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 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.
Pick Aona if you need endpoint coverage that catches native desktop AI apps, local AI, and off-network use on devices where Aona is deployed, real-time employee coaching and AI upskilling, and a 30-day self-serve trial with hard-block DLP for prompts and files. Pick SurePath AI only if you require agentless, network-side governance of GenAI access (SASE, proxy, DNS layer), now sold inside the F5 AI Security Platform since F5 announced the acquisition in June 2026.
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Vendor facts last verified July 2026
What the F5 acquisition changes
- F5 announced its acquisition of SurePath AI on 24 June 2026. Financial terms were not disclosed.
- The deal was announced alongside the launch of the F5 AI Security Platform, where F5 says SurePath's network-based AI discovery and shadow AI detection become one of the platform's building blocks. It is F5's second AI-security acquisition, after CalypsoAI in September 2025.
- SurePath AI is now marketed as part of the F5 AI Security Platform, so buyers researching SurePath should evaluate it under both names.
- ?Will SurePath's gateway remain available standalone, or only as a module of the F5 AI Security Platform and its licensing?
- ?What happens to existing SurePath contracts, support arrangements, and certifications as the integration proceeds?
- ?How will the GenAI governance roadmap be prioritised inside F5's broader application delivery and security portfolio?
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 the endpoint approach on your own terms while the F5 integration takes shape.
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 need both server-side network AI egress control and endpoint depth.
SurePath, now part of the F5 AI Security Platform, inspects AI traffic at the network level including server-side egress that never touches a managed browser. Aona catches native desktop apps, local AI, and off-network use on devices where Aona is deployed, which a network path can miss. Full coverage pairs a network layer with an endpoint layer.
You need to catch native desktop AI apps, local AI, and off-network use on devices where Aona is deployed.
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 off-network use on devices where Aona is deployed, which 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 want a self-serve trial, published pricing, and a published trust posture.
Aona ships a 30-day self-serve trial, publishes its pricing, 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 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 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.
- AI agent and MCP inspection is in limited rollout, and there is no mobile (iOS / Android) coverage. macOS at enterprise scale is a manual install; only the Windows endpoint is pushed via Intune.
- Agentless network gateway can miss native desktop AI apps, local AI, and off-network use that an endpoint agent on the device still sees.
- 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.
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 | SurePath AI | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. Sales-led, now sold as part of the F5 AI Security Platform. 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. | AI traffic is inspected network-side (SASE, proxy, DNS layer). Processing regions 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 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 off-network AI use on deployed devices
- 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 off-network use. No commitment.