Mantra vs NovaShield: comparison for French SMEs

By Kaci, founder of NovaShield, Master's in Cybersecurity & Cloud from IPSSI. NovaShield is a registered provider on the Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr platform.

Estimated read: 10 min · Published July 24, 2026 · Updated July 24, 2026

Mantra protects employees when they read a suspicious email, via a browser extension that displays real-time alert banners. NovaShield instead aims to train employees through simulation and education so they detect threats themselves — including on channels a browser extension doesn't cover (SMS, QR code, phone calls). Both approaches are legitimate; the choice depends on your technical deployment capacity and your vision of security awareness.

Mantra and NovaShield share a common goal: reducing the risk that employees fall for phishing. But the paths they take differ profoundly.

Mantra bet on real-time coaching: a browser extension that analyzes emails and alerts the employee before they click. NovaShield targets a simulation and micro-learning program that builds reflexes in controlled conditions, complemented by an on-demand email verification tool.

This comparison presents both approaches without trying to disqualify either. Phishing remains the top attack vector for 60% of French organizations according to the CESIN 2024 Barometer. The right choice depends on your size, technical resources, and how you think about protecting your teams.

Transparency note: this article is written by Kaci, founder of NovaShield. All cited data comes from publicly verifiable sources. We explicitly identify cases where Mantra is a better fit than NovaShield.

Key Takeaways

• Mantra was acquired by Cyber Guru (Italy) in March 2025 — it is no longer an independent French startup
• The browser extension requires technical deployment (MDM, GPO) that can be burdensome for SMEs without a structured IT team
• Mantra does not publish pricing — a commercial process with a demo is required
• Real-time coverage does not extend to thick clients (Outlook desktop, Thunderbird) or native mobile apps
• NovaShield: no software install required, free up to 50 employees, €59/month beyond that, hosted in France
• Mantra remains the better choice if you want real-time protection in the mailbox and have an IT team capable of deploying and maintaining a browser extension

Side-by-Side Comparison

Mantra at a Glance

Mantra is a startup founded in Paris, specializing in phishing awareness and detection. The company took an original angle in the awareness landscape: real-time coaching, directly in the employee's mailbox, via Smart Banners (alert banners) and Browser Defender (phishing site detection extension).

Important update: in March 2025, Mantra was acquired by Cyber Guru, an Italian company based in Rome. The Mantra team (about 15 people, including co-founders Gaspard Droz and Guillaume Charhon) joined Cyber Guru, which now claims 1,000+ organizations and 1.5 million active users across the combined entity. Mantra is therefore no longer an independent French startup: it is a brand and team integrated into an Italian group.

According to Mantra's website, the platform relies on a browser extension that integrates with email clients (Outlook, Gmail). The extension analyzes incoming emails and displays contextual alert banners when an email shows suspicious signals: unusual sender, suspicious link, unusually urgent tone, identity impersonation. The employee is warned before clicking, with an explanation of the detected risk.

Where most platforms train employees through simulated phishing campaigns, Mantra intervenes on real emails, at the moment of interaction. The platform also offers phishing simulation campaigns, but they fit into a broader approach combining real-time detection and behavioral analysis.

What Mantra Does Well

An honest comparison starts by acknowledging the competitor's strengths.

Real-Time Coaching: An Original Pedagogical Approach

This is Mantra's main strength. Rather than sending a fake email and measuring who clicks, Mantra accompanies the employee when facing real suspicious emails. The alert banner appearing in the mail client explains why the email is suspicious: unverified sender, link to a recent domain, unusually urgent tone.

The employee learns to identify phishing signals at the exact moment they face the threat, not by re-reading a training module afterward. For organizations that want to combine protection and training in one gesture, this is a relevant angle.

A Team That Understands the Local Market

The Mantra team (still based in France after the acquisition, with Gaspard Droz as Country Managing Director France) understands the attacks circulating in France: IBAN fraud, BEC targeting finance directors, supplier identity impersonation, fake administrative emails. In a market dominated by American players like KnowBe4 and Proofpoint, having a team rooted in France remains an asset, even within an Italian group.

Continuous Behavioral Analysis

Mantra analyzes employees' email interactions continuously, enabling the construction of a human risk profile based on real behaviors, not just simulated exercise results.

