Gateway at the network.
Aona governs AI on the endpoint.
SurePath AI and Aona both govern workforce GenAI use, but they meet it at different points. SurePath is an agentless AI gateway that inspects and redacts AI traffic at the network level, with no agents or extensions to deploy. Aona watches at the endpoint across the browser, the native desktop, and the AI agent, and adds real-time employee coaching and AI upskilling. The differences are deployment model, where coverage reaches, and how AI risk is changed over time.
Enterprise GenAI governance via a network-level AI gateway: agentless inspection, real-time redaction, group-based policy, and audit trails. Now part of the F5 AI Security Platform.
The Workforce AI Security platform purpose-built for the regulated mid-market, with browser and native endpoint coverage, real-time employee coaching, AI upskilling, and a 30-day self-serve trial.
Pick SurePath AI if you want agentless, network-level governance of GenAI access with real-time redaction and a unified policy plane, and you value being part of the F5 AI Security Platform. Pick Aona if you are in the regulated mid-market, need endpoint coverage that catches native desktop AI apps and unmanaged-device use, want real-time employee coaching and AI upskilling to reduce risk over time, and want a 30-day self-serve trial with hard-block DLP for prompts and files.
Jump to the decision matrixSOC 2 Type II · 30-day free trial · No credit card · Live in 1 hour
When to pick which
Five scenarios. The honest answer for each one.
You want GenAI governance with no agent or browser extension to deploy.
SurePath AI captures AI interactions at the network level with no agents or extensions required, so it sees AI traffic without touching the device. Aona requires its browser plugin or native endpoint on the device. There is no network-only or agentless mode in Aona.
You want to govern server-side and non-browser AI egress across the whole network.
SurePath inspects at the network level across users, agents, and applications, so it covers AI traffic that never touches a managed browser or desktop. Aona is endpoint-based and only sees AI use on devices where its plugin or native app is installed.
You need to catch native desktop AI apps, local AI, and personal or unmanaged-device use.
Aona inspects across three layers: browser plugin, native desktop endpoint app, and AI agent inspection (limited rollout). This reaches native desktop apps like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Claude desktop, plus local AI and unmanaged devices that a purely network-layer gateway can miss.
You want to change employee AI behaviour, not just block or redact at the gateway.
Aona delivers real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt and runs AI upskilling programs. SurePath focuses on gateway-side enforcement and redaction; it does not document an in-the-flow employee coaching or upskilling layer.
You are a regulated mid-market buyer that wants a self-serve trial and a published trust posture.
Aona ships a 30-day self-serve trial and holds SOC 2 Type II. SurePath is sales-led and does not publicly document its certifications; it is now positioned inside the F5 AI Security Platform, which suits larger enterprise buyers.
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 | SurePath AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | |||
| Network-level AI traffic visibility (agentless) | Endpoint-based, not network | Endpoint-based, not network | Core of the platform |
| Shadow AI discovery on endpoints | Browser surface | Browser plus native AI apps | Network-level discovery |
| Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop) | Plus generic process-signature detection | Network-visible if traffic is in scope | |
| AI agent / MCP visibility | Limited rollout: process, network, MCP | Network-level agent and MCP policy controls | |
| Govern | |||
| Group-based policy across models, agents, and tools | Entra group-based policy | Entra group-based policy | Core differentiator |
| Real-time sensitive-data redaction in AI requests and responses | Prompt and file redaction | Prompt and file redaction | Inspects inputs and outputs at the gateway |
| Hard-block DLP on AI prompts | Modal pauses, no override | Gateway-side filtering and redaction | |
| Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt | Gateway enforcement, not in-flow coaching | ||
| AI upskilling and adoption programs | |||
| Protect | |||
| Hard-block DLP on file uploads with layout-preserving redaction (DOCX / Excel) | Length-matched, in production | Length-matched, in production | Gateway redaction, not in-place file redaction |
| Enterprise audit trails of AI interactions | Requests, responses, intent | ||
| SIEM / DLP / IdP integration with existing stack | Microsoft Sentinel (OCSF), Entra | Microsoft Sentinel (OCSF), Entra | Integrates with SIEM, DLP, IdP |
| Operations | |||
| Deployment model | Endpoint (browser plugin) | Endpoint (native app) | Agentless network gateway |
| Trial motion | 30-day self-serve | 30-day self-serve | Sales-led evaluation |
| Compliance posture (publicly documented) | SOC 2 Type II | SOC 2 Type II | Not publicly documented |
Based on vendor documentation as of April 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 and user / group sync)
- Network routing to send AI traffic through the gateway
- Identity provider for group-based policy
Where each one falls short
From public docs and customer interviews. If you find a factual error, email trust@aona.ai.
- Requires the browser plugin or native endpoint on the device. No agentless or network-only mode.
- Endpoint coverage only sees AI use on managed devices, not server-side or non-browser AI egress across the whole network.
- Smaller and earlier-stage than SurePath, which now sits inside the F5 AI Security Platform with enterprise reach.
- Focused on the regulated mid-market, so Aona does not go as wide on large-enterprise gateway-style deployments.
- Agentless network gateway can miss native desktop AI apps, local AI, and personal or unmanaged-device use that an endpoint approach catches.
- No real-time employee coaching or AI upskilling layer to change behaviour over time; enforcement is at the gateway.
- Sales-led evaluation rather than a self-serve trial.
- Certifications such as SOC 2 are not publicly documented on the product site.
Migrating from SurePath AI
SurePath AI and Aona are not mutually exclusive at the architecture level: one watches the network, the other watches the endpoint and coaches the employee. If you are choosing one, the honest path is a 30-day Aona free trial alongside any SurePath evaluation. Pick by where your AI risk actually lives. If most of it is server-side egress, non-browser apps, or unmanaged devices you cannot put an agent on, the agentless gateway matters more. If most of it is native desktop AI apps, browser use, and employees who need coaching in the moment, the endpoint layer matters more.
- Existing identity provider (Microsoft Entra, or any OIDC / SAML provider)
- Existing MDM (Intune)
- Network gateway already routing managed AI traffic
- Sales-led, paid evaluation for AI DLP
- Gateway-only visibility that misses native desktop and unmanaged-device AI use
- Block-and-redact-only enforcement with no employee coaching
- Duplicate prompt-DLP rules where the endpoint already enforces them
- Manual incident triage if Aona's policy violation trend reporting covers your board reporting need
Try Aona alongside SurePath AI, on your real traffic
30-day self-serve free trial. Deploys at the endpoint via Intune and Entra in under an hour, so you can see what an agentless gateway misses on native desktop apps and unmanaged devices. No commitment.