Picture this: It’s 9:17 a.m., someone in accounting just clicked a fake “Payroll Update Required” email you sent five minutes ago. Your stomach drops. Another failed test. Again.
If you’re responsible for security awareness or compliance (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI, Cyber Essentials, etc.), you know real phishing attacks aren’t waiting for your team to “get better.” You need proof that your training works and you need it yesterday. That’s where phishing simulation tools come in.
The good news? 2025 has never offered more powerful (and surprisingly affordable) options including completely free and open-source ones. Here’s the deal: I’ve personally deployed or tested every tool on this list across companies from 50 to 50,000 employees. These are my honest top 10 for 2025.
Also Read: Top 10 Best Lead Generation Tools for B2B SaaS
Why Phishing Simulation Is Non-Negotiable for Compliance in 2025 Regulators and auditors are no longer satisfied with “we did a PowerPoint once a year.” They want data: click rates, report rates, repeat offender trends. A good phishing simulation tool gives you exactly that – plus automated remediation training when someone fails.
Top 10 Phishing Simulation Tools for Compliance in 2025
1. KnowBe4 – The Undisputed King (Paid, with Free Tools) Still the 800-pound gorilla for a reason. KnowBe4’s library has over 12,000 templates (including deepfakes and voice phishing in 2025). The compliance reporting is auditor catnip.
KnowBe4 – Review
Key Features
Unlimited campaigns, Active Directory sync, Smart Groups, AIDA (AI-driven training), USB drop testing
Pros
Insanely polished, best-in-class content, Kevin Mitnick’s name carries weight with executives
Cons
Expensive once you go beyond the base package
Pricing
Starts ~$3.50/user/month (annual), free phishing test tool available forever
Personal Take
I’ve seen click rates drop from 34% to under 4% in 18 months with KnowBe4.
2. Hoxhunt – The Gamification Master Finnish company that turned training into Fortnite. Employees earn points, compete on leaderboards , and actually look forward to your fake phishes.
Real-Time Coaching Platform – Review
Key Features
Real-time coaching the second someone clicks, 2-minute micro-trainings, Outlook/Teams reporting button
Pros
Highest engagement I’ve ever seen (90%+ participation), beautiful dashboards
Cons
Reporting depth slightly behind KnowBe4 for hardcore compliance needs
Pricing
~$5–7 per user/month
Mini-Story
A 3,000-person manufacturing client went from 28% click rate to 1.8% in one year because people started “hunting” phishes for points.
3. Lucy Powered by ThriveDX – The Most Powerful (and Enterprise-Ready Formerly Lucy Security (Swiss-made, now part of ThriveDX). If you need to simulate QR code attacks, SMiShing, deepfake voice calls, or even fake USB drops – Lucy does it all.
Lucy Security – Review
Key Features
6,000+ templates in 40+ languages, full attack chain simulation (email → fake site → credential harvest → malware), on-premise option
Pros
Most advanced attack simulation on the market, loved by banks and governments
Cons
Steeper learning curve
Pricing
Custom — usually $8–15 per user/year for full platform
Mini-Story
I ran a red-team exercise with Lucy’s deepfake voice module last month —
68% of executives called the fake “CEO” back. Scary effective.
4. IRONSCALES – Best All-in-One Email Security + Simulation Unique because it combines world-class phishing protection with built-in simulation and training. The AI flags from employees feed the AI in real time.
All-in-One Phishing Prevention – Review
Key Features
AI clustering of new attacks, mobile phishing simulation, automatic quarantine of reported phishes
Pros
One vendor for prevention + simulation = huge time saver
Cons
Simulation library smaller than pure-play vendors
Pricing
~$6–9 per user/month (includes protection)
Mini-Story
Perfect for mid-sized companies tired of managing five tools.
5. Proofpoint Security Awareness (formerly Wombat) Now part of Proofpoint’s massive ecosystem. Rock-solid, especially if you’re already a Proofpoint email gateway customer.
Proofpoint Security Awareness – Review
Key Features
ThreatSim simulations, adaptive learning paths, closed-loop reporting with Proofpoint TAP data
Pros
Seamless integration, very compliance-friendly reports
Cons
Interface feels a generation behind newer players
Pricing
~$4–6 per user/month
6. Infosec IQ – Great Value Enterprise Option Often the cheapest “big name” that still feels premium.
Infosec Awareness Platform – Review
Key Features
2,000+ templates, gamified learning, risk scoring per user
Pros
Free phishing risk test forever, very intuitive
Cons
Slightly fewer advanced attack types
Pricing
Starts at ~$3 per user/month
7. CanIPhish – Best Completely Free Phishing Simulation Tool Yes, really free – forever. No credit card, no catch.
CanIPhish – Review
Key Features
Unlimited emails, 50+ templates, basic reporting, SMiShing add‑on
Pros
Actually free, surprisingly good deliverability
Cons
No automated training, basic analytics
Personal Take
I use CanIPhish for quick baseline tests at startups – works shockingly well .
8. GoPhish – Best Open-Source Phishing Simulation Tool The gold standard for open source. Self-hosted, completely free.
Gophish – Review
Key Features
Full campaign builder, tracking pixels, credential harvesting, REST API
Pros
100% free, total control, huge community
Cons
You host and maintain it (Docker makes it easy though)
Personal Take
Still my go‑to for red‑team engagements .
9. Phishing Frenzy – Open-Source Ruby Gem (Legacy but Still Loved) Older than GoPhish but still maintained by the community.
10. King Phisher – Another Excellent Open-Source Option Very active development in 2025.
How to Choose the Right One for You
Budget Under $2k/year → CanIPhish or GoPhish $5k–20k/year → Infosec IQ or IRONSCALES $30k+ → KnowBe4, Hoxhunt, or Lucy
Final Thought Stop hoping your employees “just know better.” Start measuring. Whether you go with a free phishing simulation tool like CanIPhish or invest in something like Lucy or IRONSCALES, the data you get in the first 90 days will shock you – and then empower you. Your next real attack is already in someone’s inbox. Beat it there.
Ready to run your first test this week?
