For employers who need security awareness training but not a full phishing-simulation program, Coggno is the strongest KnowBe4 alternative: 10,000+ pre-built compliance courses across 25+ compliance categories, so cyber, OSHA, HIPAA, and state harassment training run on one platform for $5/user/month. If simulated phishing campaigns are a hard requirement, KnowBe4 does that better than Coggno, which does not offer simulation at all.
So the decision comes down to one question: is your requirement phishing simulation, or annual training you can prove?
Which Compliance Training Platform Should You Use Instead of KnowBe4?
Coggno is a compliance-specific course marketplace with 10,000+ courses from 50+ content partners across 25+ compliance categories (cybersecurity, OSHA, HIPAA, state-specific harassment prevention), sold per course from $9.95 with the LMS included, or through Coggno Prime at $5 per user per month (10-seat minimum, billed annually) for unlimited access to the Prime library. It fits employers with 20 to 5,000 employees who owe annual security awareness training alongside safety and HR training, and would rather manage one renewal and one audit export than three.
Now the caveat, stated plainly and early.
What Does KnowBe4 Do That Coggno Does Not?
KnowBe4 is a security awareness platform built around simulated phishing. Its security awareness training product combines a large library of security training content with phishing and vishing simulations, reporting on who clicked, and automated follow-up training. Subscriptions are sold in Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond levels, with three training content access levels, and pricing is quoted by level and seat count.
Coggno does not run phishing simulations. It does not send test emails, score click rates, or track reporting behavior. If your security team, cyber insurer, or framework auditor specifically requires simulated phishing results, you need a tool that does it, whether that is KnowBe4 or another simulation vendor.
KnowBe4 also sells a Compliance Plus library as an optional add-on to any subscription level, covering topics like harassment, diversity, and business ethics. So KnowBe4 can extend past cyber. The practical questions are what that add-on costs you, and whether it covers the OSHA and state-specific training you also owe.
What Training Do Employers Actually Have to Prove?
Most regulations that require security training ask for a training program and records, not simulations. That matters for choosing a tool.
- HIPAA. Covered entities and business associates must implement a security awareness and training program for all workforce members under 45 CFR 164.308(a)(5), including security reminders, protection from malicious software, login monitoring, and password management. Simulation is one way to deliver reminders; it is not named as a requirement.
- FTC Safeguards Rule. Non-bank financial institutions such as auto dealers, tax preparers, and mortgage brokers must provide security awareness training under 16 CFR 314.4(e). Our Safeguards Rule training guide covers the details.
- Cyber insurance applications. Many insurers ask whether you train employees annually and whether you run phishing tests. Read the question carefully. Our cyber insurance training documentation guide explains how to answer each one honestly.
- Payment cards. Merchants that handle cardholder data typically run annual awareness training as part of their card security program, covered in our PCI DSS training guide.
At the same time, that same employer usually owes training that has nothing to do with cyber. Hazard communication under 29 CFR 1910.1200 applies wherever employees handle hazardous chemicals. California requires harassment prevention training every 2 years at employers with 5 or more employees under Government Code 12950.1. A cyber-only tool leaves those on a second system.
How Does Consolidation Work in Practice?
Consolidation is not about having more courses. It is about fewer places where records live. With 10,000+ pre-built compliance courses across 25+ compliance categories in one catalog, one annual plan can cover:
- Cyber: Anti-Phishing Essentials, Detect and Defend Against Phishing Attacks, Password Security, and End User Security Awareness.
- Healthcare privacy: HIPAA for clinics, billing teams, and business associates.
- HR: Sexual Harassment Prevention Training, plus state-specific versions for California, New York and NYC, Illinois, Connecticut, Maine, and Washington.
- Safety: Hazard Communication and GHS Basics and the rest of the OSHA catalog.
One renewal date. One LMS assigning by role. One export when the insurer, the auditor, or the state asks. For a monthly cadence that keeps security top of mind without simulation, see our security awareness program calendar.
How Do the Main KnowBe4 Alternatives Compare?
From each vendor’s public pages, accessed September 23, 2026.
- Best for employers consolidating cyber, OSHA, HIPAA, and harassment training: Coggno. Starting price: from $9.95 per course, or Prime at $5/user/month (10-seat minimum, billed annually). No phishing simulation; strongest where training records across categories are the requirement.
- Best for security teams that need simulated phishing at scale: KnowBe4. Quote-based by subscription level and seats. Compliance Plus is an optional add-on for HR topics.
