Credo AI governs AI from the top down.
Aona enforces it at the endpoint.
Credo AI is a Forrester Wave Leader for enterprise AI governance, with an AI registry, risk intelligence, policy packs mapped to EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO 42001, and the GAIA governance assistant. A Shadow AI Discovery product is in private preview, visibility-only. Aona is the Workforce AI Security platform at the browser and native endpoint, with hard-block DLP and shadow AI discovery on managed devices. They sit at different layers and most regulated organisations need both.
Enterprise AI governance, risk, and compliance platform with an AI registry, risk intelligence, and pre-built policy packs for EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO 42001.
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.
Add Aona for the runtime workforce layer Credo AI does not enforce: hard-block DLP at the moment a risky prompt is typed, shadow AI discovery on the endpoint, real-time employee coaching, and a 30-day self-serve trial. Keep Credo AI as your AI governance system of record: AI registry, risk assessments, policy packs, and audit-ready compliance evidence. Policy in Credo AI, enforcement in Aona.
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Vendor facts last verified July 2026
When to pick which
Five scenarios. The honest answer for each one.
You need an AI registry and audit-ready EU AI Act / NIST AI RMF compliance evidence.
Credo AI ships pre-built policy packs, risk assessments, and automated audit trails for major frameworks. Aona ships runtime framework templates, not a full GRC system of record.
You need a central governance record for models, use cases, and agents plus enforcement on employee devices.
Credo AI inventories models, use cases, and agents with risk scoring and policy inheritance; Aona enforces at the prompt on the endpoint with hard-block DLP and coaching. The registry does not enforce and the endpoint does not keep the audit record, so the two pair.
You need to block sensitive data before it reaches ChatGPT, Copilot, or Claude.
Aona ships hard-block DLP at the browser and native AI app, stopping a risky prompt at submit. Credo AI documents and assesses policy but does not enforce at the prompt on the endpoint.
You need shadow AI discovery on employee devices and real-time coaching at the moment of use.
Aona discovers AI tools across the browser and native apps on managed devices and coaches the employee in the moment. Credo AI's Shadow AI Discovery is in private preview and visibility-only; enforcement integrations are described as planned.
You have an enterprise AI governance programme AND an employee AI usage problem.
Different layers, no conflict. Credo AI runs the governance programme; Aona enforces the policy at the endpoint where employees actually use AI tools.
What each tool actually does
Three columns on the Aona side because the browser plugin and the native endpoint app cover different surfaces. Browser-only customers will see fewer green checks than customers with both.
| Capability | Aona browser plugin | Aona native app | Credo AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | |||
| Shadow AI discovery on employee devices (browser + native apps) | Browser surface | Browser plus native AI apps | Shadow AI Discovery in private preview, visibility only |
| Enterprise AI registry (models, use cases, agents) | Core surface with agent cards | ||
| Govern | |||
| Pre-built compliance policy packs (EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001, SOC 2) | Runtime framework templates, not full GRC | Runtime framework templates, not full GRC | Audit-ready evidence generation |
| Model / use-case risk assessment and scoring | Risk intelligence across the AI lifecycle | ||
| Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt | |||
| Protect | |||
| Hard-block DLP on prompt at submit | |||
| Browser plugin (Chrome / Edge) | Plus native scope | ||
| Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop) | |||
| File redaction with layout preservation (DOCX / Excel) | Length-matched entity replacement | Length-matched entity replacement | |
| Operations | |||
| Deployment model | Endpoint plugin + native app via MDM | Endpoint plugin + native app via MDM | Cloud SaaS governance console |
| Self-serve trial | 30-day self-serve | 30-day self-serve | Sales-led, demo only |
| Data residency | 7 live regions (AU, FR, UK, DE, US, SG, HK) | 7 live regions (AU, FR, UK, DE, US, SG, HK) | Not publicly documented |
Based on vendor documentation as of July 2026. Email trust@aona.ai if you find a factual error.
What it takes to ship each one
- Microsoft Intune (Windows MDM, only path shipped)
- Microsoft Entra (admin SSO + user/group sync)
- Identity provider for SSO
- Connectors to AI systems, data platforms, and GRC tooling
Where each one falls short
From public docs and customer interviews. If you find a factual error, email trust@aona.ai.
- No enterprise AI registry for models, use cases, and agents. Credo AI ships this as its core surface.
- Not a GRC system of record. No model risk scoring, no regulator-mapped audit evidence library.
- Microsoft Entra is the production path plus general OIDC/SAML. No native Okta, no SCIM auto-provisioning.
- No mobile coverage. There is no iOS or Android agent, so AI use on phones is out of scope, and macOS at enterprise scale is a manual install today.
- No endpoint or browser surface for runtime workforce control. No hard-block DLP at the prompt.
- Shadow AI Discovery is in private preview with conflicting GA statements on Credo AI's own pages (Q4 2025 vs H1 2026). It is visibility-only: no blocking, no DLP, and enforcement integrations are described as planned.
- Sales-led only. Pricing is custom, typically tens of thousands of dollars a year with implementation.
- AU data residency is not publicly documented.
What your security review will ask
Certifications, pricing reality, data handling, and residency for both vendors, answered up front so your GRC and legal review can start from this page.
| Aona | Credo AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type II (audit window ended February 2026). No FedRAMP or IRAP today. | SOC 2 Type II. |
| Pricing and trial | Published pricing: Business plan $9.99 per user per month, Enterprise custom. 30-day self-serve free trial, no credit card. As of July 2026. | No public pricing; sales-led custom quotes, no self-serve trial. Listed on Microsoft Marketplace and MACC-eligible. As of July 2026. |
| Where prompts are processed | Prompt content is processed server-side by the Aona API in your chosen region. Retention configurable: 30, 90, or 180 days. | Not applicable: Credo AI is a governance console and does not process employee prompts. Shadow AI Discovery (private preview) is visibility only; enforcement integrations are described as planned. |
| Data residency | 7 live regions: Australia, France, UK, Germany, US, Singapore, Hong Kong. Prompts, files, and audit logs stay in-region. | Not publicly documented (as of July 2026) |
| DPA and security docs | DPA available on request. Security overview at aona.ai/security. SOC 2 report under NDA. | 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 Aona and Credo AI work together
Run them at different layers. Credo AI governs the AI programme from the top down: AI registry, model and use-case risk assessments, policy packs mapped to EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO 42001, and audit-ready compliance evidence. Aona enforces at the moment of action: a modal pauses the prompt before sensitive data leaves the device, with hard-block DLP, file redaction, and real-time coaching. Together you get governance policy in Credo AI and runtime enforcement in Aona.
Governance layer
Credo AI inventories AI systems, scores risk, maps policy to regulators, and generates audit evidence.
Workforce enforcement layer
Aona intercepts at the browser and native AI apps. Hard-block DLP, file redaction, and coaching at submit.
Policy plus enforcement
Credo AI defines what should happen; Aona enforces it at the moment of the prompt.
Layer Aona on top of your Credo AI governance programme
Add runtime workforce enforcement under your Credo AI policies. Deploys via Intune and Entra in under an hour, with a 30-day self-serve free trial. No Credo AI reconfiguration, no conflict.