HEAD TO HEAD

Cytactic vs iluminr: which crisis simulation platform fits your team?

THE SHORT ANSWER

On our published weights iluminr scores 7.55 and Cytactic 6.40. Cytactic scores higher on customisation; iluminr scores higher on executive and board focus, exercise delivery effort, measurement and after-action reporting and regulatory evidence; they tie on scenario realism and pricing clarity.

By The Exercise Desk · Crisis Simulation Ranked · Published 2026-10-11

Desk research from public vendor pages, vendor announcements and standards documents read between 27 September and 13 October 2026. Editorial assessment; we did not run any exercise on these platforms.

How do Cytactic and iluminr score on each criterion?

Cytactic and iluminr: crisis readiness score (editorial assessment, 0 to 10)
Criterion	Weight	Cytactic	iluminr	Higher score
Scenario realism	20%	Exercises run in a Simulation Mode where attacker emails, ransom notes, breaking news and system data appear automatically, and the generator builds scenarios from the organisation's profile and data; a scenario that branches on each decision is not described. Source: Cytactic blog: the next generation of cyber tabletops (17 July 2026) · Read 13 Oct 2026	Real-time injects and immersive media, with AI assessing each response against the organisation's own plans; a scenario that branches on each decision is not described. Source: iluminr homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026	Tie
Executive and board focus	20%	Generated exercises include stakeholder discussions, and the platform has crisis communication and legal disclosure agents; an exercise format built for the board is not described on the pages reviewed. Source: Cytactic: platform · Read 13 Oct 2026	Built for boards, executives, crisis teams and risk functions, with board-ready dashboards. Source: iluminr homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026	iluminr
Exercise delivery effort	15%	Five ready-made simulations plus an AI generator that drafts the scenario, injects, decision points and moderator guidance; a one-sentence edit updates every step. A moderator still runs the session. Source: Cytactic blog: the next generation of cyber tabletops (17 July 2026) · Read 13 Oct 2026	Microsimulations of 3–5 minutes for one person and 30–45 minutes for a team make frequent practice practical. Source: iluminr homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026	iluminr
Measurement and after-action reporting	15%	Post-simulation reports "turn insights into action" and readiness assessments are available; what is measured is not described in detail. Source: Cytactic: platform · Read 13 Oct 2026	Behavioural evidence (decision velocity, confidence, alignment) and benchmarking by department, region and role. Source: iluminr blog: continuous capability intelligence (18 August 2026) · Read 27 Sep 2026	iluminr
Regulatory evidence	10%	Regulator-ready records are a stated platform pillar and a Legal Disclosures AI Agent is part of the platform; mapping of results to named frameworks is not described on the pages reviewed. Source: Cytactic homepage · Read 13 Oct 2026	Nine named frameworks on the homepage, including DORA, APRA CPS 230, ISO 22301 and FFIEC, plus automated board-ready regulatory reports citing DORA, NIS2, CER and APRA CPS 230. Source: iluminr press release: continuous capability intelligence (PRWeb, 25 August 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026	iluminr
Customisation	10%	Scenarios are generated from the organisation's own profile and data, edited in plain language, alongside a Playbook Builder. Source: Cytactic blog: the next generation of cyber tabletops (17 July 2026) · Read 13 Oct 2026	The AI Context Engine draws on the organisation's continuity and GRC data; authoring tools are not described in detail. Source: iluminr blog: continuous capability intelligence (18 August 2026) · Read 27 Sep 2026	Cytactic
Pricing clarity	10%	No price published; the route in is a demo. Source: Cytactic homepage · Read 13 Oct 2026	No price published on the pricing page. Source: iluminr pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026	Tie
Total	100%			iluminr

Which stages of an exercise does each cover?

Build: Documented
Five production-ready simulations plus an AI engine that builds new ones from the organisation's profile and data.
Source: Cytactic blog: the next generation of cyber tabletops (17 July 2026) · Read 13 Oct 2026
Adapt: Partial
Attacker emails, ransom notes, breaking news and system data appear automatically in Simulation Mode; branching on each decision is not described.
Source: Cytactic blog: the next generation of cyber tabletops (17 July 2026) · Read 13 Oct 2026
Seats: Partial
Generated exercises include stakeholder discussions; formats built for executives or the board are not described on the pages reviewed.
Source: Cytactic: platform · Read 13 Oct 2026
Run: Partial
Moderator guidance is generated; the session is moderated by the organisation.
Source: Cytactic blog: the next generation of cyber tabletops (17 July 2026) · Read 13 Oct 2026
Report: Partial
Post-simulation reports; what is measured is not described in detail.
Source: Cytactic: platform · Read 13 Oct 2026
Map: Partial
Regulator-ready records are a stated pillar; named framework mapping is not described.
Source: Cytactic homepage · Read 13 Oct 2026

A solid segment means the vendor's own pages describe that stage. It shows coverage, not quality; the scores judge quality.

