KnowBe4 vs Proofpoint’s ZenGuide comparison

KnowBe4 and Proofpoint are both solutions in the Security Awareness Training category. KnowBe4 is ranked #1 with an average rating of 9.5, while Proofpoint is ranked #13. KnowBe4 holds a 27.5% mindshare in SAT, compared to Proofpoint’s 3.0% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of KnowBe4 users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Proofpoint users who would recommend it.

KnowBe4

Read 5 KnowBe4 reviews

1,513 Views
1,151 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Proofpoint’s ZenGuide

Read 1 Proofpoint’s ZenGuide review

151 Views
111 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

KnowBe4

Proofpoint’s ZenGuide

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 2, 2025

Proofpoint’s ZenGuide and KnowBe4 are competing cybersecurity solutions designed to enhance organizational security. ZenGuide often holds an advantage in customer support and pricing, while KnowBe4 is preferred for its comprehensive features.

Features: ZenGuide offers robust threat intelligence, sophisticated phishing simulations, and improved security postures. KnowBe4 provides extensive training modules, a user-friendly dashboard, and a wide range of educational tools, giving it a slight edge in features due to its broader educational scope in security awareness.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: ZenGuide is noted for its straightforward implementation process and exceptional support, making integration smooth. KnowBe4 provides efficient deployment, augmented by comprehensive online resources for self-service, which sets it apart in facilitating user independence. Both ensure solid service quality, but ZenGuide’s direct support offers a personalized experience.

Pricing and ROI: ZenGuide is known for competitive setup costs, providing strong ROI through targeted security enhancements. KnowBe4, though potentially more costly upfront, offers high ROI by reducing security incidents over time through its extensive training focus. ZenGuide targets immediate cost-effectiveness, whereas KnowBe4 emphasizes long-term educational value.

To learn more, read our detailed Security Awareness Training Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Security Awareness Training

March 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

KnowBe4

Ranking in Security Awareness Training

1st

Average Rating

9.4

Reviews Sentiment

8.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Proofpoint’s ZenGuide

Ranking in Security Awareness Training

13th

Average Rating

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Security Awareness Training category, the mindshare of KnowBe4 is 27.5%, down from 35.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Proofpoint’s ZenGuide is 3.0%, up from 2.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Security Awareness Training

Featured Reviews

Brad Mathis

Employee-Owner, Senior Consultant, Information Security at Keller Schroeder

Lowers human element risks and has innovative training

Some more AI-driven automation for creating training and phishing testing campaigns, as well as automated reporting would help. The Phish Alert button could be improved, although it is understood this is due to Microsoft's constant changes. Any improvements in wizards and documentation are always a good thing!. Additonal areas for improvement could be around the technical training and best practice training areas such as NIST CSF, CISv8, Cyberinsurance, and more. Clearer whitelisting requirements are always appreciated. However, the current levels are significant and appreciated.

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Thomas Zeulner

Chief Information Security Officer at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees

Improves employees' security awareness, integrates with AD, and user synchronization works well

As we have to report the results of each training to different recipients, it will be very helpful when the reporting system is improved. We would like to create reports for local IT leaders in a different way, more suitable for upper management. We need to have archive functions for older training in order to satisfy requests from local regulators.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The ability to have business leadership be aware of their users' security posture as well as any kind of security awareness training being pushed by cybersecurity insurance and underwriters is valuable."

"The main thing is the overall report card. We get to tell the percentages of users who click on links and who don't click on links. We also get an overall score or risk score from them, which also helps us."

"The solution is very well priced and very affordable."

"KnowBe4's formulas for risk reduction simply work. Being a technical company, our initial phish-prone percentage wasn't super high, but it was still around 18%. Since we have been requiring ongoing training and simulated phish testing, our average phish-prone percentage hovers in the 0 to 3% range now."

"Their customizable nature allows us to create scenarios that closely resemble real-world phishing attempts, making them highly relatable to our end users."

"There are many valuable features. It's already deployed in the cloud, and you don't have to install anything. You just upload your users to the cloud and tweak something if needed. You can whitelist some servers to work with this properly. When everything is ready, you can start using the platform and its many automated features."

"Most valuable is the SSO integration with our AD, so the users can employ our federation service to log in."

