Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools
Aona browser pluginDetection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants
Aona native appSupported
WitnessAINetwork-level discovery of routed AI traffic
Workforce AI Security · Why Aona
Aona
WitnessAI
Aona vs WitnessAI
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, a 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, seven Aona-managed hosting regions and a first signal during the agreed evaluation. WitnessAI is a network-layer AI governance platform that inspects traffic routed through it without browser extensions or endpoint clients; its visibility depends on traffic passing through the inspected path. It offers an instant product tour rather than a trial, as of September 2026.
About this comparison
Aona secures employees' use of AI tools on the device: the browser plugin for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari and the endpoint app for Windows and macOS decide on the prompt and the upload at submit, on or off the corporate network, with no routing or DNS changes. WitnessAI answers the same question from the network layer, inspecting AI traffic that is routed through it without browser extensions or endpoint clients. This page shows where the two differ on coverage, trial, file redaction and hosting.
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.
WitnessAI: AI security and governance platform that inspects AI traffic at the network layer without browser extensions or endpoint clients, with intent-based policy and audit trails.
Decision matrix
When to pick Aona
Five buyer scenarios, answered for employee AI use.
01Employees use the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps, or work off the corporate network.
Aona
Aona's endpoint app inspects those desktop apps and the browser plugin covers Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari on the device, wherever it connects from. WitnessAI's product page says it monitors Windows 11 Copilot, Office 365 and other desktop AI applications when traffic is routed through it, so coverage depends on steering every device's traffic (as of September 2026). On the device, Aona needs no routing at all.
02Procurement wants a trial it can run itself before an enterprise contract.
Aona
Aona starts with guided setup: a 30-day trial, deployed with IT's existing tooling, with the first signal during the agreed evaluation. WitnessAI has no self-serve trial: its Instant Demo is a product tour, not a trial, and the evaluation is demo-led (as of September 2026). Aona's trial runs on your own devices with real prompts.
03A file upload needs redaction, not only a block.
Aona
Aona redacts DOCX, XLSX and PDF files in place on upload, with the layout preserved and length-matched entity replacement, and hard-blocks with no user override when the policy requires it. WitnessAI applies file controls on the network path; in-place, layout-preserving redaction is not publicly documented (as of July 2026). Test with your own documents on the Aona trial.
04You need in-region hosting in the EU, UK or APAC and SIEM evidence for the security review.
Aona
Aona offers seven Aona-managed hosting regions (Australia, France, the UK, Germany, the US, Singapore and Hong Kong) and streams events to Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, with a REST API and HMAC-signed webhooks. WitnessAI's in-region residency options and processing locations are not publicly documented (as of July 2026). Ask WitnessAI where prompts are processed and stored, then compare with the region you pick in Aona at signup.
05You already route all AI traffic through a controlled network path.
Run both
WitnessAI inspects traffic on its routed path, including supported desktop AI traffic. Aona adds dedicated controls on covered devices: hard block at submit with no user override, layout-preserving file redaction, per-team violation trends and real-time coaching. Test supported AI activity both inside and outside the inspected network path during the Aona trial.
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 | WitnessAI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | |||
| Per-user shadow AI discovery across 10,000+ AI tools | Detection catalog; policy enforcement on the top-tier assistants | Supported | Network-level discovery of routed AI traffic |
| Prompt inspection at submit, before the prompt reaches the AI provider | Supported | Supported | Inspected in transit on the network path, not on the device |
| Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop) | The browser plugin covers the browser only | Supported | Only when the app's traffic is routed through WitnessAI |
| AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint | Not included | Limited rollout, not general availability | Network-level agent visibility for routed traffic |
| Network-layer AI visibility with no extension or endpoint client | Aona enforces on the device | Aona enforces on the device | Core of the platform |
| Govern | |||
| Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt | Supported | Supported | Policy responses on the network path; in-prompt coaching not documented |
| AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR | Supported | Supported | Not publicly documented |
| Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics | Supported | Supported | Audit trails; per-team violation trends not documented |
| Protect | |||
| Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override | Supported | Supported | Blocks routed prompts; file and no-override behaviour not documented |
| Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload | Supported | Supported | Network controls, not in-place file redaction |
| Operations | |||
| Choice of seven Aona-managed hosting regions | Supported | Supported | Not publicly documented |
| SIEM export: Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, REST API and webhooks | Supported | Supported | Audit trails; SIEM export via the platform |
| Free 30-day guided trial | Supported | Supported | Product tour only; no self-serve trial |
| Time to first signal | Agree during scoping | Agree during scoping | Days to weeks |
Discover
Prompt inspection at submit, before the prompt reaches the AI provider
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
WitnessAIInspected in transit on the network path, not on the device
Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop)
Aona browser pluginThe browser plugin covers the browser only
Aona native appSupported
WitnessAIOnly when the app's traffic is routed through WitnessAI
AI agent and MCP inspection on the endpoint
Aona browser pluginNot included
Aona native appLimited rollout, not general availability
WitnessAINetwork-level agent visibility for routed traffic
Network-layer AI visibility with no extension or endpoint client
Aona browser pluginAona enforces on the device
Aona native appAona enforces on the device
WitnessAICore of the platform
Govern
Real-time employee coaching at the moment of a risky prompt
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
WitnessAIPolicy responses on the network path; in-prompt coaching not documented
AI policy templates: EU AI Act, ISO 42001, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
WitnessAINot publicly documented
Per-team policy violation trends and AI adoption analytics
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
WitnessAIAudit trails; per-team violation trends not documented
Protect
Hard block on prompts and file uploads with no user override
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
WitnessAIBlocks routed prompts; file and no-override behaviour not documented
Layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction on upload
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
WitnessAINetwork controls, not in-place file redaction
Operations
Choice of seven Aona-managed hosting regions
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
WitnessAINot publicly documented
SIEM export: Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF, REST API and webhooks
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
WitnessAIAudit trails; SIEM export via the platform
Free 30-day guided trial
Aona browser pluginSupported
Aona native appSupported
WitnessAIProduct tour only; no self-serve trial
Time to first signal
Aona browser pluginAgree during scoping
Aona native appAgree during scoping
WitnessAIDays to weeks
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
WitnessAI
- Shape
- Network-layer deployment without browser extensions or endpoint clients: AI traffic is routed through the platform. SaaS console with audit trails.
