Knowbe4 alternative

Best Alternative to KnowBe4 for Small & Medium Businesses

If you’re evaluating security awareness training for your SMB, you’ve likely encountered KnowBe4. While it’s the market leader, many small and medium-sized businesses find that KnowBe4’s enterprise pricing, minimum user requirements, and complex feature set make it difficult to justify for their budgets and team sizes. The good news: there are better alternatives specifically designed for SMBs that deliver superior training outcomes at more affordable prices.

Why SMBs Need Better Alternatives

KnowBe4 built its platform for enterprise customers with dedicated security teams and substantial budgets. This has created significant friction for SMBs trying to adopt professional security awareness training:

  • Minimum User Requirements: KnowBe4 requires minimum 25 users to get started, making it inaccessible for companies under that threshold. This forces startups and micro-SMBs to either overpay or do without.
  • Complex Pricing Structure: Four pricing tiers (Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond) with hidden feature differences means you may not fully understand what you’re paying for until after implementation.
  • High Per-User Cost: At £8.45-£24.70 per user per year (depending on tier), KnowBe4 costs 4-5x more than specialized SMB alternatives. For a 100-person company, this can exceed £10,000+ annually.
  • Complex Implementation: SMBs typically lack dedicated security staff. KnowBe4’s self-service model leaves many companies struggling with setup, integration, and campaign management.
  • Limited Role-Based Training: KnowBe4 focuses on end-user awareness. Developers, ops teams, and leadership get generic training rather than role-specific content.
  • Outdated Content: Many users report that KnowBe4’s training content feels stale, with 2005-era UX and repetitive scenarios that employees tune out.
  • Compliance Gap: For SMBs in regulated industries (Banking, FinTech, Healthcare, EU), KnowBe4’s generic compliance content doesn’t address specific regulatory requirements.

SMBs need alternatives that respect their budget constraints while delivering quality training that actually changes security behaviors.

HumanShield: Built for SMBs

HumanShield.Tech emerged specifically to address the SMB security awareness training gap. Rather than trying to downsize an enterprise platform, HumanShield was architected from the ground up for small and medium-sized organizations, startups, and regulated businesses.

The core difference: HumanShield is expert-led training delivered by active cybersecurity practitioners, not a self-service platform requiring internal expertise. This means SMBs get enterprise-quality instruction without enterprise complexity.

Affordable Per-User Pricing

HumanShield’s pricing model starts where KnowBe4 ends:

  • No minimum user requirements—perfect for growing companies
  • Cost per user typically 60-75% lower than KnowBe4
  • Transparent pricing with no surprise add-ons
  • Flexible scaling as your organization grows
  • All core features included in base pricing (no tiered feature restrictions)

Example: 75-person SMB

  • KnowBe4 (Gold tier): ~£1,800+ annually
  • HumanShield: ~£450-750 annually (with expert support included)
  • Savings: 60-75% with better training quality

No Hidden Fees or Add-Ons

KnowBe4’s pricing complexity often leads to surprise costs. Premium features that should be standard—like advanced reporting, custom compliance modules, or strategic consulting—require upgrading to higher tiers or paying additional fees.

HumanShield eliminates this frustration:

  • Transparent pricing on website with no sales quotes required
  • All essential features included in standard pricing
  • No per-module costs or feature lockouts
  • No surprise price increases mid-contract
  • Optional add-ons clearly labeled and separately priced

Flexible Contract Terms

SMBs need flexibility. Your security needs, team size, and budget requirements change as you grow.

HumanShield:

  • Month-to-month or annual billing options
  • Scale users up or down without penalties
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime
  • No long-term lock-in

KnowBe4:

  • Typically requires multi-year contracts
  • Minimum seat commitments
  • Difficult to scale down
  • Early termination fees

Dedicated SMB Support

While KnowBe4 provides support, it’s designed for enterprises with dedicated security staff. SMBs often feel neglected with generic responses and lengthy support queues.

HumanShield treats SMBs as core customers:

  • Dedicated cybersecurity practitioner as your account manager
  • Expert-led onboarding and implementation
  • Strategic consulting on security culture development
  • Hands-on support for SMB-specific challenges
  • Quarterly business reviews with security experts
  • Response to questions and customization requests within 24-48 hours

Fast Implementation

Time is money for SMBs. Complex implementations waste resources and delay security improvements.

HumanShield Implementation Timeline:

  • Week 1-2: Discovery and curriculum design
  • Week 3-4: Platform setup with minimal IT overhead
  • Week 5-6: Pilot program launch
  • Week 7-8: Full rollout to organization
  • Total: 2 months from contract to complete deployment

KnowBe4 Implementation:

  • Self-service setup (if IT experienced): 2-4 weeks
  • Managed services option: 6-12 weeks
  • Requires internal IT expertise or additional consulting fees

Scalable Platform

HumanShield scales with your organization, whether you’re a 25-person startup or a 500-person established SMB.

  • No minimum seat requirements—start with what you need
  • Add users as your team grows
  • Pricing scales proportionally (no tier jumps with hidden features)
  • Advanced features available from day one, regardless of company size
  • Same quality training for 30-person startup and 300-person scale-up

Compliance Ready

If your SMB operates in a regulated industry, you need more than generic awareness training. You need compliance.