Cons

"It could be more localized for Ukrainian users. This platform is international, and it has a lot of material in different languages, but not in Ukrainian and Russian languages. There's plenty of different content updated regularly for English, French, and German users. They have a lot more information, and Ukrainian users also want more."

"It can be more interactive with users. We want to put the users in different scenarios and let them make decisions. For example, instead of making users go through a video and then asking questions, it can have a video where they click on the scenarios and have to make decisions. It can maybe have something like a live simulation. It would be nice for users."

"Enhancing the product's emotional intelligence, particularly by providing training content tailored to specific audiences, is an area for improvement."

"I would like to see Novo4 expand to other channels outside of emails to things such as text messages."

"We would like to create reports for local IT leaders in a different way, more suitable for upper management."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I don't know the cost, but I believe we are paying yearly. We did like a three-year or five-year contract. I am not aware of any extra costs in addition to a standard licensing fee."

"It's about five dollars a seat per month."

"I rate the product pricing as four out of ten."

"Licensing is paid on a yearly basis. You can go to the official site to check their approximate pricing. It's based on the number of users or staff. It can vary from country to country, but for Ukraine, it works as it's stated on the site."

"received very good pricing, as we are also working with the Proofpoint spam appliances."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

University

Financial Services Firm

19%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Computer Software Company

11%

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about KnowBe4?

Their customizable nature allows us to create scenarios that closely resemble real-world phishing attempts, making them highly relatable to our end users.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for KnowBe4?

The solution is very well priced and very affordable. It's about five dollars a seat per month.

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What needs improvement with KnowBe4?

I would like to see Novo4 expand to other channels outside of emails to things such as text messages.

See all answers

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Comparisons

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Compared 13% of the time

Terranova Security vs KnowBe4

Compared 13% of the time

Kaspersky Security Awareness vs KnowBe4

Compared 9% of the time

ThreatCop vs KnowBe4

Compared 5% of the time

More KnowBe4 Competitors

No data available

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

KnowBe4

March 2025

Download KnowBe4 product report

Buyer's Guide

Security Awareness Training

March 2025

Download Proofpoint’s ZenGuide product report

Also Known As

No data available

Proofpoint Security Awareness Training, Wombat Security Education Platform

Overview

Old school Security Awareness Training is static. It’s a one-time event without follow-up. KnowBe4's Kevin Mitnick Security Awareness Training starts with a baseline test to show the actual Phish-prone percentage of your users. Then it steps users through effective, interactive, on-demand browser-based training. As step three, you send frequent simulated phishing attacks to your employees to reinforce the training. This last feature, frequent simulated phishing attacks (we recommend at the very least once a month) really creates a change in behavior.

KnowBe4

Proofpoint's ZenGuide offers cutting-edge technology designed to streamline cybersecurity operations, improving efficiency for businesses by providing comprehensive threat protection and enhancing incident response capabilities.

ZenGuide empowers organizations with sophisticated tools to manage cybersecurity challenges effectively. With robust features such as advanced automation and real-time analytics, it enables teams to respond swiftly to threats, maintaining a secure environment. Its agility in addressing complex security issues is a standout, providing organizations the means to enhance their defensive strategies.

What are the key features of Proofpoint's ZenGuide?

Automated Threat Detection: Increases threat identification speed, enabling faster response time.
Real-Time Analytics: Delivers actionable insights into security threats for more informed decision-making.
Integrated Incident Management: Simplifies coordination across security teams for streamlined operations.
Customizable Workflow: Adapts to unique business processes to enhance operational flexibility.

What benefits should users look for in Proofpoint's ZenGuide reviews?

Enhanced Response Rate: Reviews often highlight improved incident response times.
Increased Efficiency: Users report higher operational efficiency due to streamlined processes.
Cost Management: Effective cost control seen from reduced manual intervention and improved resource allocation.
Scalability: Many users appreciate its capability for seamless scaling as security needs grow.

Implementation of Proofpoint's ZenGuide varies across industries, catering to unique demands in sectors like finance, healthcare, and technology. Financial institutions leverage its compliance features, while healthcare benefits from its data protection capabilities. Technology companies often utilize its integration capabilities for agile threat management.

Proofpoint

Sample Customers

West Aurora Public School District 129

Carnegie Mellon University, Royal Bank of Scotland, City of Garland, Texas

Buyer's Guide

Security Awareness Training

March 2025

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