Phishing Simulation Tools: 8 Compared for MSPs and SMBs (2026)

Updated October 22, 2026. Vendor facts checked against each vendor's own pages, linked in Sources.

Phishing simulation tools, the short answer: if you run Microsoft 365 E5, start with Microsoft's built-in Attack simulation training. If you have engineers and no budget, Gophish is free. For MSPs and SMBs that want simulations to run themselves, the real choice is between usecure, Phin, KnowBe4 and Hook Security. Pick KnowBe4 for the biggest library, usecure for the widest bundle, Phin for PSA integrations, and Hook if the goal is more employees reporting phishing, with prices published.

Every tool on this list can send a fake phishing email and count clicks. What separates them is what happens next: who has to schedule the next round, what an employee sees after a click, whether scanner bots inflate the numbers, and whether the report means anything to the client who pays for it.

What is a phishing simulation tool?

A phishing simulation tool sends realistic but harmless phishing emails to employees, records who clicks and who reports, and follows a click with a short lesson. Good tools automate the schedule, vary the manipulation tactics, filter out security-scanner clicks and turn results into reports a business owner can read.

The short version

• Best for MSPs who want simulations to run on autopilot, private coaching after a click and published prices: Hook Security.
• Best for MSPs who want training, simulation, policy and dark-web monitoring on one invoice: usecure.
• Best for the largest template library and an established reporting-and-triage stack: KnowBe4.
• Best for MSPs who live in ConnectWise or HaloPSA: Phin.
• Best for large enterprises already on Proofpoint email security: Proofpoint.
• Best for gamified, per-employee adaptive training: Hoxhunt.
• Best for organizations already paying for Microsoft 365 E5: Microsoft Defender Attack simulation training.
• Best for technical teams who want free and self-hosted: Gophish.

8 phishing simulation tools compared

1. Hook Security

Hook's phishing simulator is built for MSPs and the SMBs they support, and trains 250,000+ employees every month across hundreds of MSP partners. Simulations auto-schedule at the frequency you set, a click assigns training on its own, and difficulty adjusts toward the tactics a team has not yet built resilience to. The library holds 1,000+ templates, with new ones added weekly. Direct Delivery lands simulations in Microsoft 365 and Gmail inboxes without mail-flow rules, and Bot-Free Results counts only human clicks. A click opens a calm, two-minute Teaching Page built from the exact email, with no leaderboard. Weekly reports lead with reporting rate and include client-ready summaries. Prices are on the pricing page.

2. usecure

usecure's simulation module is uPhish, sold alongside uLearn training, uPolicy and uBreach dark-web monitoring. Its AutoPhish feature sends simulations at random intervals inside a window you set, such as every four to eight weeks, during working hours and in each employee's language. It injects messages directly into Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, offers 15+ spoof domains, and enrolls anyone who clicks in a short training module. Pricing is quote-only. See Hook Security vs usecure.

3. KnowBe4

KnowBe4 advertises thousands of phishing templates with unlimited use, plus community templates. AI-recommended phishing picks a template for each person from their training and simulation history. The Phish Alert Button lets employees report suspicious email, and PhishER Plus analyzes and prioritizes those reports and can turn real attacks into simulations. The training library lists 1,300+ items, depending on subscription level. For MSPs weighing a move, see KnowBe4 alternatives for MSPs and SMBs.

4. Phin

Phin describes itself as built specifically for MSPs managing security across dozens of clients at once, and automates ongoing simulations. It integrates with ConnectWise Manage, HaloPSA, Microsoft and Google, and offers an open API. It offers a 30-day free trial and publishes no prices. See Hook Security vs Phin.

5. Proofpoint

Proofpoint's simulation product provides thousands of templates based on real-world scams, covering embedded links, data requests and attachments. Its PhishAlarm one-click reporting button is included at no extra cost, and its teachable-moment landing pages come in 17 languages. It fits best where Proofpoint already protects the mailbox.