HumanShield’s Compliance Focus:

  • GDPR training specifically designed for EU operations
  • Banking and Financial Services compliance
  • FinTech-specific threat scenarios
  • Healthcare and HIPAA training
  • SOC 2, ISO27001, PCI-DSS aligned content
  • Audit-ready reporting and documentation
  • Expert guidance on regulatory interpretation

KnowBe4’s Compliance Approach:

  • Generic compliance modules available as add-ons
  • Limited industry-specific content
  • Compliance training feels like checkbox exercise
  • May require additional compliance platform investment

ROI for Small Businesses

SMBs measure success differently than enterprises. You need tangible ROI—reduced incidents, better compliance posture, improved security culture—not just completion metrics.

HumanShield ROI Metrics:

  • 40-60% reduction in phishing click-through rates within 3 months
  • Improved incident detection and reporting
  • Developer security skills improvement (fewer vulnerabilities)
  • Faster compliance audit preparation
  • Reduced security incident costs
  • Expert guidance reduces need for expensive external consultants

KnowBe4 ROI:

  • Focuses on completion rates and user engagement metrics
  • Harder to measure behavioral change
  • Training feels disconnected from real security outcomes

Pricing Designed for Growing Companies

The KnowBe4 pricing model assumes your organization operates like an enterprise. HumanShield’s pricing reflects how SMBs actually work.

The Cost Comparison

Organization Size KnowBe4 (Gold Tier) HumanShield Savings with HumanShield
25-50 employees £750-1,500/year £150-300/year 75-80% savings
50-100 employees £1,500-3,000/year £300-600/year 75-80% savings
100-250 employees £3,000-7,500/year £600-1,500/year 75-80% savings
250-500 employees £7,500-15,000/year £1,500-3,000/year 75-80% savings

Plus Expert Support Included:

HumanShield’s pricing includes expert-led implementation, strategy consulting, and ongoing support. If you wanted equivalent services from KnowBe4, you’d need to purchase premium services add-ons that cost significantly more.

Feature Comparison for SMBs

Training Delivery

HumanShield:

  • Expert-led live training sessions
  • On-demand self-paced courses
  • Blended learning programs
  • Hands-on labs for developers
  • Role-based curriculum (executives, developers, ops, end-users)
  • Interactive Q&A with practitioners

KnowBe4:

  • 1,000+ pre-built courses
  • Self-paced microlearning
  • Generic end-user focused content
  • Limited role-based options
  • No live instructor-led training
  • Gamification with badges and leaderboards

Phishing Simulations

HumanShield:

  • Realistic industry-specific scenarios
  • Designed by practitioners with real threat knowledge
  • Integrated with training curriculum
  • Behavioral assessment tied to education
  • Expert guidance on results

KnowBe4:

  • Extensive template library
  • Weekly template updates
  • One-size-fits-all scenarios
  • Automated campaign management
  • Heavy reporting on metrics

Compliance & Reporting

HumanShield:

  • Industry-specific compliance dashboards
  • GDPR-ready reporting
  • Audit documentation included
  • Expert compliance guidance
  • SOC 2 and ISO27001 aligned

KnowBe4:

  • Generic compliance reporting
  • CISO Dashboard available
  • Customization center for compliance content
  • May require additional compliance vendor

SMB Customer Success

Why SMBs Choose HumanShield Over KnowBe4:

  • TechStart FinTech (45 employees): “HumanShield’s FinTech-focused training helped us meet regulatory requirements while saving £1,800/year compared to KnowBe4. The expert practitioners understood our specific compliance challenges.”
  • CloudSec Solutions (80 employees): “We switched from KnowBe4 because developers need real security training, not generic awareness. HumanShield’s Secure Coding and Cloud Security courses have actually improved our code quality.”
  • RegioBank (120 employees): “KnowBe4 treated us like an underperforming enterprise. HumanShield treats us like valued customers. The support difference alone justifies switching, plus we’re saving 75% on pricing.”
  • GrowthTech Startup (30 employees): “HumanShield had no minimum seat requirement, so we could start with our actual team size. As we grew, scaling was seamless with no surprise costs.”
  • HealthStream (200 employees): “HIPAA compliance was complex with KnowBe4’s generic training. HumanShield’s healthcare-specific curriculum and compliance focus gave us audit confidence.”

Making the Switch: It’s Easier Than You Think

Worried about migrating away from KnowBe4? The transition is straightforward:

  • Data Export: KnowBe4 provides user data exports for easy migration
  • Minimal Disruption: You can run parallel programs during transition
  • Expert Support: HumanShield guides you through the entire migration
  • No Contract Lock-in: Cancel KnowBe4 anytime; no penalties
  • Month-to-Month with HumanShield: Try HumanShield without long-term commitment

Start Saving Today

SMBs shouldn’t have to choose between affordable pricing and quality security training. HumanShield proves you don’t have to compromise.

  • Save 60-80% on training platform costs
  • Get expert-led training instead of generic content
  • Receive dedicated support tailored to SMB needs
  • Deploy faster with expert-led implementation
  • Scale easily as your organization grows
  • Achieve compliance with industry-specific expertise

Ready to Leave KnowBe4 Behind?

Contact HumanShield.Tech today for a personalized cost-benefit analysis. We’ll show you exactly how much you can save while dramatically improving your security training outcomes.

Schedule a 30-minute consultation with one of our cybersecurity practitioners. We’ll discuss your current challenges, demonstrate how HumanShield works, and provide a clear pricing comparison with your existing KnowBe4 investment.

For SMBs seeking better alternatives to KnowBe4, HumanShield delivers expert-led training, transparent pricing, and genuine support designed for how your organization actually works.