Varonis governs your data at rest.
Aona governs your AI usage on the endpoint.
Varonis discovers and classifies sensitive data across M365, Salesforce, Snowflake, AWS, and on-premise file shares. Its Atlas AI module, GA since March 2026, inventories AI (including shadow AI found through cloud accounts and repos), adds AI-SPM, and puts gateway guardrails on org-run AI such as M365 Copilot, ChatGPT Enterprise, and Salesforce Agentforce. Aona intercepts at the browser and native endpoint to govern how employees use AI tools. Different surfaces; most regulated organisations need both.
Public DSPM and data security platform with an enterprise AI module covering discovery, posture, runtime gateway, and AIDR.
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.
Add Aona for AI prompt DLP at the browser and native endpoint: hard-block enforcement with layout-preserving file redaction, framework templates out of the box, in-region residency across 7 regions, and a 30-day self-serve trial. Keep Varonis for DSPM and data-at-rest security across SaaS, cloud, and on-premise, plus Atlas for the sanctioned AI estate. Complementary surfaces, not the same tool.
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Vendor facts last verified July 2026
When to pick which
Five scenarios. The honest answer for each one.
Your mandate covers data at rest as well as employee AI usage.
Varonis discovers and classifies data at rest across M365, SaaS, cloud, and on-premise; Aona governs what employees actually send to AI tools, with hard-block DLP and layout-preserving file redaction. Data-side and usage-side are different layers; a mandate spanning both runs both.
Federal or US-regulated buyer needing FedRAMP plus SIEM and SOAR connectors today.
Varonis ships FedRAMP Moderate (May 2025) plus mature SIEM and SOAR connectors. Aona holds SOC 2 Type II and ships Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, but no FedRAMP.
AU-regulated mid-market firm wanting AI-prompt DLP live in days.
Self-serve browser plugin and native endpoint app, with in-region AU residency (one of 7 live regions). Varonis is enterprise procurement with multi-month implementation, though a 30-day trial exists.
You need to block prompts in ChatGPT desktop or Claude desktop on macOS.
Aona's native endpoint app intercepts at the process layer for desktop AI apps. Varonis Atlas focuses on the API gateway path for sanctioned LLMs.
You have data-at-rest exposure across SaaS plus an employee AI usage problem.
Different surfaces, no conflict. Varonis at rest; Aona at the prompt.
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 | Varonis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | |||
| Data-at-rest classification (files, SaaS, cloud) | Core capability | ||
| Shadow AI tool discovery on managed devices | Browser surface | Browser plus native AI apps | Atlas inventories AI via cloud accounts and repos |
| Native desktop AI app interception | ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop | ||
| Govern | |||
| Out-of-the-box framework templates (EU AI Act, ISO 42001) | Atlas is AIDR, not framework templates | ||
| Posture management for sanctioned AI systems | Atlas AI-SPM is mature | ||
| Protect | |||
| Hard-block of prompts on the endpoint | Modal pauses, no override | Blocks via gateway, not endpoint | |
| File redaction with layout preservation (DOCX / Excel) | Length-matched entity replacement | ||
| Operations | |||
| SIEM and SOAR integration | Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF | Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF | |
| FedRAMP authorization | FedRAMP Moderate since May 2025 | ||
| In-region data residency | 7 live regions (AU, FR, UK, DE, US, SG, HK) | 7 live regions (AU, FR, UK, DE, US, SG, HK) | Multi-region SaaS, incl. a dedicated AU region |
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 + user/group sync)
- Active SaaS / cloud connectors
- Identity provider for SSO
Where each one falls short
From public docs and customer interviews. If you find a factual error, email trust@aona.ai.
- No data-store-side DSPM. Varonis discovers and classifies sensitive data at rest across M365, Salesforce, Snowflake, AWS, and on-premise. Aona inspects only what hits an AI surface.
- No FedRAMP. SIEM coverage is Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF today; Varonis ships FedRAMP Moderate plus broad SIEM and SOAR connectors and sells to US federal buyers.
- Narrower identity and deployment surface. Microsoft Entra is the production identity path, plus general OIDC/SAML; there is no native Okta or SCIM. Intune is the only shipped MDM push, and macOS at enterprise scale is manual install today.
- Shallower posture and identity coverage. Varonis correlates AI exposure with permissions, blast radius, stale access, and insider-threat analytics.
- 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.
- Mid-market price point is not the model: annual contracts typically start in the tens of thousands and reviews describe deployment as resource-intensive and expensive. A 30-day free trial does exist, rare in this set.
- Framework templating is not a Varonis surface. AIDR is detection-and-response oriented.
- macOS at enterprise scale via API; no native endpoint app for the human-AI surface.
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 | Varonis | |
|---|---|---|
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type II (audit window ended February 2026). No FedRAMP or IRAP today. | FedRAMP Moderate (authorized May 2025, extended to the full platform June 2025). Public company (NASDAQ: VRNS). |
| 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; enterprise contracts, and reviews describe deployment as resource-intensive and expensive. A 30-day free trial exists, rare in this set. 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. | 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 | 7 live regions: Australia, France, UK, Germany, US, Singapore, Hong Kong. Prompts, files, and audit logs stay in-region. | Multi-region SaaS, including a dedicated AU region. |
| 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.
How Aona and Varonis work together
Run them at different surfaces. Varonis governs data at rest across your SaaS, cloud, and on-premise estate, plus a server-side AI Gateway for sanctioned LLMs. Aona governs the human-AI surface: the browser plugin and native endpoint app intercept on submit before content reaches any AI tool. Together you get end-to-end coverage from the data store to the prompt.
Data-at-rest layer
Varonis classifies files, identities, and access across M365, Salesforce, Snowflake, AWS, and on-premise.
Human-AI layer
Aona intercepts at the browser plus native AI apps. Hard-block DLP on prompts and file uploads.
End-to-end coverage
Sensitive data is governed from where it lives to where employees take it in AI tools.
Layer Aona on top of your Varonis stack
30-day free trial. Deploys via Intune and Entra in under an hour. No Varonis reconfiguration, no commitment.