Is KnowBe4 or Microsoft Defender better?

Neither clearly leads. KnowBe4 starts at $1/month and Microsoft Defender at $12/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, KnowBe4 or Microsoft Defender?

KnowBe4 starts at $1/month and Microsoft Defender at $12/month.

Does KnowBe4 or Microsoft Defender run on more platforms?

KnowBe4 runs on Web, Mobile, Email. Microsoft Defender runs on Web.

What is KnowBe4 best used for?

KnowBe4 is most often used for security awareness training and simulated phishing for staff, tracking employee susceptibility to phishing over time. Of those, security awareness training and simulated phishing for staff and tracking employee susceptibility to phishing over time are not what Microsoft Defender is typically brought in for.

What can KnowBe4 do that Microsoft Defender cannot?

KnowBe4 covers Security awareness training, Phishing simulation, Risk assessments, Compliance training.

Cybersecurity · head to head

KnowBe4 vs Microsoft Defender

KnowBe4

Cybersecurity

World's largest security awareness training platform

From: $1/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

Microsoft Defender

Cybersecurity

Always-on protection for you and your family's data and devices

From: $12/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: KnowBe4 published prices assume a three year term, so the quoted per seat rate depends on a long commitment; Microsoft Defender defender Suite requires existing Microsoft 365 E3 or equivalent base licensing
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which KnowBe4 and Microsoft Defender actually diverge.

Attributes where KnowBe4 and Microsoft Defender differ
Attribute	KnowBe4	Microsoft Defender
Starting price	$1/month	$12/month
Platforms	Web, Mobile, Email	Web
Founded	2010	Unknown

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

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 KnowBe4

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

Only in Microsoft Defender

Nothing recorded that KnowBe4 does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

KnowBe4

Security awareness training and simulated phishing for staffnot Microsoft Defender
Tracking employee susceptibility to phishing over timenot Microsoft Defender

Microsoft Defender

Endpoint security and threat protectionnot KnowBe4
Identity and access securitynot KnowBe4
Email threat protectionnot KnowBe4
SaaS application security monitoringnot KnowBe4

Where each one falls short

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

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

Microsoft Defender

Defender Suite requires existing Microsoft 365 E3 or equivalent base licensing
Some Defender products use pay-as-you-go pricing with variable costs
Prices vary based on Microsoft agreements, requiring sales contact for custom quotes

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Microsoft Defender

$12/month

Microsoft Defender Suite$12/month
- Endpoint protection
- Identity threat detection
- Email security
Microsoft 365 E5 with Defender$60/month
- Includes Defender Suite
- Microsoft Teams included
- Comprehensive security and compliance
Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Add-on$2/month
- Vulnerability scanning and management
- One-month free trial available
- Annual commitment required

Which should you pick?

Choose KnowBe4 if

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

KnowBe4 review

Choose Microsoft Defender if

Nothing in the data separates Microsoft Defender from KnowBe4 on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Microsoft Defender review

Questions people ask

Is KnowBe4 or Microsoft Defender better?: Neither clearly leads. KnowBe4 starts at $1/month and Microsoft Defender at $12/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, KnowBe4 or Microsoft Defender?: KnowBe4 starts at $1/month and Microsoft Defender at $12/month.
Does KnowBe4 or Microsoft Defender run on more platforms?: KnowBe4 runs on Web, Mobile, Email. Microsoft Defender runs on Web.
What is KnowBe4 best used for?: KnowBe4 is most often used for security awareness training and simulated phishing for staff, tracking employee susceptibility to phishing over time. Of those, security awareness training and simulated phishing for staff and tracking employee susceptibility to phishing over time are not what Microsoft Defender is typically brought in for.
What can KnowBe4 do that Microsoft Defender cannot?: KnowBe4 covers Security awareness training, Phishing simulation, Risk assessments, Compliance training.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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

Microsoft Defender: How much does Microsoft Defender Suite cost?

Microsoft Defender Suite costs $12/user/month (paid yearly), but requires existing Microsoft 365 E3 or equivalent base licensing. It includes endpoint protection, identity threat detection, email security, and SaaS application monitoring.

Source

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

Microsoft Defender: What add-ons are available for Microsoft Defender?

Microsoft Defender Vulnerability Management Add-on costs $2/user/month with annual commitment and includes a one-month free trial. Additional pay-as-you-go products include External Attack Surface Management, Cloud Security Posture Management, and Sentinel.

Source

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

Microsoft Defender: Is Defender included in Microsoft 365 E5?

Yes, Microsoft Defender Suite is included in Microsoft 365 E5 at $60/user/month (paid yearly with Teams). Prices may vary based on Microsoft agreements, requiring contact with Sales for customized quotes.

Source

KnowBe4: What currencies does KnowBe4 accept?

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

Source

KnowBe4 vs Microsoft Defender

KnowBe4

Microsoft Defender

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in KnowBe4

Only in Microsoft Defender

What people use each for

KnowBe4

Microsoft Defender

Where each one falls short

KnowBe4

Microsoft Defender

Pricing, plan by plan

KnowBe4

Microsoft Defender

Which should you pick?

Choose KnowBe4 if

Choose Microsoft Defender if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on KnowBe4

More on Microsoft Defender

Keep looking

Other head to heads