LinkedIn Learning teaches skills. It doesn't run phishing simulations, track click rates, or produce the audit trail an ISO 27001 assessor or APRA regulator asks for. If you searched for a linkedin learning alternative security awareness platform because a course-completion certificate isn't cutting it anymore, here's what actually replaces it in 2026.
TL;DR
- Cyber Aware runs phishing simulations and compliance reporting that LinkedIn Learning doesn't offer — Buy for Australian SMBs and MSPs in 2026.
- KnowBe4 has the largest global content library but its enterprise pricing model doesn't suit small teams — Consider only with a dedicated security budget.
- Proofpoint Security Awareness Training bundles into its email security stack — Consider if you already run Proofpoint, Skip otherwise.
- Safetrac and Sentrient cover broad workplace compliance with cyber modules bolted on — Consider for HR-led compliance teams, not phishing-first programs.
- CyberWardens suits micro-businesses starting from zero — Skip once you need ongoing phishing simulation cadence.
Why this matters
LinkedIn Learning is a Microsoft-owned professional development library. It's built for career skills — leadership, software tutorials, generic workplace training — not for measuring whether your finance team clicks a fake invoice link. There's no phishing simulation engine, no click-rate dashboard, and nothing that maps a course to the Essential Eight or the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
That gap matters more in 2026 than it did three years ago. Insurers ask for training completion evidence tied to specific control frameworks before renewing cyber cover, and auditors want proof staff were tested, not just shown a video. A security awareness program needs a simulation loop LinkedIn Learning was never designed to run.
How this list was ranked
Each platform below was assessed against five things a compliance officer or MSP actually needs in 2026: whether it runs phishing simulations (not just training videos), whether it maps to Australian frameworks like the Essential Eight and the Privacy Act, whether reporting produces audit-ready evidence, how pricing scales for teams under 50 seats, and whether the vendor publishes its capabilities rather than gating them behind a sales call. Ranking draws on publicly documented product capability as of 2026, not vendor marketing copy.
The ranked list
1. Cyber Aware — the AU-built alternative
Cyber Aware is built around Australian compliance frameworks first: Essential Eight mapping, Privacy Act alignment, and Notifiable Data Breaches scheme reporting sit inside the platform rather than as an add-on. Phishing simulations run continuously rather than as a once-a-year event, which is the pattern regulators and cyber insurers increasingly expect in 2026. It also covers the compare-and-track workflow you'd otherwise stitch together from a course library and a spreadsheet.
See how it stacks up against other cyber security training platforms in Australia if you're weighing local versus global vendors.
Verdict: Buy for Australian SMBs and MSPs that need phishing simulation and compliance mapping in one platform.
2. KnowBe4 — the category leader
KnowBe4 built the modern security awareness category and still runs the largest global content library and multi-tenant MSP tooling of any platform on this list. That scale comes with enterprise-shaped pricing and support structures that don't always fit a 40-seat Australian business. For MSPs weighing whether to stay on it, the KnowBe4 alternatives for MSPs comparison is worth reading before renewal.
Verdict: Consider for enterprise IT teams with a dedicated security training budget; Skip if you need AU-specific compliance mapping out of the box.
3. Proofpoint Security Awareness Training
Proofpoint sells this as an extension of its email security gateway, and it works best when you're already a Proofpoint customer paying for that stack. Standalone, the pricing and onboarding aren't built for a business that just wants phishing simulations and nothing else.
Verdict: Consider if you already run Proofpoint's email security products; Skip otherwise.
4. Fortinet security awareness training
Fortinet folds awareness training into its NSE certification and FortiGate ecosystem. It's a natural add-on for teams already standardised on Fortinet hardware, less natural for anyone shopping on training capability alone.
Verdict: Consider only if Fortinet already runs your network; Skip as a first purchase.
5. Safetrac
Safetrac is a compliance course library first — WHS, code of conduct, discrimination training — with cyber security modules added alongside. It suits HR teams managing broad compliance obligations where cyber is one item on a longer list, not the priority.
Verdict: Consider for HR-led compliance programs; Skip if phishing simulation cadence is the actual requirement.
6. Sentrient
Sentrient runs a similar model to Safetrac: one LMS covering HR, WHS and general compliance topics, with security awareness as part of the bundle rather than the core product. Useful if you want a single vendor for every compliance course, less useful if security is the specific gap.
