Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools
Aona browser pluginDetection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants
Aona native appSupported
Credo AIShadow AI Discovery, visibility-first; detection mechanism not documented
Workforce AI Security · Why Aona
Aona
Credo AI
Aona vs Credo AI
Choose Aona for employee AI security.
See what sets Aona apart, compare the details, and try it on your own devices.
30-day free trialSOC 2 Type II
The verdict
The Aona advantage
Aona is the workforce control point Credo AI does not have: hard-block DLP at the browser and native AI app with no user override, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction, real-time coaching at the moment of a risky prompt, seven Aona-managed hosting regions and a 30-day guided trial and a first signal during the agreed evaluation. Credo AI is the AI governance record for the registry, risk assessments, policy packs and audit evidence; it works at the registry and document layer with no endpoint or browser component, and its Shadow AI Discovery module is presented as visibility-first, so the moment an employee pastes client data into ChatGPT is where its reach stops and Aona's begins.
About this comparison
Aona is the workforce control point: hard-block DLP at the browser and in the native ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude apps, layout-preserving file redaction, real-time coaching and policy templates for the EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and GDPR, live during the agreed evaluation. Credo AI is an AI governance platform: an AI registry for models, agents and vendors, risk intelligence, policy packs for the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001 and SOC 2, automated evidence generation and a Shadow AI Discovery module presented as visibility-first. Credo AI documents the programme and has no endpoint or browser component, so enforcing it at the keyboard is Aona's job.
The Workforce AI Security platform for any company adopting generative AI, with broader endpoint coverage than the incumbents, a simpler trial, and one of the few that ships hard-block DLP for AI prompts and files.
Credo AI: AI governance platform with an AI registry, risk intelligence, policy packs for the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001 and SOC 2, and a visibility-first Shadow AI Discovery module; demo-led.
Decision matrix
When to pick Aona
Five buyer scenarios, answered for employee AI use.
01Your requirement is the AI registry and the audit-evidence library: models, agents, vendors, EU AI Act and NIST AI RMF evidence.
Credo AI
Credo AI holds the registry, the risk assessments, the policy packs and the automated evidence generation, none of which Aona keeps. Verify what that record does not do: it has no endpoint or browser component and does not describe blocking or redaction at the prompt, so applying those policies at the keyboard still needs Aona.
02You need to stop sensitive data before it reaches ChatGPT, Copilot or Claude.
Aona
Aona hard-blocks the prompt on the device at submit, with no user override, and redacts DOCX, XLSX and PDF uploads with the layout intact, in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari and in the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps. Credo AI documents and assesses the policy; blocking or redacting a prompt at submit is not described on its product pages (as of September 2026).
03You need shadow AI discovery on employee devices and coaching at the moment of use.
Aona
Aona discovers AI use per user across 10,000+ tools on the device, in the browser and the native apps, and coaches the employee in the moment, with a first signal during the agreed evaluation. Credo AI's Shadow AI Discovery page still describes a private preview with a visibility-first approach; its detection mechanism and any employee-facing action are not documented (as of September 2026), so take the device-level inventory from Aona and feed the registry from it.
04You need evidence within 30 days that the AI policy is applied at the prompt, not only documented.
Aona
Credo AI's automated evidence generation records what the programme should do. Aona's per-team violation trends and adoption analytics show what employees did at the prompt, with block and coaching events per guardrail streamed to Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, so the ISO 42001 or EU AI Act control has operating evidence within 30 days of rollout.
05You want to evaluate this quarter without a demo-led sales cycle.
Aona
Aona starts with a 30-day guided trial: IT pushes the plugin and the endpoint app with its existing deployment tooling and the first signal arrives during the agreed evaluation. Credo AI's paths are Request demo and Talk to an Expert, with no self-serve trial (as of September 2026). Confirm Aona’s deployment requirements before arranging the pilot.
06You run an enterprise AI governance programme and have an employee AI usage problem.