- Time to first signal
- Days
- What IT must change
- Network-path integration to route AI traffic through the platform.
- Prerequisites
- An enterprise contract (no self-serve path)
- Network routing or proxy integration
- Identity provider for SSO
Scope, stated plainly
Know the scope. Plan with confidence.
Aona
- 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.
- Aona does not enforce at the network edge. It enforces on the device, at the moment of use.
- No iOS or Android coverage: AI use on phones is out of scope.
- AI agent and MCP inspection ships in limited rollout on the native endpoint app, not general availability.
WitnessAI
- Enforcement sits on the network path: a device whose traffic is not routed through WitnessAI, such as a laptop off the corporate network or a local model, is outside the inspection point, per its product page (as of September 2026).
- No self-serve trial: the Instant Demo is a product tour, and the site routes to a demo (as of September 2026).
- In-place file redaction, hosting regions, prompt processing locations and DPA terms are not publicly documented (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.
WitnessAI
SOC 2 Type I and Type II. As of July 2026.
Trial
Aona
Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed.
WitnessAI
No self-serve trial: the Instant Demo is a product tour, and evaluation runs through a demo request. As of September 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.
WitnessAI
Prompts are inspected in-line at the network layer as AI traffic is routed through the platform. Processing location details are not publicly documented (as of July 2026).
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.
WitnessAI
In-region residency options and hosting regions are 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.
WitnessAI
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 WitnessAI
Make the move to Aona.
Aona puts employee AI controls on the device: deploy the plugin and endpoint app with your existing IT tools, choose a hosting region and see the first signal during the agreed evaluation. During the 30-day trial, validate coexistence with your network controls and test prompt policies and layout-preserving file redaction on the supported paths your employees use. Then move those employee AI controls to Aona.
What you keep
- Your identity provider: Aona connects Microsoft Entra for admin SSO and user or group sync, or generic OIDC or SAML
- Your deployment tooling (Intune, Jamf or equivalent), which pushes Aona's plugin and endpoint app
- Network controls already routing managed traffic; Aona adds the decision on the device for what the path does not see
What Aona replaces
- A demo-led evaluation, replaced by a 30-day guided trial
- Network-only visibility for the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps and off-network use, replaced by the endpoint app
- Block-or-allow file handling, replaced by layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX and PDF redaction
What you turn off
- Duplicate AI DLP policies once Aona owns enforcement on the device
- Manual incident triage where Aona's per-team violation trends cover the reporting
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.
- WitnessAI platform
Product reference: Current network-level AI observation, control and protection portfolio. 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.
Start with the trial
See what Aona catches on the device before the network sees it
Free for 30 days. Start with a scoping conversation; access is arranged after deployment requirements are confirmed.
FAQ
Common questions from WitnessAI customers
Do I need Aona if I already have WitnessAI?
Yes. WitnessAI inspects AI traffic that is routed through it; Aona decides on the device at submit, so it covers the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps and any laptop off the corporate network without traffic steering, hard-blocks with no user override, and redacts DOCX, XLSX and PDF uploads in place. Deploy the 30-day trial on the devices behind your WitnessAI path and compare what each one catches.
Are Aona and WitnessAI solving the same problem?
Yes: both are bought to govern employees' use of third-party AI tools. Aona offers a 30-day guided trial, a hard block with no user override, layout-preserving file redaction, native desktop coverage for ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude, seven hosting regions and Microsoft Sentinel via OCSF. WitnessAI meets the traffic on the network path, without browser extensions or endpoint clients, and sells enterprise-only through a demo (as of September 2026).
Does WitnessAI cover the ChatGPT, Copilot and Claude desktop apps?
Aona provides native endpoint coverage for supported desktop AI paths on Windows and macOS. Prompt, upload and response controls vary by application and path; validate the actions your employees use. WitnessAI documents monitoring for Windows 11 Copilot, Office 365 and other desktop AI applications when their traffic is routed through the platform (September 2026). Choose Aona for dedicated device controls, a 30-day guided trial and layout-preserving redaction on supported file paths.
How does Aona's trial compare with WitnessAI's evaluation path?
Aona offers a 30-day guided trial: IT pushes the browser plugin and the endpoint app with its existing tooling, you pick a hosting region at signup, and the first signal arrives during the agreed evaluation. WitnessAI has no self-serve trial: the Instant Demo is a product tour rather than a trial, and the evaluation runs through a demo request (as of September 2026).
Which is better for EU, UK or APAC data residency, Aona or WitnessAI?
Aona. You choose one of seven Aona-managed hosting regions at signup: Australia, France, the UK, Germany, the US, Singapore or Hong Kong, and prompt processing is selected separately. WitnessAI's in-region residency options and processing locations are not publicly documented (as of July 2026); ask for them in writing before a security review.
Does Aona replace WitnessAI's network-layer visibility?
Aona enforces on covered devices, not at the network edge. WitnessAI retains visibility into traffic routed through its inspected path. Aona is built for employee AI security: dedicated prompt and file controls on supported device paths, deployment through your existing IT tools, and a 30-day guided trial. Include activity outside your inspected network path in the trial.