Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools
Aona browser pluginDetection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants
Aona native appSupported
MetomicBrowser extension, tied to a named user; catalog size not documented
Workforce AI Security · Why Aona
Aona
Metomic
Aona vs Metomic
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 combines supported employee prompt/file controls, hard blocking without user override, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction, coaching and a 30-day guided trial. Metomic's current offer includes MCP Gateway and Claude inference hooks for in-flight controls, alongside SaaS data security and Shadow AI discovery. Coverage depends on the connected gateway, hook or browser path, not simply the presence of an endpoint agent. Compare the exact input path, override behavior and returned document layout.
About this comparison
Aona secures employee AI use on the device: hard block on prompts and uploads with no user override, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction, real-time coaching and native coverage of the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, with a 30-day guided trial. Metomic scans content at rest in Slack, Google Drive, M365, Notion and Atlassian through agentless API connectors, watches AI use in the browser through an extension, and runs a hosted MCP gateway between AI agents and the tools they call. This page shows where each one enforces and why a Metomic customer adds Aona for the prompt and the upload.
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.
Metomic: Data security for SaaS and GenAI: agentless connectors for Slack, Drive, M365 and Notion, plus a browser extension and an agent gateway.
Decision matrix
When to pick Aona
Five buyer scenarios, answered for employee AI use.
01A block has to hold in the ChatGPT, Copilot or Claude desktop app, not just in the browser.
Aona
Metomic's current offer includes MCP Gateway and Claude inference hooks for in-flight controls, alongside SaaS data security and Shadow AI discovery. Coverage depends on the connected gateway, hook or browser path, not simply the presence of an endpoint agent. Compare the exact input path, override behavior and returned document layout.
02The policy must be one the employee cannot override, with coaching on that exact prompt.
Aona
Metomic's extension can coach, allow, block or hold a request for a person to approve, and override behaviour on the block is not documented. Aona pauses the submission with a modal that has no user override, explains the policy at that moment and reports per-team violation trends over time.
03A DOCX or XLSX with personal data must reach an AI tool with the layout intact.
Aona
Metomic redacts sensitive data on the MCP gateway path and remediates files at rest in SaaS; layout-preserving redaction of a document an employee uploads to an AI tool is not documented. Aona redacts DOCX, XLSX and PDF uploads with length-matched replacement so the document keeps its layout and the rest of the file still goes through.
04You want AI prompt DLP live this month without a demo-led sales cycle, hosted in Australia, Singapore or Hong Kong.
Aona
Metomic publishes EU and US hosting only and no self-serve trial; its site's call to action is a demo request (as of September 2026). Aona's 30-day guided trial offers seven Aona-managed hosting regions including Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong, and deploys with IT's existing tooling, with the first signal during the agreed evaluation.
05You need sensitive data found and remediated at rest in Slack, Drive, M365 and Notion.
Metomic
SaaS content at rest is Metomic's own category: its agentless API connectors scan messages, files and records in those tools and remediate them in place, which Aona does not do. Aona's control point is the prompt and the upload; verify what the connectors do at the moment an employee pastes into ChatGPT or the Claude desktop app, because that is where Aona's hard block, redaction and coaching apply.