Build: Documented
The AI Context Engine draws on business continuity and GRC data during scenarios (August 2026 update).
Source: iluminr blog: continuous capability intelligence (18 August 2026) · Read 27 Sep 2026
Adapt: Partial
Real-time injects and immersive media; AI assesses each response against the organisation's own plans. Branching on each decision is not described.
Source: iluminr homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026
Seats: Documented
Built for boards, executives, crisis teams and risk functions; single-player microsimulations and team exercises.
Source: iluminr homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026
Run: Partial
Live QR polling supports in-room sessions; who facilitates a tabletop is not described on the pages reviewed.
Source: iluminr blog: continuous capability intelligence (18 August 2026) · Read 27 Sep 2026
Report: Documented
Board-ready dashboards and regulatory reports, benchmarking by department, region and role, and behavioural evidence such as decision velocity, confidence, alignment and blind spots.
Source: iluminr press release: continuous capability intelligence (PRWeb, 25 August 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026
Map: Documented
Evidence mapped to DORA, ISO 22301, APRA CPS 230, FCA/PRA, NIST CSF, UK Operational Resilience, ISO 27001, FFIEC and OSFI E-21, with automated regulatory reporting.
Source: iluminr homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026

A solid segment means the vendor's own pages describe that stage. It shows coverage, not quality; the scores judge quality.

Cytactic documents 1 of 6 stages and iluminr documents 4 of 6.

What do they cost?

Cytactic

Packaging: Part of the Cytactic incident response management platform, alongside playbooks, decision support, communication and disclosure agents; access through a demo.

Not published Cytactic publishes no prices and has no pricing page in its navigation; the route in is a demo.

Source: Cytactic homepage · Read 13 Oct 2026

iluminr

Packaging: A resilience exercising platform with several modules; pricing through sales.

Not published iluminr's pricing page publishes no prices.

Source: iluminr pricing · Read 27 Sep 2026

Which frameworks do they map results to?

Cytactic

None named on the pages reviewed

iluminr

DORA
ISO 22301
APRA CPS 230
FCA/PRA
NIST CSF
UK Operational Resilience
ISO 27001
FFIEC
OSFI E-21
NIS2
CER

Source: iluminr homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026

Source: iluminr press release: continuous capability intelligence (PRWeb, 25 August 2026) · Read 11 Oct 2026

Which should you choose?

Choose Cytactic if

Customisation: 8 / 10, Scenarios are generated from the organisation's own profile and data, edited in plain language, alongside a Playbook Builder.
Scenario realism: 7 / 10, Exercises run in a Simulation Mode where attacker emails, ransom notes, breaking news and system data appear automatically, and the generator builds scenarios from the organisation's profile and data; a scenario that branches on each decision is not described.
Simulations inside a cyber incident response hub

Choose iluminr if

Regulatory evidence: 10 / 10, Nine named frameworks on the homepage, including DORA, APRA CPS 230, ISO 22301 and FFIEC, plus automated board-ready regulatory reports citing DORA, NIS2, CER and APRA CPS 230.
Executive and board focus: 9 / 10, Built for boards, executives, crisis teams and risk functions, with board-ready dashboards.
Board-level evidence for regulated firms

Cytactic profile iluminr profile Alternatives to Cytactic Alternatives to iluminr See them side by side

Frequently asked questions

Is Cytactic or iluminr better for executive crisis exercises?

iluminr scores higher on executive and board focus (9 against 7 out of 10). Read each profile for the detail.

Which is easier to run, Cytactic or iluminr?

iluminr scores higher on delivery effort, where a higher score means less effort, (8 against 7 out of 10). Read each profile for the detail.

Do Cytactic and iluminr publish prices?

Neither Cytactic nor iluminr publishes a price for its exercise product.