Cofense PhishMe vs DarkPhish

Cofense PhishMe is a web-based phishing simulation and security awareness training platform for organizations. Its simulations draw on real phishing data and can model smishing, vishing, and QR-code phishing to measure employee readiness and identify training gaps. Training content and reinforcement can be targeted to areas where employees need more practice. Reporting and analytics track performance and risk, while one-click reporting feeds a global intelligence network. PhishMe includes phishing simulations, risk scoring, a phish reporting button, and automated training. Data travels over HTTPS and is encrypted at rest using AES-256. Simulation data includes click-related statistics, while data entered by employees is not collected or stored. Controls include role-based configuration, auditing, and multi-factor authentication; Enterprise also supports SAML 2.0 single sign-on. Cofense says its SOC 2 Type 2 certification covers PhishMe, with the report available through a sales representative under an NDA. Hosting locations include Ashburn, Montreal, Frankfurt, Sydney, and Tokyo; the Free edition is hosted only in Ashburn. The free plan costs nothing.

DarkPhish is a self-hosted platform for authorized phishing simulations, security-awareness training, internal security testing and defensive research. Users can prepare or import email templates, define approved recipients, schedule campaigns, monitor activity, review recipient timelines and export results. The free Community plan costs nothing and includes up to 100 managed users, one active campaign, a simulation engine, basic reporting and the core REST API. Paid plans start at €249/mo (annual). The platform lists API, Linux, self-hosted and web availability; its installer supports fresh systemd-based Linux deployments on amd64 and arm64. Supported databases include SQLite, MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL. DarkPhish describes encrypted and signed browser sessions, scoped expiring API tokens, secrets hidden from normal API responses, and signed, hash-chained administrative audit records. Professional and Enterprise plans are in development, with further capabilities planned. The project states that the software is for authorized testing and simulations only.