LayerX secures the whole browser.
Aona governs AI use specifically.
LayerX is a broad enterprise browser-security platform: web and SaaS DLP, malicious-extension control, account and identity protection, plus GenAI DLP, delivered as a browser extension with a newer endpoint agent alongside it. Since 2 July 2026 it is part of Akamai, and Gartner lists it as Akamai Workforce Protector. Aona is narrower and deeper on one surface: workforce AI. It adds shadow-AI discovery, real-time coaching at the moment of a risky prompt, AI-specific DLP, and AI upskilling. Both operate at the browser layer, so the overlap on GenAI DLP is real. The question is whether you are buying broad browser security or focused AI governance.
Enterprise browser-security platform delivered as a browser extension plus a newer endpoint agent, covering web and SaaS DLP, GenAI DLP, and malicious-extension control. Acquired by Akamai; Gartner now lists it as Akamai Workforce Protector.
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.
Choose Aona if your mandate is workforce AI: shadow-AI discovery, real-time coaching, hard-block AI DLP with layout-preserving file redaction, native desktop AI app coverage LayerX's browser-led model does not document, 7-region data residency, and a 30-day self-serve trial. Choose LayerX, now listed by Gartner as Akamai Workforce Protector after Akamai completed its acquisition on 2 July 2026, only if your mandate is broad browser security: web and SaaS DLP, risky-extension control, phishing and identity protection. There is genuine GenAI DLP overlap, so match the tool to your primary mandate.
Jump to the decision matrixSOC 2 Type II · 30-day free trial · No credit card · Live in 1 hour
Vendor facts last verified July 2026
What the Akamai acquisition changes
- Akamai announced its intent to acquire LayerX on 15 May 2026 for approximately USD 205 million, and completed the acquisition on 2 July 2026.
- Akamai has said LayerX advances its workforce security strategy with AI usage control and secure enterprise browser technology inside its zero trust portfolio.
- As of July 2026, the Gartner listing renames the product Akamai Workforce Protector.
- ?Will LayerX stay available standalone, or move into Akamai zero trust portfolio packaging and licensing at renewal?
- ?What happens to support SLAs, your account team, and response times while the integration is underway?
- ?How will the browser-security and GenAI DLP roadmap be prioritised inside Akamai's wider platform agenda?
Aona is independent and purpose-built for Workforce AI Security, with 7-region data residency (AU, FR, UK, DE, US, SG, HK) and a 30-day self-serve trial, so you can evaluate focused AI governance on your own terms while those questions get answered.
When to pick which
Five scenarios. The honest answer for each one.
Your mandate is broad browser security, not AI specifically.
LayerX covers web and SaaS DLP, malicious-extension control, phishing protection, and identity protection across the whole browser. Aona is scoped to workforce AI and does not cover those non-AI browser-security surfaces.
You need to evaluate this quarter with a self-serve trial and published pricing.
Aona offers a 30-day self-serve trial and published per-seat pricing. LayerX, now Akamai Workforce Protector, is demo-led with no published pricing or self-serve trial as of July 2026.
Your stack is Microsoft: Entra for identity, Intune for devices, Sentinel for the SIEM.
Aona is built for that stack: Entra SSO, Intune push for the Windows endpoint, and Microsoft Sentinel streaming via OCSF in production. LayerX documents broader IdP choice (Okta, Google Workspace), which matters only if you are not Entra-based.
Your priority is real-time AI coaching and shadow-AI discovery, not just blocking.
Aona is built around coaching employees at the moment of a risky AI prompt and discovering shadow AI across the workforce. LayerX's GenAI control is enforcement-first (monitor, warn, block) rather than a coaching and AI-upskilling program.
You need AI coverage in native desktop AI apps, not only the browser.
Aona ships a native endpoint app that intercepts desktop AI apps (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop) beyond the browser. LayerX added a newer endpoint agent alongside its extension, but its documented AI coverage remains browser-led.
