KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training vs. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
KnowBe4 is a security awareness and compliance training and simulated social engineering product. It is used by organizations worldwide to strengthen their security culture and reduce human risk. The product includes a comprehensive suite of awareness and compliance training, real-time user coaching, AI-powered simulated social engineering, crowdsourced anti-phishing defense and an AI suite that enhances human risk management through personalized training and automation. With…
$0.95
per month (billed annually) per seat
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (formerly Microsoft Defender ATP) is a holistic, cloud delivered endpoint security solution that includes risk-based vulnerability management and assessment, attack surface reduction, behavioral based and cloud-powered next generation protection, endpoint detection and response (EDR), automatic investigation and remediation, managed hunting services, rich APIs, and unified security management.
$2.50
per user/per month
Pricing
KnowBe4 Security Awareness TrainingMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint
Editions & Modules
Silver
$0.95
per month (billed annually) per seat
Gold
$1.10
per month (billed annually) per seat
Platinum
$1.25
per month (billed annually) per seat
Diamond
$1.70
per month (billed annually) per seat
Academic
$2.50
per user/per month
Standalone
$5.20
per user/per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
KnowBe4 Security Awareness TrainingMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
KnowBe4 Security Awareness TrainingMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint
Considered Both Products
KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training
Chose KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training
KnowBe4 has the most diverse feature set compared to the others. I also chose KnowBe4 over others due to the PhishER capabilities.
Chose KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training
I had used KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training previously and therefore knew that it's intuitive, easy to use, quick to customize where I'm able to and works well for reporting. I did like Cofense's ability to customize training modules but ultimately went for KnowBe4 Security …
Chose KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training
We explored using Terranova before deciding on KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training. The integration between M365 and KnowBe4 was ultimately what sold us. You're easily able to set up groups and SAML authentication with KnowBe4 that allows seamless onboarding into the system. …
Chose KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training
Training materials and testing campaigns are leaps and bounds ahead of Defender.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