Data Hosting

Before the Cyber Guru acquisition, Mantra hosted its data in France according to publicly available information. Since integration into the Cyber Guru group (based in Italy), the hosting status has shifted to "EU" rather than specifically France — a point to confirm directly with the Mantra team for organizations with digital sovereignty requirements.

What Are Mantra's Limitations for SMEs?

Mantra offers a technically ambitious approach. But this ambition comes with constraints that weigh differently depending on the size and resources of the business.

Deploying a Browser Extension

Mantra's real-time approach relies on a browser extension installed on employee workstations. For a mid-sized company of 500 people with an IT team managing the fleet via MDM or GPO, deployment is a manageable technical project.

For an SME of 60 employees where the IT manager juggles five roles, installing and maintaining an extension on every workstation is a real burden. Updates, browser compatibility, employees disabling the extension, personal BYOD devices that escape deployment: each friction point reduces actual coverage.

NovaShield aims to work with no installation on workstations. Campaigns arrive in the standard mailbox, verification happens via email forwarding, micro-learning appears in the browser after a click. Zero dependency on the IT fleet.

Non-Public Pricing

Mantra does not publish a pricing schedule on its website. The commercial process requires a demo and a personalized quote. For an SME owner comparing several solutions between meetings, the absence of displayed pricing slows decision-making.

Browser Dependency

Mantra's real-time coaching works in the browser via the extension. This covers employees who read their emails in a webmail client. But employees using a thick client (Outlook desktop, Thunderbird) or checking email on a smartphone via the native mobile app are potentially outside the protection perimeter, depending on the technical configuration.

In an SME with heterogeneous usage patterns (salesperson on mobile, accountant on Outlook desktop, developer on Thunderbird), the actual coverage of real-time protection may be below 100%. Email phishing simulation reaches everyone regardless of email client.

Phishing Simulation as a Secondary Feature

Mantra's DNA is real-time coaching, not phishing simulation. For a company seeking a structured simulation program with planned campaigns, varied scenarios (email, SMS, QR code) and contextualized post-error training, Mantra does not offer the same depth as a specialized tool.

No On-Demand Email Verification

Mantra's model analyzes emails continuously and displays contextual alerts. But the employee cannot submit a specific email to receive a detailed verdict on demand — a useful feature for suspicious emails that slip under the radar.

What NovaShield Aims to Do Differently

Both teams have French roots. The differences aren't about quality — they're about design choices and priorities.

Simulation as a Training Method

NovaShield considers phishing simulation as training, not testing. The goal: when an employee clicks a link in a simulated email, they're redirected to a 3-to-5-minute micro-learning module tailored to the type of trap. Retention is stronger when training immediately follows the mistake.

Mantra bets on real-time prevention: stopping the click before it happens. NovaShield bets on building the reflex: making employees detect threats themselves without technical assistance. Both approaches have their logic.

Deployment Without Installation

The goal: create an account, import employees, choose a scenario, launch the campaign — no extension to deploy, no technical appointment, no workstation configuration.

Public and Predictable Pricing

NovaShield publishes its pricing: free up to 50 employees (Freemium), then starting at €59/month for 51–150 employees, with decreasing rates up to €349/month for 501–1,000 employees. Monthly billing with no commitment, with an annual option at -17%.

AI Email Verification: A Verdict, Not a Banner

Mantra displays a contextual banner when an email seems suspicious. NovaShield lets employees submit a specific email and receive a detailed verdict: SPF/DKIM/DMARC authentication, sender analysis, link inspection, content evaluation. The verdict is explanatory: the employee understands why the email is suspicious, not just that it is.

NIS2 Compliance Targeted as Automated

NovaShield's stated goal is to automatically generate NIS2 compliance reports: campaign history, participation rates, training results, risk score evolution by department.

Multi-Vector Scenarios

NovaShield's catalog aims to cover attack vectors observed in France: email (phishing, spear phishing, BEC), SMS (smishing), QR code (quishing), with scenarios like a fake Chronopost delivery, a fake Ameli refund, a fake ANTAI fine, or an IBAN fraud request. Smishing and quishing are growing vectors not covered by a webmail-focused browser extension.

Who Should Choose Mantra or NovaShield?

There is no bad tool in this comparison. There are two approaches suited to different contexts and visions of security awareness.