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 | Metomic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | |||
| Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools | Detection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants | Supported | Browser extension, tied to a named user; catalog size not documented |
| Prompt inspection at submit, before the prompt reaches the AI provider | Supported | Supported | Supported inference-hook, gateway and browser prompt controls |
| Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop) | The browser plugin covers the browser only | Supported | Gateway/hook coverage depends on integration; validate desktop route |
| AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint | Not included | Limited rollout, not general availability | Hosted MCP gateway the agent is pointed at; not on the endpoint |
| Data-at-rest scanning and remediation across SaaS (Slack, Drive, M365, Notion) | Not included | Not included | Agentless API connectors; Metomic's own category |
| Govern | |||
| Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt | Supported | Supported | Coaching marketed; client and interaction scope need confirmation |
| AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR | Supported | Supported | Frameworks named on the compliance page; no policy templates offered |
| Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics | Supported | Supported | Named-user AI activity and alerts; per-team trends not documented |
| Protect | |||
| Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override | Supported | Supported | Gateway/hook policy controls; override behavior not specified |
| Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload | Supported | Supported | Redaction on the gateway path and in SaaS; not documented for AI uploads |
| Operations | |||
| Choice of seven Aona-managed hosting regions | Supported | Supported | EU or US hosting; no Asia-Pacific region published |
| SIEM export: Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, REST API and webhooks | Supported | Supported | Audit trail streams to your SIEM; SIEM product not named |
| Free 30-day guided trial | Supported | Supported | Demo request; no self-serve trial |
| Time to first signal | Agree during scoping | Agree during scoping | Hours |
Discover
Prompt inspection at submit, before the prompt reaches the AI provider
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
MetomicSupported inference-hook, gateway and browser prompt controls
Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop)
Aona browser pluginThe browser plugin covers the browser only
Aona native appSupported
MetomicGateway/hook coverage depends on integration; validate desktop route
AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appLimited rollout, not general availability
MetomicHosted MCP gateway the agent is pointed at; not on the endpoint
Data-at-rest scanning and remediation across SaaS (Slack, Drive, M365, Notion)
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appNot included
MetomicAgentless API connectors; Metomic's own category
Govern
Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
MetomicCoaching marketed; client and interaction scope need confirmation
AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
MetomicFrameworks named on the compliance page; no policy templates offered
Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
MetomicNamed-user AI activity and alerts; per-team trends not documented
Protect
Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
MetomicGateway/hook policy controls; override behavior not specified
Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
MetomicRedaction on the gateway path and in SaaS; not documented for AI uploads
Operations
Choice of seven Aona-managed hosting regions
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
MetomicEU or US hosting; no Asia-Pacific region published
SIEM export: Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, REST API and webhooks
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
MetomicAudit trail streams to your SIEM; SIEM product not named
Free 30-day guided trial
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
MetomicDemo request; no self-serve trial
Time to first signal
Aona browser pluginAgree during scoping
Aona native appAgree during scoping
MetomicHours
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
Metomic
- Shape
- SaaS API connectors via OAuth (Slack, Drive, M365, Notion, Atlassian, Zendesk, Salesforce, Box, Dropbox), a browser extension for AI use that Metomic states needs no proxy, no certificate deployment and no new browser, plus a hosted MCP gateway that Claude, Cursor or any MCP agent is pointed at. No agent on the endpoint. Chrome on desktop is the documented browser for the extension; other browsers are not documented.
- Time to first signal
- Hours
- What IT must change
- OAuth consent for SaaS connectors, browser extension rollout.
- Prerequisites
- Admin consent for SaaS app connectors
- Identity provider for SSO
Scope, stated plainly
Know the scope. Plan with confidence.
Aona
- Aona has no API connectors for Slack, Drive, M365 or Salesforce content at rest. Its control point is the AI prompt and upload.
- 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.
- AI agent and MCP inspection ships in limited rollout on the native endpoint app, not general availability.
Metomic
- Metomic's current offer includes MCP Gateway and Claude inference hooks for in-flight controls, alongside SaaS data security and Shadow AI discovery. Coverage depends on the connected gateway, hook or browser path, not simply the presence of an endpoint agent. Compare the exact input path, override behavior and returned document layout.
- Chrome on desktop is the browser documented for the extension (ChatGPT integration launch, September 2024); Edge, Safari and Firefox support is not documented. Aona's plugin ships for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari. As of September 2026.
- No layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX or PDF redaction is documented. Metomic redacts sensitive data on the MCP gateway path and remediates files at rest in SaaS, but does not publish redact-then-share for a document an employee uploads to an AI tool. As of September 2026.
- No policy templates: the compliance page names GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, SOC 2, ISO 42001 and the EU AI Act as frameworks it supports through monitoring and records, not as ready-made policies. As of September 2026.
- EU and US hosting only; no Australia, Singapore or Hong Kong region is published. No self-serve trial on metomic.io; the site's call to action is a demo request. As of September 2026.
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.
Metomic
SOC 2 Type II (AICPA). The compliance page names GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, SOC 2, ISO 42001 and the EU AI Act; an ISO 27001 certificate is not published. As of September 2026.
Trial
Aona
Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed.
Metomic
No self-serve trial link on metomic.io; the site's call to action is 'Book a demo'. 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.
Metomic
A browser extension scans what is pasted, uploaded or sent into ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot and Gemini; Metomic states content is scanned in flight and the source content is not stored. A hosted MCP gateway inspects agent-to-tool requests and can allow, redact, hold or block them. 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.
