Zscaler is your network layer.
Aona is your human layer.
If you have Zscaler, you already have strong network-level AI visibility, and it is expanding: the 2026 'Secure Access to AI' push added prompt capture and categorisation across 250+ GenAI apps, AI App Control, inline DLP, and browser isolation, alongside the SquareX acquisition (browser detection and response, closed February 2026). This page covers what still depends on traffic steering, what falls outside it, and whether that gap matters for your stack.
Zero-trust SSE with a 2026 'Secure Access to AI' expansion: AI app control, inline DLP, and prompt capture at the network edge.
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 the endpoint layer that does not depend on traffic steering: hard-block prompt and file DLP in the browser and native AI apps, layout-preserving DOCX, XLSX, and PDF redaction, and real-time coaching, on or off the corporate network on the devices where Aona is deployed, with 7-region data residency, published pricing, and a 30-day self-serve trial. Keep Zscaler for network-level AI app control and SSE policy: prompt capture across 250+ GenAI apps, inline DLP, and browser isolation when traffic is steered through the Zscaler cloud with TLS inspection. They are complementary layers, not competitors.
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Vendor facts last verified July 2026
When to pick which
Five scenarios. The honest answer for each one.
You only need to block unsanctioned AI apps at the network edge.
Edge blocking is Zscaler's core capability and it does it at scale. Aona adds nothing there. Worth verifying before you stop: blocking decides which AI apps employees reach, not what they paste into the ones you sanction, which is where Aona's prompt and file DLP applies.
You have AI policy violations on managed devices, on the corp network.
Zscaler catches the event. Aona prevents the next one by coaching the employee at the moment of action.
Employees use certificate-pinned AI apps, or traffic that bypasses steering.
Zscaler Client Connector steers traffic on or off the corporate network, but inspection still depends on that steering plus TLS inspection, and certificate-pinned apps fall outside it. Aona inspects in the browser and on the endpoint at the point of use, on the devices where it is deployed.
You need to show the board a behaviour-change trend, not just an incident count.
Zscaler reports incidents per period. Aona reports policy violations per team, per tool, per data type, over time.
You need to enable AI adoption, not just block it.
Zscaler enforces. Aona educates. Most enterprises need both: a clear ceiling and a coaching floor.
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 | Zscaler |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover | |||
| Network-level shadow AI discovery | All traffic steered through the Zero Trust Exchange | ||
| Browser-level prompt inspection on submit | Server-side classification | Plugin coordinates with native | Inline in the proxy; needs steering plus TLS inspection |
| Native desktop AI app interception (ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude desktop) | Out of scope for browser plugin | MITM proxy for desktop apps | Inspected when steered; pinned certificates bypass |
| Inspection that does not depend on traffic steering or TLS inspection | Reads the prompt in the browser at the point of use | Inspects on the device where it is deployed | Needs Client Connector, steering, and TLS inspection |
| Govern | |||
| Real-time employee coaching at the moment of action | Modal pauses, hard block on violation | Same modal across browser and native AI | Block page only, no explanation |
| Policy acknowledgement and onboarding flows | |||
| Policy violation trend reporting (per team, per tool) | Platform feature, fed by plugin | Platform feature, fed by native | Incident dashboards only |
| Protect | |||
| Network-level block of unsanctioned AI apps | Core capability | ||
| Inline prompt redaction before send | Inline DLP blocks; prompt redaction not documented | ||
| AI agent inspection (process, network, MCP) | Limited rollout: process, network, MCP | ||
| Operations | |||
| Time to first signal | Hours | Hours | Already deployed |
| macOS at enterprise scale (managed via MDM) | Plugin pushed via MDM | Manual install only today | Existing SSE coverage |
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 Zscaler tenant
Where each one falls short
From public docs and customer interviews. If you find a factual error, email trust@aona.ai.
- No network-level blocking. Zscaler does this at the edge; Aona does not.
- Endpoint-required: no Shadow AI visibility on devices we are not deployed to (no BYOD, no mobile).
- macOS at enterprise scale needs manual install today (Intune is Windows-only for the native endpoint).
- No FedRAMP and no IRAP authorisation today. Public sector procurement that requires either will rule Aona out.
- AI agent inspection (process, network, MCP) is in limited rollout, not general availability.
- Block pages give the user no context. No coaching, no learning loop.
- Coverage depends on Client Connector being installed and enrolled. Devices without it, such as unmanaged, personal, or contractor machines, are outside inspection.
- Prompt capture and inline DLP require full traffic steering with TLS inspection. Certificate-pinned apps and unsteered traffic fall outside them.
- AI features sit in top-tier bundles with quote-only licensing; third-party analyses put typical contracts at $25k to $250k+ per year. No self-serve trial.
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 | Zscaler | |
|---|---|---|
| Certifications | SOC 2 Type II (audit window ended February 2026). No FedRAMP or IRAP today. | FedRAMP High and IRAP PROTECTED. 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. | Quote-only, bundle-based licensing; third-party analyses put typical contracts at $25k to $250k+ per year. No self-serve trial. 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. | Prompts are inspected inline in the Zscaler cloud when traffic is steered through it with TLS inspection enabled, including from roaming devices running Client Connector. Certificate-pinned apps, traffic that bypasses steering, and devices without Client Connector are not inspected. |
| 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.
How Aona and Zscaler work together
Run them as adjacent layers. Zscaler keeps doing what it does at the network edge. Aona adds the human layer. The result is fewer events for Zscaler to catch, because employees stop creating them.
Network layer
Zscaler steers traffic through the Zero Trust Exchange, on or off the corporate network, categorises AI app usage and prompts, and blocks unsanctioned apps at the edge.
Human layer
Aona intercepts in the browser and the native endpoint app at the point of use, hard-blocks or redacts, coaches the employee, and tracks behaviour change.
Fewer violations
Employees learn faster than they break things. Your SSE handles less noise.
See what traffic steering does not show you
30-day free trial. Deploys alongside your existing Zscaler stack in under an hour. No network changes, no commitment.