Mantra is a good choice if:

1. You want real-time protection in the mailbox to intercept threats before employees act.
2. You have the technical capacity to deploy a browser extension across your entire fleet, with an IT team capable of managing installation, updates, and compatibility.
3. You want continuous behavioral analysis based on real email interactions, not just simulated exercise results.
4. You're prepared to invest in a commercial process with demo and quote.

NovaShield is a good choice if:

1. You're an SME of 50–500 employees looking for a simulation and training program that deploys quickly with no workstation installation.
2. You want transparent pricing and the freedom to start without a sales cycle.
3. Your IT team is small and you can't manage the deployment and maintenance of a browser extension on a heterogeneous fleet.
4. You want to build employee reflexes through training, not just protect them with a technical safety net.
5. You want an on-demand email verification tool with a detailed verdict.
6. NIS2 compliance is a concern and you want automated reports.

Real-Time Coaching or Training Through Simulation?

Should you protect employees at the moment of danger (Mantra's approach) or train them to recognize danger themselves (NovaShield's approach)? Real-time coaching acts as a permanent safety net. Simulation aims to make employees autonomous against threats, including on channels the extension doesn't cover: SMS, phone calls, social networks, QR codes. Both approaches contribute to reducing risk.

How to Migrate from Mantra to NovaShield?

If you're using Mantra and considering NovaShield, the transition is designed to be straightforward.

1. Create your NovaShield account. Start your free trial — full access for 14 days, no credit card required.
2. Import your employees. Export a CSV from your directory or HR file, import it into NovaShield.
3. Run a baseline campaign. Mantra data is not transferable (different formats and metrics), but a new baseline provides a clean reference point.
4. Enable email verification. Share the forwarding address with your employees. The doubt reflex built through simulation turns into a verifiable action.
5. Evaluate and switch. Run both solutions in parallel if needed. When the results convince you, uninstall the Mantra extension: one less technical dependency on your fleet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mantra Suitable for Small SMEs?

Mantra targets SMEs and mid-market companies with a real-time coaching approach via a browser extension. This model requires technical deployment (installing the extension on each workstation or via MDM) that can be more burdensome for an SME of 50–100 employees without a structured IT team.

What Is Mantra's Price?

Mantra does not publish a pricing schedule on its website. Prices are communicated after a demo. NovaShield publishes its pricing: free up to 50 employees, then starting at €59/month depending on the tier.

Mantra or NovaShield: Which to Choose?

If you want real-time protection that analyzes emails on the fly and coaches employees at the moment of interaction, Mantra offers a browser extension approach. If you want a simulation program with micro-learning, on-demand email verification, and NIS2 reports — all with no workstation installation — NovaShield is designed for autonomous SMEs.

Are Mantra and NovaShield Complementary?

The two approaches cover different angles. Mantra intervenes in real time during email reading (prevention). NovaShield intervenes upstream through simulation and training (reflex building) and downstream through on-demand email verification (decision support). Some organizations could consider both.

Does Mantra Still Belong to a French Company?

No, not since March 2025. Mantra was acquired by Cyber Guru, an Italian company based in Rome. The French team (about 15 people) joined the group, and Gaspard Droz, co-founder of Mantra, became Country Managing Director France of the combined entity.

Is Data Hosted in France?

Before the Cyber Guru acquisition, Mantra hosted its data in France according to publicly available information. Since integration into the Cyber Guru group (based in Italy), hosting status is declared "EU" — to be confirmed directly with Mantra for organizations with digital sovereignty requirements. NovaShield targets exclusively French hosting.

Sources

• G2 and Gartner Peer Insights for independent user reviews (search "Mantra" and "Cyber Guru" on these platforms).

• Mantra.ms for product information, positioning, and features.

• Mantra acquisition by Cyber Guru, March 2025 (Riverside Acceleration Capital, Cyber Guru announcement).

• CESIN 2024 Barometer and ANSSI, Panorama de la cybermenace 2024, for French phishing statistics.

This comparison does not constitute a contractual commitment and the features mentioned may have evolved since the date of writing.

About the Author

Kaci is the founder of NovaShield, holding a Master's in Cybersecurity & Cloud from IPSSI. NovaShield is a registered provider on the Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr platform.

Find Kaci on LinkedIn