Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools
Aona browser pluginDetection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants
Aona native appSupported
VaronisAtlas inventories AI via cloud accounts and repos
Workforce AI Security · Why Aona
Aona
Varonis
Aona vs Varonis
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 on prompts and file uploads with no user override, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction, native coverage of the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, real-time coaching and seven Aona-managed hosting regions, with a first signal during the agreed evaluation. Varonis is for data at rest and the sanctioned AI estate: DSPM across M365, Salesforce, Snowflake, AWS and on-premises stores, and Atlas gateway guardrails on org-run AI through the API path, which is where its enforcement stops, with no browser or endpoint interception of the AI tools employees open themselves.
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. Varonis discovers and classifies sensitive data at rest across M365, Salesforce, Snowflake, AWS and on-premises file shares; its Atlas AI module, GA since March 2026, inventories AI, adds AI-SPM and puts gateway guardrails on org-run AI such as M365 Copilot, ChatGPT Enterprise and Salesforce Agentforce. This page shows where each one enforces and why a Varonis customer adds 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.
Varonis: DSPM and data security platform with an enterprise AI module (Atlas) covering AI discovery, posture, a runtime gateway and AIDR.
Decision matrix
When to pick Aona
Five buyer scenarios, answered for employee AI use.
01Employees paste sensitive data into ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot on their own account.
Aona
Varonis Atlas enforces on the API and gateway path of sanctioned, org-run AI (M365 Copilot, ChatGPT Enterprise via the OpenAI Compliance API, Salesforce Agentforce), with no end-user browser or desktop agent. Aona intercepts on the device for any AI tool, sanctioned or not, and hard-blocks the prompt with no user override.
02You need to block prompts in the ChatGPT or Claude desktop app on macOS or Windows.
Aona
Varonis ships no end-user browser or desktop agent, so desktop AI apps sit outside its path. Aona's native endpoint app intercepts the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, and IT deploys it with its existing tooling.
03A file with personal data must reach an AI tool without the personal data in it.
Aona
Varonis classifies the file at rest and right-sizes who can reach it; it does not rewrite the copy an employee uploads. 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, proven on a trial you run yourself.
Aona
Varonis is enterprise procurement with a connector-led implementation measured in weeks, though a 30-day trial exists. Aona's 30-day guided trial deploys with IT's existing tooling and returns the first signal during the agreed evaluation.
05Your mandate is data-at-rest DSPM across M365, Salesforce, Snowflake and AWS.
Varonis
Data-at-rest DSPM is Varonis's own category: it discovers, classifies and right-sizes access to sensitive data where it lives, and Aona does not inspect data at rest. Verify what happens when an employee takes that data into an AI tool, because that is the point 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 | Varonis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | |||
| Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools | Detection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants | Supported | Atlas inventories AI via cloud accounts and repos |
| Prompt inspection at submit, before the prompt reaches the AI provider | Supported | Supported | Gateway path for sanctioned AI; no end-user agent |
| Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop) | The browser plugin covers the browser only | Supported | No browser or desktop agent documented |
| AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint | Not included | Limited rollout, not general availability | Atlas covers org-run agents such as Agentforce via API |
| Data-at-rest classification across files, SaaS and cloud (DSPM) | Not included | Not included | Core capability |
| Govern | |||
| Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt | Supported | Supported | Not publicly documented |
| AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR | Supported | Supported | Atlas is AIDR, not framework templates |
| Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics | Supported | Supported | Data exposure and access analytics; per-team AI adoption trends not documented |
| Posture management for sanctioned AI systems (AI-SPM) | Not included | Not included | Atlas AI-SPM, GA since March 2026 |
| Protect | |||
| Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override | Supported | Supported | Blocks via gateway, not endpoint |
| Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload | Supported | Supported | Classifies and right-sizes access; no upload redaction documented |
| Operations | |||
| Choice of seven Aona-managed hosting regions | Supported | Supported | Multi-region SaaS, incl. a dedicated AU region |
| SIEM export: Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, REST API and webhooks | Supported | Supported | SIEM and SOAR connectors are documented |
| Free 30-day guided trial | Supported | Supported | 30-day free trial exists; enterprise contract path |
| Time to first signal | Agree during scoping | Agree during scoping | Weeks |
Discover
Prompt inspection at submit, before the prompt reaches the AI provider
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
VaronisGateway path for sanctioned AI; no end-user agent
Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop)
Aona browser pluginThe browser plugin covers the browser only
Aona native appSupported
VaronisNo browser or desktop agent documented
AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appLimited rollout, not general availability
VaronisAtlas covers org-run agents such as Agentforce via API
Data-at-rest classification across files, SaaS and cloud (DSPM)
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appNot included
VaronisCore capability
Govern
Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
VaronisNot publicly documented
AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
VaronisAtlas is AIDR, not framework templates
Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
VaronisData exposure and access analytics; per-team AI adoption trends not documented
Posture management for sanctioned AI systems (AI-SPM)
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appNot included
VaronisAtlas AI-SPM, GA since March 2026
Protect
Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
VaronisBlocks via gateway, not endpoint
Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
VaronisClassifies and right-sizes access; no upload redaction documented
Operations
Choice of seven Aona-managed hosting regions
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
VaronisMulti-region SaaS, incl. a dedicated AU region
SIEM export: Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, REST API and webhooks
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
VaronisSIEM and SOAR connectors are documented
Free 30-day guided trial
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
Varonis30-day free trial exists; enterprise contract path
Time to first signal
Aona browser pluginAgree during scoping
Aona native appAgree during scoping
VaronisWeeks
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
Varonis
- Shape
- Cloud SaaS plus connectors to data stores (M365, Salesforce, Snowflake, AWS) and an AI Gateway in the request path. No end-user browser or desktop agent.
