Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools
Aona browser pluginDetection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants
Aona native appSupported
PolymerConnected apps plus ChatGPT and Claude extension
Workforce AI Security · Why Aona
Aona
Polymer
Aona vs Polymer
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 built for employee AI security. Its offer includes a guided 30-day trial, hard block at submit with no user override on supported AI paths and in the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction, real-time coaching and seven Aona-managed hosting regions, with a first signal during the agreed evaluation. Polymer is for collaboration content at rest: its OAuth connectors scan and remediate Slack, Teams, Drive and GitHub after the fact, and its browser extension applies real-time controls to ChatGPT and Claude in the browser, which is where its enforcement stops.
About this comparison
Aona secures employee AI use on the device: a hard block at submit with no user override on supported AI paths and in the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction and real-time coaching, with a 30-day guided trial. Polymer connects to Slack, Teams, Drive and GitHub via OAuth to scan and remediate content in those apps, and ships a browser extension with real-time controls for ChatGPT and Claude. This page shows where each one enforces and what a Polymer customer gains by adding Aona for the prompt.
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.
Polymer: SaaS DLP with API integrations for Slack, Teams, Google Workspace, and GitHub, plus a browser extension with real-time controls for ChatGPT and Claude and NLP-based redaction.
Decision matrix
When to pick Aona
Five buyer scenarios, answered for employee AI use.
01Regulated buyer who must hard-block sensitive prompts before submit, not remediate after.
Aona
Polymer's extension adds real-time controls for ChatGPT and Claude, and its SaaS-side remediation redacts or revokes after the content has reached the app. Aona hard-blocks at submit on supported AI paths and in the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, with no user override.
02Employees use ChatGPT, Copilot or Claude as desktop apps, or AI sites beyond ChatGPT and Claude.
Aona
Polymer's real-time controls run in a browser extension scoped to ChatGPT and Claude, so native desktop apps and other AI sites sit outside its enforcement path. Aona's native endpoint app intercepts the desktop apps and its browser plugin covers any AI site in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.
03A DOCX, XLSX or PDF with personal data has to reach an AI tool safely.
Aona
Polymer's NLP-based redaction works on text, and layout fidelity for formatted documents 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 need in-region hosting in Australia, Asia-Pacific or Europe, live this month.
Aona
Polymer does not advertise in-region data residency, and a self-serve trial is not documented (as of July 2026). Aona offers seven Aona-managed hosting regions, customer-cloud and on-premises backend hosting and a 30-day guided trial that deploys with IT's existing tooling; confirm prompt processing and retention for the supported configuration.
05Your primary need is Slack, Teams and Drive DLP on content already sitting in those apps.
Polymer
Collaboration content at rest is Polymer's own category: its OAuth connectors scan and remediate Slack, Teams, Drive and GitHub with no endpoint software. Aona has no SaaS connectors; verify what happens when an employee pastes that content into an AI tool, because that is where Aona's hard block and redaction 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 | Polymer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | |||
| Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools | Detection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants | Supported | Connected apps plus ChatGPT and Claude extension |
| Prompt inspection at submit, before the prompt reaches the AI provider | Supported | Supported | Real-time in the extension for ChatGPT and Claude only |
| Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop) | The browser plugin covers the browser only | Supported | Browser extension and OAuth connectors only; no desktop agent documented |
| AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint | Not included | Limited rollout, not general availability | Not publicly documented |
| Collaboration content at rest via OAuth connectors (Slack, Teams, Drive, GitHub) | Not included | Not included | Polymer core |
| Govern | |||
| Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt | Supported | Supported | Coaching for ChatGPT and Claude in the extension; Slack nudges |
| AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR | Supported | Supported | GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2 and CCPA led; no AI-framework templates |
| Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics | Supported | Supported | SaaS-side incident reporting; per-team AI adoption trends not documented |
| Protect | |||
| Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override | Supported | Supported | Real-time in extension; SaaS side is post-hoc |
| Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload | Supported | Supported | Redacts text, not formatted DOCX layout |
| Operations | |||
| Choice of seven Aona-managed hosting regions | Supported | Supported | In-region data residency is not advertised |
| SIEM export: Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, REST API and webhooks | Supported | Supported | Not publicly documented |
| Free 30-day guided trial | Supported | Supported | Self-serve trial not documented |
| 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
PolymerReal-time in the extension for ChatGPT and Claude only
Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop)
Aona browser pluginThe browser plugin covers the browser only
Aona native appSupported
PolymerBrowser extension and OAuth connectors only; no desktop agent documented
AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appLimited rollout, not general availability
PolymerNot publicly documented
Collaboration content at rest via OAuth connectors (Slack, Teams, Drive, GitHub)
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appNot included
PolymerPolymer core
Govern
Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
PolymerCoaching for ChatGPT and Claude in the extension; Slack nudges
AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
PolymerGDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2 and CCPA led; no AI-framework templates
Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
PolymerSaaS-side incident reporting; per-team AI adoption trends not documented
Protect
Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
PolymerReal-time in extension; SaaS side is post-hoc
Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
PolymerRedacts text, not formatted DOCX layout
Operations
Choice of seven Aona-managed hosting regions
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
PolymerIn-region data residency is not advertised
SIEM export: Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, REST API and webhooks
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
PolymerNot publicly documented
Free 30-day guided trial
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
PolymerSelf-serve trial not documented
Time to first signal
Aona browser pluginAgree during scoping
Aona native appAgree during scoping
PolymerHours
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
Polymer
- Shape
- Cloud SaaS that connects to each protected app via OAuth or API, plus a browser extension for real-time ChatGPT and Claude controls.
