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Government · head to head

Bidnet Direct vs KnowBe4

Bidnet Direct logo

Bidnet Direct

Government

Regional bid notification network where agencies post free and suppliers pay for alerts

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
KnowBe4 logo

KnowBe4

Cybersecurity

World's largest security awareness training platform

From
$1/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Bidnet Direct suppliers pay for aggregation, not access: the same solicitations are generally published free on individual agency and state portals, so the subscription is only worth it if searching manually costs more than the fee.; KnowBe4 published prices assume a three year term, so the quoted per seat rate depends on a long commitment
  • They diverge on capability: Bidnet Direct covers Regional purchasing groups, KnowBe4 covers Security awareness training.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bidnet Direct and KnowBe4 actually diverge.

Attributes where Bidnet Direct and KnowBe4 differ
AttributeBidnet DirectKnowBe4
Starting priceOn request$1/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile, Email
CategoryGovernmentCybersecurity
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Bidnet Direct

  • Regional purchasing groups
  • Free agency publication
  • Supplier notification
  • Vendor registration
  • Bid document distribution
  • Award postings
  • Supplier diversity reporting

Only in KnowBe4

  • Security awareness training
  • Phishing simulation
  • Risk assessments
  • Compliance training
  • Incident reporting
  • API access
  • Custom policies
  • Behavior analytics

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bidnet Direct

  • A small municipal purchasing department that needs competitive responses without building or paying for its own bid portalnot KnowBe4
  • A contractor that wants notification of every relevant solicitation across a state rather than checking dozens of agency websitesnot KnowBe4
  • A state cooperative wanting a single regional portal so suppliers register once for many agenciesnot KnowBe4
  • An agency required to demonstrate outreach to certified diverse suppliers on every solicitationnot KnowBe4

KnowBe4

  • Security awareness training and simulated phishing for staffnot Bidnet Direct
  • Tracking employee susceptibility to phishing over timenot Bidnet Direct

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Bidnet Direct

  • Suppliers pay for aggregation, not access: the same solicitations are generally published free on individual agency and state portals, so the subscription is only worth it if searching manually costs more than the fee.
  • Supplier pricing is not published and varies by geography and category breadth, which makes it difficult for a small contractor to judge value before a sales conversation.
  • Category matching produces a high volume of irrelevant alerts for suppliers whose work does not map neatly onto procurement commodity codes, so the notification stream needs constant tuning.
  • Bidnet is now one brand inside SOVRA, which divested six business units in 2025 under new private equity ownership, so portfolio priorities can change independently of any individual product's customers.
  • For agencies it is a publication and notification network rather than a sourcing system: bid evaluation, scoring and contract management need a separate tool.

KnowBe4

  • Published prices assume a three year term, so the quoted per seat rate depends on a long commitment
  • Pricing is banded by seat count, and the lowest band of 25 to 50 seats pays the highest rate
  • Accounts above 1,000 seats have no published price and require a custom quote
  • Third party integrations, Compliance Plus and PhishER Plus are all separately priced per seat add ons
  • The Foundation tier carries 200 training modules against more than 1,000 on Advanced, so content volume is the main gate

Pricing, plan by plan

Bidnet Direct

On request
  • Supplier subscription$undefined/year
    • Matched opportunity notifications
    • Access to regional purchasing group solicitations
    • Priced by geographic and category coverage
  • Agency participation$undefined/year
    • Solicitation publication and vendor registry
    • Free or low cost to participating public agencies
    • Supplier diversity reporting

KnowBe4

$1/month
  • Basic$1/month
    • Per user
    • Training modules
    • Phishing templates
  • Advanced$2/month
    • All Basic features
    • Advanced phishing
    • Risk assessments
  • Pro$3/month
    • All Advanced features
    • API access
    • Custom content

Which should you pick?

Choose Bidnet Direct if

  • You need regional purchasing groups.
  • You also want free agency publication.
Bidnet Direct review

Choose KnowBe4 if

  • You need security awareness training.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Email.
  • You also want phishing simulation.
KnowBe4 review

Questions people ask

Is Bidnet Direct or KnowBe4 better?
Neither clearly leads. Bidnet Direct starts at On request and KnowBe4 at $1/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bidnet Direct or KnowBe4?
Bidnet Direct starts at On request and KnowBe4 at $1/month.
Does Bidnet Direct or KnowBe4 run on more platforms?
Bidnet Direct runs on Web. KnowBe4 runs on Web, Mobile, Email.
What is Bidnet Direct best used for?
Bidnet Direct is most often used for a small municipal purchasing department that needs competitive responses without building or paying for its own bid portal, a contractor that wants notification of every relevant solicitation across a state rather than checking dozens of agency websites, a state cooperative wanting a single regional portal so suppliers register once for many agencies, an agency required to demonstrate outreach to certified diverse suppliers on every solicitation. Of those, a small municipal purchasing department that needs competitive responses without building or paying for its own bid portal and a contractor that wants notification of every relevant solicitation across a state rather than checking dozens of agency websites are not what KnowBe4 is typically brought in for.
What can Bidnet Direct do that KnowBe4 cannot?
Bidnet Direct covers Regional purchasing groups, Free agency publication, Supplier notification, Vendor registration. KnowBe4 covers Security awareness training, Phishing simulation, Risk assessments, Compliance training.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bidnet Direct: Do government agencies pay?

Generally not, or very little. The network is funded by supplier subscriptions, which is why agencies get an existing supplier pool without paying for it.

KnowBe4: What does KnowBe4 cost per employee?

KnowBe4 charges per seat per month on a subscription basis. For 51-100 employees, SAT Foundation costs $2.13/month per seat and SAT Advanced costs $3.40/month per seat. Prices decrease with larger employee counts.

Source
Bidnet Direct: Is it worth it for a supplier?

Only if aggregation saves you more than it costs. The solicitations are public and available free elsewhere; you are buying alerting and search across many agencies at once.

KnowBe4: Does KnowBe4 offer a free trial?

KnowBe4 does not offer a full free version, but free tools are available separately including assessments and simulators.

Source
Bidnet Direct: Who owns it now?

SOVRA, the rebranded procurement business of mdf commerce, which was acquired by KKR. Bidnet Direct remains a named product within that portfolio.

KnowBe4: Are there add-on costs beyond the base plan?

Yes, optional add-ons include Third-Party Integrations ($1.10-$1.20/seat/month), Compliance Plus ($0.82-$0.93/seat/month), PhishER Plus ($1.15-$1.50/seat/month), and Student Edition ($0.17/seat/month).

Source
Bidnet Direct: Does it evaluate bids?

No. It publishes and distributes. Scoring, evaluation and contract management require a sourcing platform.

KnowBe4: What currencies does KnowBe4 accept?

KnowBe4 accepts pricing in USD, AUD, BRL, CAD, EUR, GBP, SGD, and ZAR.

Source
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