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KnowBe4 vs Proofpoint Email Protection comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 2, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
5.2
KnowBe4 enhances security culture and awareness, reducing phishing risk and saving costs through effective internal security training.
Sentiment score
7.0
Proofpoint Email Protection effectively reduced threats and costs, excelling in phishing defense, leading to significant efficiency improvements.
We learned extensively about cybersecurity with the training, and the automated trainings are very convenient and feasible for us.
This soft ROI shows value within the company and how security and data are being protected.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.5
KnowBe4 customer service is responsive and effective, providing quick solutions with high satisfaction and a helpful knowledge base.
Sentiment score
7.3
Proofpoint Email Protection's customer service is praised for responsiveness and expertise, though some report slow responses or portal issues.
Their support is very quick and informative.
We have escalated questions to KnowBe4's technical support, and it has been quite helpful in guiding us, especially when we request feature edits or face buggy issues.
I find the customer service and support to be very responsive.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.6
KnowBe4 efficiently scales for diverse organizations with strong automation, though initial user syncing may be time-consuming.
Sentiment score
7.6
Proofpoint Email Protection excels in adaptability and scalability, serving both small and large enterprises with ease and flexibility.
I would evaluate the scalability of KnowBe4 as quite scalable, giving it an 8.5 on a scale of one to ten.
The product is pretty much scalable.
Proofpoint is scalable for multi-site organizations with thousands of users.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.1
KnowBe4 is highly rated for stability and reliability, consistently operating smoothly without major disruptions or performance issues.
Sentiment score
8.2
Users rate Proofpoint Email Protection highly for reliability and performance, with minor UI challenges and rare stability issues.
KnowBe4 works without interruptions and is very stable.
In terms of stability, KnowBe4 is stable; based on the training we are receiving, I would rate it at nine out of ten.
During the last downtime, it caused significant disruption as users couldn't access the system.
 

Room For Improvement

KnowBe4 can enhance engagement by increasing interactivity, localizing content, utilizing AI, expanding channels, and incorporating gamified training.
Proofpoint Email Protection struggles with setup complexity, feature enhancements, pricing issues, and requires improved support and interface design.
KnowBe4 could educate people about OWASP Top 10 in web security testing and API security.
KnowBe4 should focus more on these issues and provide guidance on dealing with links received from individuals who attempt to manipulate our emotions, particularly on social media platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
The more complicated things they do about phishing, AI, and social engineering are very important, and the way they do it is very structured and good.
Proofpoint could expand its phishing detection capabilities to improve its efficiency.
More security could be implemented.
I may advise Proofpoint to adjust marketing solutions based on each country.
 

Setup Cost

KnowBe4 offers flexible pricing, with opinions varying on affordability, and implementation may benefit from expert partner assistance.
Proofpoint Email Protection is considered costly, with pricing starting at $8 per user and varying by features.
It's about five dollars a seat per month.
The solution was considered expensive, particularly in government contexts.
As an exceptional product, they are relatively expensive, but it is worth it because compared to offline education with hired dedicated people, it would be much more expensive and not obviously more efficient.
Customers pay around $90,000 yearly for a 1,000-user organization, with the subscription license being the main expense, apart from implementation fees.
Additional costs do come in, but it enhances security.
 

Valuable Features

KnowBe4 enhances security awareness through phishing campaigns, interactive training, AI integration, and customizable content, boosting user engagement and risk mitigation.
Proofpoint Email Protection offers advanced threat defense, user-friendly interface, and seamless Office 365 integration for comprehensive email security.
Modern phishing emails appear authentic, as if from friends. This enables full-blown ATP operations using AI to generate convincing phishing emails, making it crucial to focus on AI-based detection against AI-generated threats.
This is the biggest benefit to raise caution in the digital world, making people aware of the importance of verifying the sources of information.
I appreciate the training methodology. It is detailed with videos and real examples about handling phishing emails and dealing with social media links received through WhatsApp, email, or other platforms.
The main feature I find most effective is that Proofpoint Email Protection scans emails and quarantines the doubtful ones.
The most beneficial feature of Proofpoint Email Protection is mostly spam filtering; it was very efficient, and we were very happy with the functionality as only relevant emails were allowed for mailboxes.
 

Categories and Ranking

KnowBe4
Ranking in Security Awareness Training
1st
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
15
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Proofpoint Email Protection
Ranking in Security Awareness Training
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
52
Ranking in other categories
Email Security (2nd), Digital Risk Protection (3rd), Office 365 Protection (2nd), Secure Email Gateway (SEG) (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Security Awareness Training category, the mindshare of KnowBe4 is 27.3%, down from 34.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Proofpoint Email Protection is 9.1%, down from 12.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Security Awareness Training
 

Featured Reviews

Amran Hossain - PeerSpot reviewer
Training program enables comprehensive security awareness and cautious email practices
One feature that would be highly beneficial in a future release is the ability to automatically send training articles or security tips to users on a regular, scheduled basis—for example, weekly or monthly. While the current training modules and phishing simulations are highly effective, ongoing awareness is equally important to keep security top of mind in day-to-day operations. These short, digestible articles or micro-learning content could cover recent phishing trends, real-world examples of security breaches, or quick tips on secure online behavior. Periodic delivery would serve as a continuous learning touchpoint, reinforcing key concepts from the main training and adapting to evolving threats. Ideally, this feature would also include personalization, allowing content to be tailored based on a user’s role, previous training performance, or common mistakes observed in phishing simulations. This kind of proactive, lightweight training approach could significantly enhance employee engagement with security practices and help maintain a strong security posture over time.
AhmedRamadan - PeerSpot reviewer
Optimize email security with effective sandboxing and auto Pull for quarantine
Proofpoint is used as an email security gateway for big enterprises, primarily for their on-premises servers. Many customers also use it alongside Office 365 Proofpoint offers a complete solution for email security with features like DLP, email archiving, and encryption. The most valuable…
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Construction Company
6%
Healthcare Company
6%
Computer Software Company
15%
Educational Organization
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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.
What needs improvement with KnowBe4?
I think KnowBe4 focuses primarily on emails, phishing emails, and business. We need more experience about dealing with hackers and scams on social media, especially when we receive links from unkno...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Proofpoint Email Protection?
In terms of pricing, it is okay compared to others. I would say it is normal. Additional costs do come in, but it enhances security.
What needs improvement with Proofpoint Email Protection?
It became very expensive due to the nature of local circumstances, and I may advise Proofpoint to adjust marketing solutions based on each country.
 

Also Known As

No data available
Proofpoint Enterprise Protection, Cofense PhishMe, Proofpoint Digital Protection
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

West Aurora Public School District 129
Blocket, University of Waterloo, Lincoln Memorial University, WellSpan Health, U-Haul, Carestream Health, Westinghouse
Find out what your peers are saying about KnowBe4 vs. Proofpoint Email Protection and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
859,687 professionals have used our research since 2012.