Run both
Credo AI keeps the registry, the risk scoring and the evidence library for models, agents and vendors; Aona enforces on the device where employees use AI tools, with no shared component and no overlapping policy engine. Aona's block and coaching events, exported to Sentinel via OCSF, give the programme the operating evidence the registry records only as intent.
Capability matrix
What each tool actually does
Choose a priority. Compare Aona’s browser plugin and native app with the other product.
| Capability | Aona browser plugin | Aona native app | Credo AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | |||
| Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools | Detection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants | Supported | Shadow AI Discovery, visibility-first; detection mechanism not documented |
| Prompt inspection at submit, before the prompt reaches the AI provider | Supported | Supported | No endpoint or browser component |
| Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop) | The browser plugin covers the browser only | Supported | No endpoint component |
| AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint | Not included | Limited rollout, not general availability | Agent registry and Agent Governor research preview, governance-side |
| Govern | |||
| Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt | Supported | Supported | Policy documentation, no employee-facing prompt |
| AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR | Supported | Supported | Policy packs for EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001 and SOC 2 |
| Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics | Supported | Supported | AI usage reporting and registry analytics, not device-level violations |
| Protect | |||
| Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override | Supported | Supported | Policy-level; a block at the prompt is not described |
| Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload | Supported | Supported | No upload interception; redaction not described |
| Operations | |||
| Choice of seven Aona-managed hosting regions | Supported | Supported | Not publicly documented |
| SIEM export: Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, REST API and webhooks | Supported | Supported | SIEM integration stated for Shadow AI Discovery; event schema not documented |
| Free 30-day guided trial | Supported | Supported | Demo-led; no self-serve trial |
| Time to first signal | Agree during scoping | Agree during scoping | Months |
| Enterprise AI registry with agent cards, vendor registry and dependency graph | Not included | Not included | Credo AI core |
| Audit-ready evidence generation and model or use-case risk scoring | Not included | Not included | Risk intelligence across the AI lifecycle |
Discover
Prompt inspection at submit, before the prompt reaches the AI provider
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Credo AINo endpoint or browser component
Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop)
Aona browser pluginThe browser plugin covers the browser only
Aona native appSupported
Credo AINo endpoint component
AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appLimited rollout, not general availability
Credo AIAgent registry and Agent Governor research preview, governance-side
Govern
Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Credo AIPolicy documentation, no employee-facing prompt
AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Credo AIPolicy packs for EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001 and SOC 2
Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Credo AIAI usage reporting and registry analytics, not device-level violations
Protect
Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Credo AIPolicy-level; a block at the prompt is not described
Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Credo AINo upload interception; redaction not described
Operations
Choice of seven Aona-managed hosting regions
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Credo AINot publicly documented
SIEM export: Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, REST API and webhooks
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Credo AISIEM integration stated for Shadow AI Discovery; event schema not documented
Free 30-day guided trial
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Credo AIDemo-led; no self-serve trial
Time to first signal
Aona browser pluginAgree during scoping
Aona native appAgree during scoping
Credo AIMonths
Enterprise AI registry with agent cards, vendor registry and dependency graph
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appNot included
Credo AICredo AI core
Audit-ready evidence generation and model or use-case risk scoring
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appNot included
Credo AIRisk intelligence across the AI lifecycle
Based on vendor documentation as of September 2026. Email trust@aona.ai if you find a factual error.
Deployment
From evaluation to rollout.
Aona
- Shape
- Browser plugin for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari plus a native endpoint app for Windows and macOS, deployed by IT with its existing software deployment tools (Intune is one option). No network routing or DNS changes.
- Time to first signal
- Agree during scoping
- What IT must change
- Push the plugin and the endpoint app with your usual deployment tooling and connect Microsoft Entra for admin SSO and user or group sync. Nothing changes on the network, in the SSE or in Microsoft 365.