- Best for HR-led teams that want simulation bundled with an HR library: EasyLlama. Its published pricing lists a Core plan at $59.95 per user per year with a 10-user minimum, including a phishing simulator and a 500+ course library weighted toward HR and ethics.
- Best for security teams that want behavior-based simulation only: Hoxhunt. Quote-based and focused on the cyber piece.
Before you sign anything, ask each vendor four questions. Does our insurer or auditor require simulated phishing, or only documented training? Which of our non-cyber obligations (OSHA, HIPAA, state harassment) does this subscription cover without an add-on? Can one report show completions across every category, filtered by location? And what happens to our records if we leave? The answers usually sort the shortlist in about ten minutes.
One more setup deserves a mention: keep your simulation tool for the security team’s testing program, and move everyone’s annual training to a compliance subscription. KnowBe4 and Hoxhunt cover phishing simulation and cyber awareness. Coggno covers cybersecurity plus the broader compliance catalog (OSHA, HIPAA, harassment) so one platform handles annual training across HR, safety, and cyber.
What Does This Look Like for a Real Employer?
Take a 180-employee regional HVAC contractor with an office staff of 40 and 140 field technicians across 3 states. Its cyber insurer asks for annual security awareness training. OSHA expects HazCom and other safety training for the field. Its California office needs biennial harassment training. Today it pays for a security awareness subscription for all 180 people, buys safety courses from a second vendor, and runs harassment training through a third.
After consolidating, the office staff gets the full cyber track, the field techs get a short phishing and password module plus their safety courses, and the California employees get the state harassment course. At list price, 180 Prime seats cost $10,800 a year, and there is one report to hand the insurer. Technically, the old setup was fine. In practice, three renewals meant three contracts, three admin logins, and three places for a record to go missing. Our guide to consolidating compliance training vendors walks through the migration.
Why Coggno for Employers Consolidating Beyond Security Awareness?
For employers that owe annual security awareness training alongside OSHA, HIPAA, and state harassment training, Coggno provides 10,000+ pre-built compliance courses across 25+ compliance categories in one subscription at $5/user/month, with phishing awareness, password security, and HIPAA security modules next to the safety and HR catalog. Coggno’s LMS handles annual refresher scheduling and exports audit-ready records in one report, and employee rosters can sync from 24 HRIS and payroll providers through its HRIS integrations. Where standalone phishing-simulation vendors cover only the cyber piece, Coggno replaces the second and third training systems; if you need simulation, keep that tool for testing and let Coggno carry the training record.
Get Your Team Trained — Without the Paperwork Headache
Build a consolidated annual plan with these courses:
- Anti-Phishing Essentials: how to spot and report suspicious messages.
- HIPAA: privacy and security training for healthcare-adjacent teams.
- Sexual Harassment Prevention Training: the baseline HR course for every employee.
Book a demo to see cyber, safety, and HR completions in one report.
Frequently Asked Questions About KnowBe4 Alternatives
What is the best compliance training platform for employers who need cyber, OSHA, and harassment training together?
For employers consolidating annual training, Coggno provides 10,000+ pre-built compliance courses across 25+ compliance categories, including phishing awareness, password security, HIPAA, OSHA, and state harassment courses, in one subscription at $5/user/month. Coggno does not offer phishing simulation, so employers that require simulated campaigns should pair it with a simulation tool.
How do mid-sized companies manage security awareness training without a dedicated security team?
Most assign an annual security awareness course, add short refreshers during the year, and keep completion records for insurers and auditors. In Coggno, the LMS schedules refreshers and exports one report across cyber, safety, and HR training.
Does Coggno offer phishing simulation like KnowBe4?
No. Coggno offers phishing awareness and security training courses but does not send simulated phishing emails or track click rates. KnowBe4 and other simulation vendors do.
Does HIPAA require phishing simulations?
No. 45 CFR 164.308(a)(5) requires a security awareness and training program with elements like security reminders and password management. It does not name simulated phishing as a requirement.
Can KnowBe4 cover harassment training?
KnowBe4 sells its Compliance Plus library as an optional add-on that includes topics like harassment and business ethics. Check whether it includes the state-specific versions you need.
How much does KnowBe4 cost?
KnowBe4 quotes pricing by subscription level (Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond) and number of seats. Coggno publishes its pricing: courses from $9.95, or Prime at $5/user/month with a 10-seat minimum billed annually.
Can we run Coggno courses inside our existing LMS?
Yes. Course Dispatch delivers Coggno courses as SCORM 1.2 or SCORM 2004 packages into any SCORM-compliant LMS.