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Security awareness training · November 2026 Edition
KnowBe4 vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training
Thirteen of fourteen models named KnowBe4 first on the direct prompt; zero named Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training. KnowBe4 was named by fourteen of the fourteen models and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training by nine and KnowBe4 carries 69 labels and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training 15, so the shares are not directly comparable.
Named in three categories this edition.
Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training
accepted challengerNamed in one category this edition.
First-choice share56%2%Of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts, 0 to 100.
Negative rate20%13%Negative labels as a share of the product's labels, 0 to 100.
Rank in category#1#5A position in a field of 14; printed, not drawn.
Labels6915A count; the two differ.
The two percentage rows are drawn on one 0 to 100 track, KnowBe4 reading right to left. Rank and label count are printed, not drawn.Hoxhunt was named alongside these two in thirteen of the fourteen direct answers. KnowBe4 vs Wizer · KnowBe4 vs Hoxhunt · KnowBe4 vs NINJIO
Share is the count of first choices across the direct, paraphrase, budget and scale prompts over all fourteen models, for a mid-market B2B company; rank is within the category; every quote names the model and the prompt it came from. Both figures come from the security awareness training page.
By framing
How many of the fourteen models made each the first choice, per way of asking, and how many argued against it.
KnowBe4First choices, of fourteen modelsMicrosoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation TrainingDirect130
Paraphrase131
Comparative1201 against Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training
Budget-constrained404 against KnowBe4
Scale-constrained10
Negative0010 against KnowBe4 · 1 against Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training
Bars are first choices, 0 to 14 each sideModels that argued againstA model can name both, so the two sides of a row do not sum to fourteen.
Every model, every framing
The eighty-four answers behind the chart above, one cell each: where KnowBe4 and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training stood in it.
| Model | DirectMD | ParaphraseMD | ComparativeMD | Budget-constrainedMD | Scale-constrainedMD | NegativeMD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | | | | | | |
| GPT-5.4 mini | | | | | ||
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | | MD | | | | |
| Perplexity Sonar | | | | | MD | |
| Grok 4.20 | | | | | | |
| Mistral Small | | MD | | | | |
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | | MD | | | | |
| Llama 4 Maverick | | | | |||
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | | MD | | MD | | |
| Kimi K2 | | MD | | | | |
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | | | | MD | | |
| MiniMax M2.5 | | | | |||
| GPT-6 Luna | MD | MD | MD | MD | ||
| Muse Glimmer 30B | | MD | | | |
KnowBe4MD Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training first choice named as an alternative argued againstblank: not namedEach cell is one answer, KnowBe4 on the left and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training on the right.The direct prompt
The plain question, one answer per model, grouped by where KnowBe4 and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training stood in it.
KnowBe4 first, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training an alternative
13 of 14 modelsMicrosoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training was named in the answer but not as the choice, or not at all.Claude Haiku 4.5KnowBe4 alternatives: Infosec IQ, Proofpoint ZenGuide
GPT-5.4 miniKnowBe4 alternatives: Hoxhunt, Mimecast Engage, Proofpoint ZenGuide
Gemini 3.5 FlashKnowBe4 alternatives: Hoxhunt, Huntress Managed Security Awareness Training, NINJIO, SoSafe
Perplexity SonarKnowBe4 alternatives: Arctic Wolf Managed Security Awareness, Hoxhunt
Grok 4.20KnowBe4 alternatives: Hoxhunt, SoSafe
Mistral SmallHoxhunt, KnowBe4 alternatives: NINJIO
DeepSeek V4 FlashKnowBe4 alternatives: Hoxhunt, Huntress Managed Security Awareness Training, NINJIO, Wizer
Qwen 3.7 FlashHoxhunt, KnowBe4 alternatives: MetaCompliance, RansomLeak
Kimi K2KnowBe4 alternatives: Hoxhunt, Infosec IQ, Proofpoint ZenGuide, SoSafe
GLM 4.7 FlashXHoxhunt, KnowBe4 alternatives: MetaCompliance, SoSafe
MiniMax M2.5KnowBe4 alternatives: Hoxhunt, SoSafe
GPT-6 LunaKnowBe4 alternatives: Hoxhunt, Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training, ZenGuide
Muse Glimmer 30BKnowBe4 alternatives: Hoxhunt, SoSafe
Neither was the first choice, one was named
1 of 14 modelsThe answer put something else first and named one of the two as an alternative.Llama 4 MaverickRansomLeak alternatives: Hoxhunt, KnowBe4, Phished, SoSafe
Bold names in an answer are the products the judge labeled a first choice; a model naming several gives each of them that label. The full answer text for every row is in the record.
By buyer segment
The same question asked on behalf of a different buyer. Each standing is computed within its segment and they are never added together. The figures above are the mid-market standing, which is the one the category orders by.
Small business
KnowBe4 leads by twenty-one points.
KnowBe423%#1 of 11Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training2%#9 of 11
The full small business standing →Mid-marketThe figures above
KnowBe4 leads by fifty-five points.
KnowBe456%#1 of 14Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training2%#5 of 14
The full mid-market standing →Enterprise
KnowBe4 leads by seventy-nine points.
KnowBe479%#1 of 12Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training0%#12 of 12
The full enterprise standing →What the models said about KnowBe4
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Six of seven in this category shown.
“KnowBe4: Often criticized for its large fee structure and repetitive content after extended use. Some users find the interface clunky compared to newer competitors.” Qwen 3.7 Flash · negative prompt · soft negative
“Cons and Cautions: Content can feel outdated, repetitive, or poorly produced... G2 reviews note persistent phishing simulation issues and diminishing returns over time.” Grok 4.20 · negative prompt · soft negative
“KnowBe4 is the market leader with the largest content library, but it receives significant criticism regarding business practices and content quality control.” Gemini 3.5 Flash · negative prompt · soft negative
“The market leader with the largest content library and feature set. Extremely robust, though can feel slightly complex to configure for smaller teams.” Gemini 3.5 Flash · scale prompt · first choice
“Choose KnowBe4 for the safest general-purpose choice, especially when a large catalog, phishing simulations, and compliance reporting matter.” Perplexity Sonar · comparative prompt · first choice
“KnowBe4's Foundation tier drops to $1.63 per user per month at 500+ seats on a 3-year term — both near the bottom of the published range.” Claude Haiku 4.5 · budget prompt · first choice
What the models said about Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation Training
Every negative label with a quote, up to three, then the highest-weighted positives, up to three. Five of six in this category shown.
“Microsoft Attack Simulation Training and bundled or MSP-delivered offerings may vary substantially by license, configuration, and service scope; confirm exactly what is included.” Perplexity Sonar · negative prompt · soft negative
“It is not automatically a like-for-like replacement for a dedicated training platform.” GPT-6 Luna · comparative prompt · soft negative
“Start with Microsoft Defender if you have the licenses. It is the lowest-hanging fruit.” Qwen 3.7 Flash · paraphrase prompt · first choice
“If you already pay for Mimecast or Microsoft 365: → Check if training is included – often the most cost-effective option.” GLM 4.7 FlashX · budget prompt · alternative
“Budget-Conscious Option ... Less sophisticated than dedicated platforms, but a great starting point if budget is tight.” Kimi K2 · paraphrase prompt · alternative
Also compared
KnowBe4 vs WizerKnowBe4 vs HoxhuntKnowBe4 vs NINJIOWizer vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation TrainingHoxhunt vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation TrainingNINJIO vs Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Attack Simulation TrainingAll ten head-to-head pages and the full awareness training standing
Comparisons are drawn for the top eight products in each category, each against each. The output is the models' output; nothing here is a recommendation by the index.