HEAD TO HEAD

Cytactic vs Reflex Security: which crisis simulation platform fits your team?

THE SHORT ANSWER

On our published weights Reflex Security scores 7.55 and Cytactic 6.40. Cytactic scores higher on no criterion; Reflex Security scores higher on scenario realism, executive and board focus, exercise delivery effort, measurement and after-action reporting and regulatory evidence; they tie on customisation 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 Reflex Security score on each criterion?

Cytactic and Reflex Security: crisis readiness score (editorial assessment, 0 to 10)
Criterion	Weight	Cytactic	Reflex Security	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	The scenario starts from the organisation's own footprint and telemetry, and an unscripted adversary adapts to every decision while simulated stakeholders apply pressure. Source: Reflex Security homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026	Reflex Security
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	Technical, legal and executive teams play the same incident, an AI cast plays board members, regulators and journalists, and AI agents fill empty C-suite seats; board reporting and dashboards are not described. Source: Reflex Security blog · Read 11 Oct 2026	Reflex Security
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	A scenario in minutes, a sixty-minute session and an AI facilitator inside Zoom, Meet or Teams, with asynchronous play for teams that cannot meet. Source: Reflex Security blog: Reflex Security vs Immersive Labs · Read 27 Sep 2026	Reflex Security
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	The after-action report is produced automatically, each finding traced to its moment with timestamps, transcript quotes and console queries; benchmarking across teams is not described. Source: Reflex Security blog · Read 11 Oct 2026	Reflex Security
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	Reports map to SOC 2, ISO 27001 and DORA and findings to NIST CSF functions and MITRE ATT&CK techniques; fewer frameworks than iluminr names and no automated regulatory reporting described. Source: Reflex Security blog · Read 11 Oct 2026	Reflex Security
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 scenario is tailored automatically from footprint, telemetry and connected org context; hand-editing of injects is not described on the pages reviewed. Source: Reflex Security blog: Reflex Security vs Immersive Labs · Read 27 Sep 2026	Tie
Pricing clarity	10%	No price published; the route in is a demo. Source: Cytactic homepage · Read 13 Oct 2026	No price published; the pricing URL returns a 404 and the route in is a demo or a self-guided tour. Source: Reflex Security pricing URL (returns page not found) · Read 11 Oct 2026	Tie
Total	100%			Reflex Security

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 scenario is built from open-source intelligence about the organisation, such as job postings, DNS records and public filings, in under 15 minutes according to the vendor, and can be enriched with its telemetry.
Source: Reflex Security blog · Read 11 Oct 2026
Adapt: Documented
An unscripted adversary and pressured stakeholders push back in real time and adapt to every decision.
Source: Reflex Security homepage · Read 27 Sep 2026
Seats: Documented
Built for technical, legal and executive teams in one exercise; an AI agent cast plays threat actors, journalists, board members, legal counsel and regulators.
Source: Reflex Security blog · Read 11 Oct 2026
Run: Documented
An AI facilitator, Victoria, joins the session inside Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, AI agents can take the seats of absent roles, including the CEO's, a facilitator guide is generated automatically, and teams can also play asynchronously.
Source: Reflex Security blog · Read 11 Oct 2026
Report: Documented
An after-action report is produced automatically; every finding traces to the moment it came from, with timestamped records, transcript quotes and logged console queries.
Source: Reflex Security blog · Read 11 Oct 2026
Map: Documented
Reports map to SOC 2, ISO 27001 and DORA; findings are mapped to MITRE ATT&CK techniques and NIST CSF functions.
Source: Reflex Security blog · Read 11 Oct 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 Reflex Security documents 6 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

Reflex Security

Packaging: A single-purpose crisis simulation product; access through a demo.

Not published Reflex Security publishes no prices; reflexsecurity.io/pricing returns a 404. The route in is a demo or a self-guided product tour.

Source: Reflex Security pricing URL (returns page not found) · Read 11 Oct 2026

Which frameworks do they map results to?

Cytactic

None named on the pages reviewed

Reflex Security

SOC 2
ISO 27001
DORA
NIST CSF
MITRE ATT&CK (technique mapping)

Source: Reflex Security blog: Reflex Security vs Immersive Labs · Read 27 Sep 2026

Source: Reflex Security blog · 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 Reflex Security if

Scenario realism: 9 / 10, The scenario starts from the organisation's own footprint and telemetry, and an unscripted adversary adapts to every decision while simulated stakeholders apply pressure.
Exercise delivery effort: 9 / 10, A scenario in minutes, a sixty-minute session and an AI facilitator inside Zoom, Meet or Teams, with asynchronous play for teams that cannot meet.
Replacing the scripted tabletop with a live crisis

Cytactic profile Reflex Security profile Alternatives to Cytactic Alternatives to Reflex Security See them side by side

Frequently asked questions

Is Cytactic or Reflex Security better for executive crisis exercises?

Reflex Security scores higher on executive and board focus (8 against 7 out of 10). Read each profile for the detail.

Which is easier to run, Cytactic or Reflex Security?

Reflex Security scores higher on delivery effort, where a higher score means less effort, (9 against 7 out of 10). Read each profile for the detail.

Do Cytactic and Reflex Security publish prices?

Neither Cytactic nor Reflex Security publishes a price for its exercise product.