6. Hoxhunt

Hoxhunt runs personalized, gamified micro-training: simulations adapt to each employee's skill level, with points, badges and leaderboards. It supports 42 languages and routes employee reports into the security team's response queue. It is built for enterprise security teams.

7. Microsoft Defender Attack simulation training

Microsoft's tool requires Microsoft 365 E5 or Defender for Office 365 Plan 2. E3 tenants get only a trial subset: one credential-harvest payload and two training experiences. With the full license, it simulates credential harvest, malware attachments, links in attachments, links to malware, drive-by URLs, OAuth consent grants and how-to guides. It only covers Microsoft tenants, so an MSP with Google Workspace clients needs a second tool.

8. Gophish

Gophish is a free, open-source phishing simulation framework. You host it and handle setup, templates, landing pages, email delivery, reporting and training follow-up yourself. It is not a security awareness platform on its own, and it is a strong fit only for teams with the technical skill to run it.

How to choose a phishing simulation tool

Five questions separate these tools faster than a feature grid:

• Who runs the next round? If someone has to build each simulation by hand, the program stops the first busy month. Auto-scheduling is the feature that keeps it alive.
• Do the numbers count bots? Email security scanners click every link. A tool that does not filter them reports clicks no person made.
• What happens after a click? Public scoring and leaderboards teach employees to hide mistakes. A short, private lesson built from the email they just saw teaches them to report.
• What is the headline metric? Click rate falls when simulations get easier. Reporting rate rises only when people choose to participate.
• Does it fit an MSP? Multi-tenant management, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace support, and reports a client will read at renewal matter more than template counts.

For a deeper buyer's checklist, read how to evaluate phishing simulators for your MSP service stack. For realistic examples, see 17 phishing simulation templates by category.

Where Hook is not the right fit

If you already pay for Microsoft 365 E5 and only need basic simulations for one tenant, Microsoft's built-in tool may be enough. If one invoice for policy attestation and dark-web monitoring is a must, usecure bundles more modules. If you want leaderboards and points, Hoxhunt is built around them; Hook deliberately does not rank employees.

The bottom line

Sending a simulated phishing email is the easy part. The tools differ on everything around it: whether the program keeps running without you, whether the numbers are real, and whether a click makes employees more likely to report next time or more likely to hide. For an MSP selling security awareness to SMBs, pick the tool that runs itself and produces a report the client wants to renew.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best phishing simulation tool for MSPs?

For MSPs, the main options are Hook Security, usecure, Phin and KnowBe4. Hook Security fits MSPs that want simulations to run on autopilot, bot-free results and client-ready reports, with prices published. usecure offers the broadest bundle, and Phin the deepest PSA integrations.

Is there a free phishing simulation tool?

Yes. Gophish is free and open source, but you host and run it yourself, including templates, delivery and training follow-up. Microsoft 365 E5 and Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 customers already have Attack simulation training included.

How often should you run phishing simulations?

Monthly is a common cadence, with tactics varied each round. Tools that auto-schedule at random times inside a set window keep the program running and stop employees from warning each other about a single send day.

Sources

• Hook Security: phishing simulator - templates, Direct Delivery, Bot-Free Results, Teaching Pages.
• usecure: Top 10 phishing simulation tools for 2026 - uPhish and AutoPhish features.
• KnowBe4: Security Awareness Training datasheet - templates, Phish Alert Button, PhishER Plus, library size.
• Phin: phishing simulation - MSP focus, integrations, trial.
• Proofpoint: phishing simulations - templates, PhishAlarm, languages.
• Hoxhunt: best phishing simulation tools - gamification, 42 languages.
• Microsoft Learn: get started with Attack simulation training - licensing and techniques.
• CanIPhish: open-source phishing simulation tools - Gophish scope.

Keep reading

• Phishing simulation click rate benchmarks - why the published numbers disagree.
• Should you punish employees who fail phishing simulations? - what the research says.
• Human risk management platforms: 7 compared - the category view.
• Best security awareness training for MSPs (2026) - the full MSP vendor landscape.
• See Hook in action - an interactive phishing simulation demo, from the inbox to the Teaching Page.