No answer on this topic

Features
KnowBe4 Security Awareness TrainingMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training
9.0
332 Ratings
4% above category average
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
-
Ratings
Single sign-on capability9.3295 Ratings00 Ratings
Role-based user permissions8.6321 Ratings00 Ratings
Security Awareness Training
Comparison of Security Awareness Training features of Product A and Product B
KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training
8.1
363 Ratings
5% below category average
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
-
Ratings
Training Content Library8.4360 Ratings00 Ratings
Multilingual Training Content8.1203 Ratings00 Ratings
Training Gamification8.0302 Ratings00 Ratings
Industry-Specific Security Training7.0318 Ratings00 Ratings
Individualized Security Training Plans7.7306 Ratings00 Ratings
Phishing Simulations9.4358 Ratings00 Ratings
Security Reporting8.4349 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with Security Tech Stack8.2207 Ratings00 Ratings
Endpoint Security
Comparison of Endpoint Security features of Product A and Product B
KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training
-
Ratings
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
8.7
76 Ratings
3% above category average
Anti-Exploit Technology00 Ratings8.873 Ratings
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)00 Ratings9.175 Ratings
Centralized Management00 Ratings8.875 Ratings
Hybrid Deployment Support00 Ratings7.310 Ratings
Infection Remediation00 Ratings9.073 Ratings
Vulnerability Management00 Ratings8.770 Ratings
Malware Detection00 Ratings9.174 Ratings
Best Alternatives
KnowBe4 Security Awareness TrainingMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint
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Score 8.7 out of 10
ThreatLocker
ThreatLocker
Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Hoxhunt
Hoxhunt
Score 9.3 out of 10
BlackBerry Protect (CylancePROTECT)
BlackBerry Protect (CylancePROTECT)
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
Hoxhunt
Hoxhunt
Score 9.3 out of 10
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Score 9.9 out of 10
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User Ratings
KnowBe4 Security Awareness TrainingMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint
Likelihood to Recommend
9.2
(694 ratings)
8.7
(123 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.9
(56 ratings)
8.4
(8 ratings)
Usability
9.2
(182 ratings)
8.7
(7 ratings)
Availability
9.5
(20 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
9.5
(21 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.3
(260 ratings)
9.0
(6 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.8
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
9.4
(17 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.3
(24 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
8.8
(16 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
8.1
(39 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
6.8
(8 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.4
(21 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Professional Services
8.9
(12 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.5
(17 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.4
(16 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
KnowBe4 Security Awareness TrainingMicrosoft Defender for Endpoint
Likelihood to Recommend
KnowBe4
I don't have any frame of reference for comparison, but the training that I have used has proved impactful for my staff. Since starting KnowBe4 training, we've seen a great increase in the number of phishing attempts, but also a great increase in the number of attempts that have been recognized by staff, and we have thus not been the victim of phishing or other cyberattact vectors
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Microsoft
Because of its integration with Windows, it is very easy to deploy and manage. Any IT department should be able to leverage the software and interface. The admin portal provides weighted recommendations that comprise the Secure Store, offering admins, security teams, and business owners valuable insights into their security footprint without requiring a strong security background. The software would be ideal for small and mid-sized businesses that cannot dedicate resources to security. Larger enterprises would also benefit, but may require the enhanced license.
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Pros
KnowBe4
  • Phish tests can be set to various difficulty levels as staff becomes more knowledgeable in catching phish emails.
  • Automated phish tests and training save a lot of admin time. The product can also test for phone and USB stick practices.
  • The phish alert button in Outlook, along with PhishER and PhishFlip allow easy managing and response to actual phishing emails.
  • The interactive training is well designed to cover all types of phishing and safe email and phone behavior.
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Microsoft
  • One, it's crazy lightweight, so compared to some of the competitors that we also have used with our security services, it's really lightweight and so I don't have a lot of overhead on the system that it's running on.
  • It does really fantastic PowerShell integration.
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Cons
KnowBe4
  • The provided templates for phishing simulations are mainly available in English. There are also some templates available in our native language, but their number is small. We have seen other platforms offer way more phishing simulation templates in our language.
  • Although there is a really huge number of training videos available, some of them are outdated and no longer have much to offer. Some cleaning up could help in this direction.
  • Although there a some games / puzzle like trainings available, we have seen other platforms offer more and better ones (on the other platforms had they had almost no videos at all...). It would help significantly to also invest in enriching the provided puzzles / games.
  • We have seen other platforms offer games, where, for example, employees of the company can compete against each other while working together in groups to achieve a common goal (e.g., eliminate a fictional security threat that has "hit" the company. Plan the steps needed to be taken, take the steps one after another and have a chance to see the impact each action has. At the end the team that has suffered the least cost to end the threat is the one that wins. Just an example. The point is to make this challenging, using gamification and to make the employees part of the prevention force of the company against cybersecurity threats.
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Microsoft
  • So the fact that Defender for Endpoint still works with signatures is actually, I don't know, a little difficult for us because, I mean, since Microsoft trusts those signatures, you can easily inject code. And we've done it many times. To show that you can inject code through vulnerabilities like CV 2013, 99, and 33 but still keep the signature. So because of the trust of those signatures, the malware just kind of slides into the environment without Defender knowing. That's the first part. The second part is that the behavioral analysis is not precisely its Prime. It's not Defender's best capability for endpoints. So, Defender does not identify all behaviors considered by other EDRs in the market.
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Likelihood to Renew
KnowBe4
Between the ease of use, cost effectiveness, functionality and continued improvements Knowbe4 continues to make it would be pretty hard to find another competitive product that wraps it all up like KnowBe4 has. Not saying it couldn't happen, but haven't seen anything that competes at this point.
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Microsoft
Cost add-ons for Security features is nickel and diming the process to keep pace with cybercrime. Limited Education budgets require us to be more pro-active in finding cost-effective measures to protect our devices, staff and students. Defender is a strong, well-featured product that is pricing itself out of the education market
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Usability
KnowBe4
KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training is simple to use, simple to administer, effective, with quality content. It is easy to take the training and we have the reminders set so that the longer a user puts the training off, the more frequently they will receive reminder emails. Eventually they get emailed every day until they take the training. But with a simple click, they can get into the training content.
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Microsoft
It offers multiple security features and integrates well with Microsoft ecosystems. A workflow for threat detection, investigation, automated remediation, and a centralized dashboard is an added advantage. This application is mainly designed for experienced users; new users may feel challenged.
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Reliability and Availability
KnowBe4
There have only been a handful of outages in the 2 years we have had the product. Even during those instances, parts of the system were still operational
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Microsoft
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint chugs along just fine no matter what we throw at it and what systems it's running on. It doesn't take up a lot of resources either, so that's welcomed.
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Performance
KnowBe4
Pages load quickly, filter/sort quickly, and don't slow down or freeze. Everything is smooth and very easy to use. There are a places in the UI where you can forget how to get there, but other than that everything is great. We have had no issues using any part of the website.
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Microsoft
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is easy on memory and resources on clients.
Read full review
Support Rating
KnowBe4
Tech prod support is great! I did have to ask for a new customer success rep, needed a more experienced person to match my 12 years of experience running Cybersec training programs. Would suggest that more matching of rep level of knowledge to client level knowledge would help.
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Microsoft
The first time I tried to onboard my macOS endpoints to MDE I struggled for quite a bit. I had to reach out to Microsoft's MDE support team. The tech was very helpful in walking me through the steps during a screen share session
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In-Person Training
KnowBe4
Helpful and knowledgeable account managers have helped us navigate and use the system to our full potential
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Online Training
KnowBe4
confusing question. I inherited this application so I didnt get any formal training other than the person who was leaving. The CSM provided some later on when I asked in a zoom call
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
KnowBe4
The implementation went really well and KnowBe4 was there the whole time on setup to make sure things were setup correctly. The only thing we had to figure out on our own was to script users automatically being added to security groups. So that when they sync to knowBe4 from AD they are placed into the same/correct groups.
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Microsoft
Deployment was handled by our team here and everything went pretty smoothly. We did have a few hiccups in our test group, but that only took a bit to get ironed out.
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Alternatives Considered
KnowBe4
KnowBe4 offered a significantly more favorable cost-benefit ratio compared to other solutions. Its seamless integration with our existing infrastructure—particularly Active Directory and email systems—was the most compatible with our operational and security requirements.
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Microsoft
Cylance's policy is to block everything and requires an active person to monitor and unblock legitimate processes. As updates and software continue to evolve, it is a full-time job to be a Cylance administrator. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is a set-and-forget solution that catches threats when they occur and leaves you to focus on your work unimpeded.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
KnowBe4
I was not involved in the pricing, billing or contract terms.
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Scalability
KnowBe4
The product scales greatly. As long as you upgrade the license to support the number of users you are needing, adding in those new users is easy. Also getting those users set up with trainings/campaigns is very easy as well
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Microsoft
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is easily scaled from small orgs to giant enterprises.
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Professional Services
KnowBe4
The team was great to work with and took their time to ensure that we knew what we were doing with the product and that it was set up to meet the specific needs of our organization. This wasn't just a cookie-cutter deployment, but rather they focused specifically on our needs.
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
KnowBe4
  • With the implementation of KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training, we have reduced a lot of issues of social engineering attacks like Phishing attacks, Smishing attacks, Vishing attacks, and a lot more. After implementing the KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training, we have seen a significant decrease in the clicking on a phishing email. Now users are aware of phishing attacks and they know how to react to them.
  • With KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training, we got another tool Phish Alert Button that we have installed on the user's outlook and after providing training on these topics, now we are receiving a lot of spam report emails are users are protecting them from clicking and just reporting it to the IT team.
  • With the Phishing test, we are seeing the growth and analyzing how our users will react in the case of a real phishing attack, and with this, we are providing more training to them and going with them as per the test report. This whole process is making our company more stronger against any type pf social engineering attack.
  • After implementing KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training, we have seen a lot of improvements in the account compromise case in our company because users are not clicking on fake links now.
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Microsoft
  • Reduced incidents of security breaches lead to lower remediation costs and avoid potential financial losses and reputational damage.
  • Reduces the need for additional third-party security solutions and training, thereby lowering overall security management costs.
  • Increased efficiency and productivity of IT staff lead to better allocation of resources and cost savings.
  • Reduces the risk of fines and sanctions associated with non-compliance, ensuring business continuity and protecting revenue.
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ScreenShots

KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training Screenshots

Screenshot of the Phishing Dashboard. This displays how end users are doing at-a-glance and in comparison to peers across industries with Industry Benchmarking.Screenshot of the Virtual Risk Officer functionality, which helps identify risk to support data-driven decisions about a security awareness plan.Screenshot of KnowBe4's partners, including The Security Awareness Company, Popcorn Training, exploqii, Twist & Shout, El Pescador, CLTRe, Saya University, and MediaPRO. Together, they create security awareness training content available in the ModStore.Screenshot of a security training quiz question showing "Security Moments Series: Spot the Bad Link" asking what Lisa should do when receiving an unexpected email with an HTML attachment, with three answer options and Submit/Cancel buttons.Screenshot of the AIDA Phishing Template Generator interface, which displays a customizable phishing simulation tool with template setup options on the left and a preview of a generated "Annual Bonus Announcement" email featuring a QR code attack vector on the right.Screenshot of the AIDA Configure Training interface, which displays settings for personalized remedial phishing training, including user enrollment options, completion timeframes, knowledge refresher schedules, and notification preferences, with an "Activate Remedial Training" button to implement the configuration.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Screenshots

Screenshot of blocked activitiesScreenshot of Detects & respondsScreenshot of discovers vulnerabilityScreenshot of Eliminates blind spotsScreenshot of Risk management