- Prerequisites
- A software deployment tool for managed devices (Intune, Jamf or equivalent)
- Microsoft Entra for admin SSO and user or group sync; general OIDC or SAML also works
Credo AI
- Shape
- Cloud SaaS governance console with connectors to cloud and data platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP, Databricks, Snowflake), GRC tools (ServiceNow, Archer, OneTrust, Qualys), developer tools (GitHub, MLflow, Jira, Confluence, Slack) and agent frameworks; available through cloud marketplaces.
- Time to first signal
- Months
- What IT must change
- Demo-led onboarding, framework configuration and integration of AI systems into the registry through connectors.
- Prerequisites
- Identity provider for SSO
- Connectors to AI systems, data platforms and GRC tooling
Scope, stated plainly
Know the scope. Plan with confidence.
Aona
- Aona is not an AI governance system of record: the AI registry, model and use-case risk scoring and the audit-evidence library stay in Credo AI.
- Microsoft Entra is the production identity path, with general OIDC and SAML. No native Okta connector or SCIM provisioning today.
- Aona has a SOC 2 Type II examination report. No FedRAMP, IRAP or ISO 27001 today.
- Coverage needs the Aona plugin or endpoint app on the device. There is no agentless or network-only mode, so personal and unmanaged devices are out of scope.
- No iOS or Android coverage: AI use on phones is out of scope.
Credo AI
- No endpoint or browser component: the product pages describe a registry, risk scoring, policy packs and evidence generation; blocking or redacting a prompt or an upload at submit is not described (as of September 2026).
- Shadow AI Discovery is still presented as a private preview on its own page, with general availability stated as H1 2026 in one place and Q4 2025 in another, while the home page lists it as a module. Its detection mechanism (agent, extension or integrations) and any employee-facing action are not documented (as of September 2026).
- Demo-led: Request demo and Talk to an Expert are the only paths, with no self-serve trial (as of September 2026).
- Data residency and DPA terms are not publicly documented on the pages reviewed; SOC 2 Type II is the certification described, with the report available on request (as of September 2026).
- Time to value is measured in months: populating the registry, configuring frameworks and integrating connectors precede the first evidence.
Security review facts
Ready for your security review.
Certifications, data handling, and residency for both vendors, answered up front so your GRC and legal review can start from this page.
Certifications
Aona
SOC 2 Type II (observation period to January 2026, report issued March 2026; trust center at trust.aona.ai). No FedRAMP or IRAP today.
Credo AI
SOC 2 Type II covering security, availability and confidentiality, audited annually per credo.ai, report on request. ISO 27001 or ISO 42001 certification is not stated on the pages reviewed. As of September 2026.
Trial
Aona
Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed.
Credo AI
No self-serve trial: Request demo and Talk to an Expert are the evaluation paths. As of September 2026.
Where prompts are processed
Aona
Choose backend hosting separately from Aona prompt processing. Host the backend in your cloud, on your premises or on Aona-managed servers. Process prompts on the user device/on-edge, in your cloud or on-premises, or on Aona-managed servers. Confirm the supported configuration, retention, telemetry and integrations for your rollout; these choices do not change a third-party AI provider's data handling.
Credo AI
Not applicable: Credo AI is a governance console and does not intercept employee prompts. Shadow AI Discovery is described as visibility-first with integration to existing security tooling and SIEM; its detection mechanism is not documented. As of September 2026.
Data residency
Aona
Aona-managed backend hosting has seven regions: Australia, France, UK, Germany, US, Singapore and Hong Kong. Select prompt processing separately; confirm storage, retention, telemetry and any cross-region transfers for the supported configuration. Third-party AI providers have their own data handling.
Credo AI
Not publicly documented (as of July 2026)
DPA and security docs
Aona
DPA available on request. Trust center at trust.aona.ai, security overview at aona.ai/security. SOC 2 report under NDA.
Credo AI
Not publicly documented (as of July 2026)
Competitor facts come from public documentation and pricing pages. Where a vendor does not publish a fact, we say so rather than guess. Corrections: trust@aona.ai.
