reported phishing, not clicked phishing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should employees get security awareness training?
Short, frequent sessions beat annual courses. Mimecast Engage delivers monthly video sessions, and behavior-driven platforms such as Infosec IQ and Trend Micro add training whenever a risky action is detected. Annual compliance training alone does not change behavior.
Is phishing simulation included in these platforms?
Yes. All seven include simulated phishing. KnowBe4, Terranova, and ESET emphasize custom campaigns; Mimecast, Trend Micro, and Infosec IQ tie simulations to risk scoring.
What is human risk management?
It is the practice of measuring each person's risk from behavior, attack exposure, and training results, then acting on it. Mimecast Engage, Infosec IQ, Proofpoint, and Trend Micro market their platforms this way; KnowBe4's Smart Groups do a similar job.
Do these tools help with compliance requirements?
Yes. Infosec IQ, Trend Micro, and ESET list compliance and regulatory training content, and all provide completion reporting for audits.
Which product is best for a small company?
ESET Cybersecurity Awareness Training and Fortra Terranova Security both list startups in their size fit and are quick to deploy. KnowBe4 also serves SMBs but brings more program overhead.
How are these platforms priced?
Per user per year, usually in tiers that add more content or simulation features. None of the vendors here publish enterprise list prices, so get a quote for your headcount.
How this list was made
Commercial products only, one product per company, companies that were acquired are excluded. Ranked by market signals and an editorial review. Paid placements are labeled. Read the full methodology at /methodology.