- Time to first signal
- Hours
- What IT must change
- OAuth consent for SaaS connectors; browser extension push for real-time AI controls.
- Prerequisites
- Admin consent for SaaS 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.
- 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.
Polymer
- Coverage is bounded by the connector and extension list. Real-time browser controls cover ChatGPT and Claude, but native desktop AI apps (ChatGPT desktop, Copilot desktop, Claude desktop) are out of scope.
- SaaS-side remediation is redact-and-revoke after the content has reached the app; the extension is the only pre-send control, and it covers ChatGPT and Claude. As of July 2026.
- Polymer's framework focus is GDPR / HIPAA / SOC 2 / CCPA. EU AI Act and ISO 42001 are not central.
- AU data residency is not on offer or advertised.
- Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction is not documented; NLP-based redaction acts on text. As of July 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.
Polymer
SOC 2 Type II.
Trial
Aona
Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed.
Polymer
Self-serve trial not documented; once access is arranged, OAuth consent for the connectors and the extension push take hours. As of July 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.
Polymer
Browser extension applies real-time controls for ChatGPT and Claude; API integrations scan and remediate SaaS content after the fact, with NLP-based redaction.
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.
Polymer
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.
Polymer
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 Polymer work together
Aona enforces at the source and Polymer cleans up in the SaaS apps. Aona installs on the device and hard-blocks at submit, with no user override, before content leaves for any AI tool, in the browser or in the native desktop apps, and redacts DOCX, XLSX and PDF with the layout intact. Polymer connects to your SaaS apps via OAuth and scans content as it moves through them, with its extension adding real-time checks for ChatGPT and Claude. Together: pre-submission AI prompt DLP from Aona, SaaS-side catch-all from Polymer.
Endpoint AI layer
Aona intercepts at the browser and native AI apps. Hard-block DLP at submit.
SaaS layer
Polymer's OAuth connectors scan content moving through Slack, Teams, Drive, GitHub.
Catch-all plus prevention
Polymer redacts what slipped through; Aona prevented what would have.
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.
- Polymer data loss prevention for SaaS and AI
Product reference: SaaS/AI data classification, remediation and employee guidance. 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 Polymer
Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed.
FAQ
Common questions from Polymer customers
Do we need Aona if we already have Polymer?
Yes. Aona enforces on the device at the moment an employee submits a prompt or uploads a file: hard block with no user override on supported AI paths 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. Polymer's real-time controls run in a browser extension for ChatGPT and Claude, and its OAuth connectors remediate Slack, Teams, Drive and GitHub after the content has reached those apps. The two run side by side with no shared component and no SaaS reconfiguration.
Is Aona an alternative to Polymer or a complement?
For employee AI use, Aona provides dedicated protection: Polymer's extension covers ChatGPT and Claude in the browser, while Aona hard-blocks on supported AI paths and in the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, with no user override, and redacts uploads with the layout intact. Polymer's own category is collaboration content at rest in Slack, Teams, Drive and GitHub, which Aona does not cover. Organisations with both requirements run both.
Why does Aona hard-block instead of redact like Polymer?
For regulated buyers who must demonstrate prevention to auditors and regulators, after-the-fact redaction is a weaker control story than a hard block before send. Polymer's browser extension does add real-time checks for ChatGPT and Claude, but its SaaS-side redaction happens after the data has reached the app. Aona pauses the action with a modal on supported AI paths and in native desktop apps; the prompt cannot be sent until the user removes the sensitive content.
Will Aona conflict with Polymer's OAuth connectors?
No. Polymer's connectors are server-side OAuth integrations with each SaaS app. Aona is endpoint-based on managed devices. There is no shared component, no overlapping policy engine, and no traffic conflict.
Where does Polymer cover ground Aona does not?
On content already at rest in Slack, Teams, Drive and GitHub, through OAuth connectors with no endpoint software; Aona has no SaaS connectors. That boundary stops at the AI prompt: Polymer's real-time controls run in a browser extension for ChatGPT and Claude, while Aona hard-blocks on supported AI paths and in the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, redacts DOCX, XLSX and PDF with the layout intact, and can be trialled for 30 days with guided setup.