- Time to first signal
- Weeks
- What IT must change
- Connector setup for data stores, gateway integration for sanctioned LLMs.
- Prerequisites
- Active SaaS / cloud connectors
- Identity provider for SSO
Scope, stated plainly
Know the scope. Plan with confidence.
Aona
- Aona inspects what reaches an AI tool. It does not discover or classify data at rest in SaaS, cloud or on-premises stores.
- Aona is not an EDR, a cloud posture tool or a SOC platform. It adds dedicated controls for employee AI use.
- 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.
- Aona has a SOC 2 Type II examination report. No FedRAMP, IRAP or ISO 27001 today.
Varonis
- No browser or endpoint interception of employees using personal or consumer AI tools. Atlas centres on sanctioned, org-run AI: M365 Copilot access right-sizing, ChatGPT Enterprise via the OpenAI Compliance API, Salesforce Agentforce.
- Annual enterprise contracts and a connector-led implementation measured in weeks. A 30-day free trial exists. As of July 2026.
- Framework templating is not a Varonis surface. AIDR is detection-and-response oriented.
- No end-user desktop or browser agent for the employee-to-AI surface; macOS and Windows are reached through data-store APIs, not on the device. As of July 2026.
- No prompt or upload redaction documented; Atlas guardrails act at the gateway for sanctioned LLMs. 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.
Varonis
FedRAMP Moderate (authorized May 2025, extended to the full platform June 2025). As of July 2026.
Trial
Aona
Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed.
Varonis
Enterprise contracts; a 30-day free trial exists. 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.
Varonis
No employee prompt interception. Atlas monitors sanctioned AI on the data and API side: M365 Copilot, ChatGPT Enterprise via the OpenAI Compliance API, Salesforce Agentforce.
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.
Varonis
Multi-region SaaS, including a dedicated AU region.
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.
Varonis
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 Varonis work together
Aona takes the prompt and the upload; Varonis takes the data store. Aona's browser plugin and native endpoint app intercept on submit, before content reaches any AI tool, with a hard block, layout-preserving redaction and coaching. Varonis keeps governing data at rest across your SaaS, cloud and on-premises estate, with a server-side AI Gateway for sanctioned LLMs. Together you get coverage from the data store to the prompt.
Human-AI layer
Aona intercepts at the browser plus native AI apps. Hard-block DLP on prompts and file uploads.
Data-at-rest layer
Varonis classifies files, identities, and access across M365, Salesforce, Snowflake, AWS, and on-premise.
End-to-end coverage
Sensitive data is governed from where it lives to where employees take it in AI tools.
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.
- Varonis Atlas AI Security
Product reference: Current AI lifecycle, data-security and governance product scope. 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
Layer Aona on top of your Varonis stack
Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed.
FAQ
Common questions from Varonis customers
We have Varonis. Do we still need Aona?
Yes. Aona enforces at the point Varonis does not reach: the prompt and the upload on the employee's device, in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari and in the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, with a hard block and no user override, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction and real-time coaching. Varonis governs data at rest across your SaaS, cloud and on-premises estate, and Atlas extends that into AI inventory, AI-SPM and gateway guardrails for sanctioned, org-run AI; it ships no end-user browser or desktop agent, so the AI tools employees open themselves sit outside its path. Organisations with both mandates run both.
Does Aona compete with Varonis Atlas?
Aona covers the employee side and Atlas covers the sanctioned estate, so they meet only at prompt DLP and take different paths there. Aona intercepts on the user device for any AI tool, sanctioned or not, including the native desktop apps, with a hard block and no user override. Atlas, GA since March 2026, inventories AI (including shadow AI found via cloud accounts and repos), adds AI-SPM and enforces gateway guardrails for org-run AI such as M365 Copilot, ChatGPT Enterprise via the OpenAI Compliance API and Salesforce Agentforce. Run Aona for everything employees touch and Atlas for the sanctioned estate.
Will Aona slow down our Varonis classification or scanning jobs?
No. Aona is endpoint-based on managed devices. Varonis is server-side and connector-based on data stores. There is no shared component, no overlapping policy engine, and no traffic conflict. Aona's first signal arrives during the agreed evaluation, with no Varonis reconfiguration.
If our buyer requires FedRAMP, can we use Aona?
Aona holds SOC 2 Type II; FedRAMP authorisation is not in flight. Where FedRAMP Moderate is a hard procurement bar, Varonis holds it for its data-at-rest platform (authorized May 2025, extended platform-wide June 2025); that authorisation covers Varonis's own category and adds no browser or endpoint interception of employee AI use, which stays Aona's surface. The security review table on this page lists both.
Where does Varonis cover ground Aona does not?
On data at rest. Varonis runs DSPM across M365, Salesforce, Snowflake, AWS and on-premises stores, correlating AI exposure with permissions and identity, and it holds FedRAMP Moderate with documented SIEM and SOAR connectors. Aona does not inspect data at rest. Aona's ground is the employee-to-AI surface: what employees type, paste and upload into AI tools, stopped on the device before submission, with layout-preserving redaction and coaching. Choose Aona for employee AI use, and run Varonis underneath it for the data layer.