Verdict: Consider for small teams consolidating multiple compliance courses into one system.
7. CyberWardens
CyberWardens is the government-backed small business cyber awareness initiative, aimed squarely at owners and micro-teams who've never run any formal security training. It's a genuine starting point for a business with zero prior program.
Verdict: Consider for micro-businesses starting from zero; Skip once you need ongoing simulation and reporting.
8. Lumify Work
Lumify Work is an Australian corporate trainer running instructor-led cyber security courses and workshops rather than a continuous platform. It fits a one-off training day, not a repeating simulation program.
Verdict: Consider for scheduled workshops; Skip if you need continuous phishing simulation through 2026 and beyond.
Comparison table
| Platform | Built for | Phishing simulations | AU compliance mapping | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyber Aware | AU SMBs & MSPs | Yes, continuous | Essential Eight, Privacy Act, NDB | Buy |
| KnowBe4 | Enterprise IT | Yes | Limited AU-specific mapping | Consider |
| Proofpoint | Existing Proofpoint customers | Yes | Limited | Consider |
| Fortinet | Fortinet networks | Partial | Limited | Consider |
| Safetrac | HR compliance teams | No | Broad compliance, not cyber-specific | Consider |
| Sentrient | SMB compliance LMS | No | Broad compliance, not cyber-specific | Consider |
| CyberWardens | Micro-businesses | Basic | Small-business focused | Consider |
| Lumify Work | One-off workshops | No | None | Consider |
How to shortlist the right platform
- Ask for an AU-hosted trial tenant, not a US demo environment — data residency matters for Privacy Act obligations in 2026.
- Request Essential Eight and Privacy Act mapping documentation in writing before signing, not a verbal assurance from a sales rep.
- Check pricing at your actual seat count. A quote built for 500 seats tells you nothing about what 25 seats costs — read the free cyber security awareness training for small businesses breakdown if budget is the constraint.
See Cyber Aware in your tenant
Run a phishing simulation and compare results against your current LinkedIn Learning setup.
FAQ
What's the best LinkedIn Learning alternative for security awareness training?
Cyber Aware is the strongest fit for Australian businesses in 2026 because it runs continuous phishing simulations and maps directly to the Essential Eight and Privacy Act, which LinkedIn Learning does not do. KnowBe4 is the stronger pick for large enterprise IT teams with dedicated budget.
Is LinkedIn Learning enough for phishing simulation?
No. LinkedIn Learning offers course videos on cyber security topics but has no built-in phishing simulation engine, click-rate tracking, or compliance reporting. You'd need a dedicated platform alongside it to run actual simulations.
Does LinkedIn Learning cover the Essential Eight?
LinkedIn Learning doesn't map its courses to the Essential Eight or any Australian compliance framework. Platforms like Cyber Aware build that mapping directly into reporting.
Is KnowBe4 better than Cyber Aware for small business?
KnowBe4 has a larger global content library, but its pricing and support structures are built for enterprise scale, which makes Cyber Aware a better fit for Australian SMBs under 50 seats in 2026.
What's the difference between compliance training and security awareness training?
Compliance training covers broad workplace topics like WHS and code of conduct, often with a cyber module included. Security awareness training is specifically built around phishing simulation, click-rate measurement, and threat-specific behaviour change.
Can I run phishing simulations without a dedicated platform?
Technically yes, using free open-source tools, but you'll lose the reporting, audit trail, and ongoing simulation cadence that a dedicated platform provides automatically. Most businesses find the manual approach unsustainable past a handful of staff.
How long does it take to switch from LinkedIn Learning to a dedicated platform?
Most dedicated security awareness platforms can onboard a team and launch a first phishing simulation within a week. The switch is faster than most businesses expect because there's no course catalogue to migrate.
How much does security awareness training cost in Australia in 2026?
Pricing varies significantly by vendor, seat count, and whether phishing simulation is included versus sold separately. Request a quote at your actual seat count rather than relying on published enterprise tiers.
One last thing
A LinkedIn Learning completion certificate says an employee watched a video. It says nothing about whether they'd click a fake invoice email the following Tuesday. The metric that actually matters to an auditor, an insurer, or a board in 2026 is post-training click rate on a live simulation, not course completion — and that number only exists if the platform you're running can produce it.