How they layer
How Aona and Credo AI work together
Aona enforces at the moment of action: a modal pauses the prompt before sensitive data reaches the AI service, with hard-block DLP, layout-preserving file redaction and real-time coaching, in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari and in the native ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude apps. Credo AI governs the programme: AI registry, model and use-case risk assessments, policy packs for the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001 and SOC 2, and audit-ready evidence. Run both and the policy lives in Credo AI while the prevention, and the evidence that it ran, lives in Aona.
Workforce control layer
Aona intercepts at the browser and native AI apps. Hard-block DLP, file redaction and coaching at submit, first signal during the agreed evaluation.
Governance layer
Credo AI inventories AI systems, scores risk, maps policy to regulators and generates audit evidence.
Policy plus prevention
Aona enforces at the moment of the prompt and keeps the operating evidence; Credo AI records what should happen.
Sources & review notes ↗Page updated:
Aona publishes these comparisons to explain its fit for employee AI use. Competitor facts come from public documentation, are dated, and are stated as mechanisms you can verify. Corrections: trust@aona.ai.
- Credo AI platform
Product reference: Current AI governance, inventory, policy and oversight product scope. This overview is not independent test evidence for every granular comparison claim.
- Aona coverage and deployment scope
Aona's client and action boundaries; validate the configuration and actual policy result during your Aona pilot.
Get started
Layer Aona on top of your Credo AI governance programme
Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed.
FAQ
Common questions from Credo AI customers
We have Credo AI for AI governance. Do we still need Aona?
Yes, for the control point. Aona pauses the prompt at submit in the browser and in the native ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude apps, hard-blocks sensitive data with no user override, redacts DOCX, XLSX and PDF uploads while preserving layout and coaches the employee in the moment, deployed with your existing device tooling and Microsoft Entra with a first signal during the agreed evaluation. Credo AI keeps the registry, scores risk, maps policy to regulators and generates evidence; it has no endpoint or browser component, so it records the policy and Aona applies it. The two run at different layers and do not conflict.
Does Credo AI block sensitive data going into AI tools like Aona does?
No. Credo AI documents AI systems, assesses risk and maps controls to regulators, and its Shadow AI Discovery module is presented as visibility-first: the launch post describes integration with existing security tooling and SIEM, and neither the page nor the post describes blocking, redaction or an employee-facing prompt (as of September 2026). Aona is the control: the prompt is inspected on the device at submit and hard-blocked with no user override, DOCX, XLSX and PDF uploads are redacted with the layout intact, and the employee is coached in the moment. Credo AI records the finding; Aona prevents the leak.
Does Aona compete with Credo AI on policy packs and frameworks?
Only on the names. Aona's EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and GDPR templates configure enforcement on the device: which data classes to block, which tools to allow, which user groups get tighter policy, so the control is applied rather than described. Credo AI's policy packs for the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001 and SOC 2 document controls inside a governance programme that also covers the registry, risk scoring and evidence generation, and that breadth stops at the document layer. Many buyers run both: Credo AI as the programme of record, Aona for workforce AI controls that are live in 30 days.
Will Aona conflict with our Credo AI deployment?
No. Aona is endpoint-based on managed devices, pushed with your existing deployment tooling. Credo AI is a cloud SaaS governance console fed by connectors. There is no shared component, no overlapping policy engine and no traffic conflict, and Aona's block and coaching events can be exported to Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF as operating evidence for the programme Credo AI records. Most organisations have Aona running alongside Credo AI within an hour.
Where does Credo AI cover ground Aona does not?
When the requirement is the governance record: an AI registry with agent cards and a vendor registry, model and use-case risk scoring, policy packs for the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001 and SOC 2, and automated evidence generation, which Aona does not ship. That scope has no endpoint or browser component, so what an employee pastes into an AI tool is outside its mechanism. Choose Aona for controlling employee AI use, and run it alongside Credo AI when you need both the record and the enforcement.