Metomic
European hosting, with US-based hosting added in 2024. No Australia or Asia-Pacific region published. As of September 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.
Metomic
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 Metomic work together
Aona combines supported employee prompt/file controls, hard blocking without user override, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction, coaching and a 30-day guided trial. Metomic's current offer includes MCP Gateway and Claude inference hooks for in-flight controls, alongside SaaS data security and Shadow AI discovery. Coverage depends on the connected gateway, hook or browser path, not simply the presence of an endpoint agent. Compare the exact input path, override behavior and returned document layout.
AI enforcement layer
Aona intercepts in the browser and native AI apps: hard block, layout-preserving redaction and coaching at the prompt.
SaaS data at rest
Metomic's agentless connectors scan and remediate content in Slack, Drive, M365 and Notion; its MCP gateway inspects agent-to-tool requests.
Enforcement on the device plus SaaS at rest
Aona stops the prompt or upload on the device; Metomic finds and remediates what already sits in SaaS.
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.
- Metomic platform
Product reference: Current MCP Gateway, inference hooks, data controls and Shadow AI offer. 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
Add hard-block AI prompt DLP on top of your Metomic stack
Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed.
FAQ
Common questions from Metomic customers
Do we need Aona if we already have Metomic?
Yes. Aona enforces on the device at the moment an employee submits a prompt or uploads a file: hard block with no user override in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari and in the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction and real-time coaching, with a first signal during the agreed evaluation. Metomic's AI controls run in a browser extension that can coach, allow, block or hold a request for approval, and in a hosted MCP gateway; there is no agent on the endpoint, override behaviour on the block is not documented, and layout-preserving file redaction is not documented. Aona's plugin and Metomic's extension run side by side in the same browser.
Metomic can already block AI requests in the browser. What does Aona add?
Aona combines supported employee prompt/file controls, hard blocking without user override, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction, coaching and a 30-day guided trial. Metomic's current offer includes MCP Gateway and Claude inference hooks for in-flight controls, alongside SaaS data security and Shadow AI discovery. Coverage depends on the connected gateway, hook or browser path, not simply the presence of an endpoint agent. Compare the exact input path, override behavior and returned document layout.
Does Aona cover data at rest in Slack, Drive and Notion like Metomic?
No, and it is not built to. Aona inspects what reaches an AI tool: the prompt and the upload, on the device, in the browser and in the native desktop apps. Scanning and remediating content already sitting in Slack, Drive, M365 and Notion is Metomic's own category, done through agentless API connectors that Aona does not ship. Where the decision is about the prompt itself, Aona's classification drives a hard block with no user override, layout-preserving redaction or coaching at the moment of submission. Organisations that need both run both.
How do Aona and Metomic compare on data residency?
Aona offers managed backend hosting in seven regions, including Australia. Customer-cloud and on-premises backend hosting are also options. Select prompt processing separately and confirm the supported data flow, storage, retention and telemetry. Metomic publishes European hosting plus US hosting added in 2024, with no Australia or Asia-Pacific region. A hosting region alone does not establish in-country handling for every data category or downstream AI provider.
Will Aona conflict with Metomic on the same browser?
Validate coexistence on a managed pilot, including browser extensions, endpoint settings, prompt/file policy decisions and recovery. Separate policy engines do not establish conflict-free operation or a fixed rollout time.
How does Aona's trial compare to Metomic's evaluation path?
Aona starts with a 30-day guided free trial: IT deploys the plugin and the endpoint app with its existing tooling, you pick a hosting region at signup, and the first prompt and upload decisions arrive during the agreed evaluation. Metomic offers no self-serve trial link on metomic.io; the site's call to action is a demo request, so the evaluation starts after a sales conversation. As of September 2026.
Where does Metomic cover ground Aona does not?
On content already at rest in SaaS: Metomic's agentless connectors scan Slack, Drive, M365, Notion, Atlassian and other tools and remediate messages, files and records in place, and its hosted MCP gateway sits between AI agents and the tools they call, neither of which Aona does. That boundary stops at the enforcement Aona provides for employee AI use: a hard block with no user override in the browser and in the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction, real-time coaching, seven Aona-managed hosting regions and a 30-day guided trial. Choose Aona for the prompt and the upload, and verify both surfaces against your own control list during the trial.