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 | LayerX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | |||
| Shadow AI discovery across the workforce | Browser surface | Browser plus native AI apps | Maps GenAI usage in-browser |
| Shadow SaaS / risky web app discovery | Core surface for LayerX | ||
| Native desktop AI app coverage (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop) | Native endpoint app, beyond the browser | Endpoint agent is newer; native AI-app interception not documented | |
| AI agent / MCP visibility | Limited rollout: process, network, MCP | MCP / agent-protocol depth not documented as of July 2026 | |
| Malicious / risky browser-extension control | Inventory, scoring, blocking | ||
| Govern | |||
| Out-of-the-box AI framework templates (EU AI Act, ISO 42001) | Policy engine, not AI-framework packs | ||
| Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt | Warning messages with policy links | ||
| AI upskilling / employee enablement program | |||
| SSO / non-corporate-account enforcement for AI tools | Entra-based identity controls | Entra-based identity controls | Enforces SSO, blocks personal logins |
| Protect | |||
| GenAI prompt and file DLP in the browser | Real-time monitor, warn, block | ||
| Web / SaaS DLP (uploads to personal Drive, websites) | Core surface for LayerX | ||
| File redaction with layout preservation (DOCX / Excel) | Length-matched entity replacement | Length-matched entity replacement | Block uploads; redaction depth unclear |
| Operations | |||
| Identity / SSO | Entra + OIDC/SAML, no Okta/SCIM | Entra + OIDC/SAML, no Okta/SCIM | Entra, Okta, Google Workspace |
| Deployment shape | Browser plugin | Plugin plus native endpoint app | Browser extension plus newer endpoint agent |
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)
- Device management for managed devices (Group Policy / MDM)
- Identity provider for SSO enforcement (Entra, Okta, Google Workspace)
Where each one falls short
From public docs and customer interviews. If you find a factual error, email trust@aona.ai.
- No general web or SaaS DLP. LayerX covers uploads to personal Drive, Gmail, and external sites; Aona does not.
- No malicious-extension or phishing protection. LayerX governs the whole browser attack surface; Aona is scoped to AI.
- No native Okta or SCIM. Microsoft Entra is the production path plus general OIDC/SAML; LayerX ships native Okta and Google Workspace integrations.
- Browser extension covers only the browser; native desktop AI app coverage is a limited rollout, not GA.
- No FedRAMP or IRAP today. Aona holds SOC 2 Type II only as of July 2026.
- No out-of-the-box AI governance framework templates (EU AI Act, ISO 42001).
- GenAI control is enforcement-first (monitor, warn, block), not a real-time coaching and AI-upskilling program.
- Endpoint agent is newer; documented AI coverage remains browser-led, and MCP / agent-protocol depth is thin.
- Broad browser-security scope can over-spec a buyer whose only problem is workforce AI governance.
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 | LayerX | |
|---|---|---|
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type II (audit window ended February 2026). No FedRAMP or IRAP today. | Not publicly documented (as of July 2026) |
| 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 and no self-serve trial. Quotes are sales-led, now through Akamai. 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. | LayerX documents an in-browser analysis engine, with risk alerts sent to its cloud console. Full processing locations are not publicly documented (as of July 2026). |
| 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.
Migrating from LayerX
If your only problem is workforce AI usage, Aona is the more focused fit and ships AI governance, coaching, and upskilling LayerX does not. If you also need broad browser security (web and SaaS DLP, extension control, identity protection), LayerX covers surfaces Aona does not, and running both on the same browser is the wrong move. Pick the platform that matches your primary mandate; only layer if the AI-governance gap is the deciding factor and you accept duplicate GenAI DLP.
- Existing identity provider and MDM (Entra / Intune)
- LayerX for broad browser security, if web/SaaS DLP and extension control matter to you
- Existing browser estate; both deploy as a browser-layer install
- LayerX's GenAI DLP module, for orgs whose only AI problem is workforce usage
- Enforcement-only AI control, replaced by coaching plus AI upskilling
- Generic warning messages, replaced by AI-framework-aligned governance templates
- Duplicate GenAI DLP enforcement on the same browser
- Overlapping AI-usage policies once a single owner is chosen
See focused AI governance next to broad browser security
30-day free trial. Deploys via Intune and Entra in under an hour. Shadow-AI discovery, real-time coaching, AI DLP, and upskilling, purpose-built for workforce AI.