How does EndSecure compare?
There is more than one way to manage AI risk. Here is where EndSecure fits, and where other approaches do the job better.
The columns describe general approaches, not specific products, because capabilities vary by vendor and configuration. We would rather you pick the right tool than the wrong one with our name on it.
Last updated: September 2026
Every approach in one table
Four approaches, side by side, on the capabilities that matter for AI on endpoints.
Ways teams handle AI risk today
Pick one to see where it is the right tool, what EndSecure adds and how they work together.
- NetworkEndSecure vs. a firewall or web proxyGood at allowing or blocking AI sites. Blind to local models, and usually all or nothing.
- CloudEndSecure vs. a cloud access security brokerStrong for sanctioned SaaS. Less help with desktop apps, local LLMs and pastes.
- ProcessEndSecure vs. a written AI policy aloneNecessary, but it cannot see anything or stop a mistake at 6pm on a Friday.
- Blanket banEndSecure vs. blocking AI outrightSimple to announce, hard to enforce, and it pushes use somewhere you cannot see.
Capabilities side by side
Yes, partly or no, with the reason in small print.
| Capability | EndSecure | Network firewall or web proxy | Cloud access security broker | Written AI policy alone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finds cloud AI used in the browser | Yes | YesBy domain | YesFor traffic it sees | No |
| Finds desktop AI apps and local LLMs on the device | Yes | PartlyOnly network traffic; local models are invisible | PartlyUsually cloud apps only | No |
| Checks content before it reaches the AI tool | PartlySupported sites and desktop pastes | PartlyNeeds TLS inspection and DLP | PartlyDepends on inline deployment | No |
| Acts on the data, not just the site (Warn, Redact, Block) | Yes | PartlyOften allows or blocks the whole site | PartlyVaries by product | No |
| Tells the person why, in the moment | Yes | PartlyA generic block page | PartlyVaries by product | NoTraining only |
| Keeps working off the corporate network | YesRuns on the endpoint | NoUnless traffic is routed back | PartlyDepends on the agent or proxy | YesRelies on people remembering |
| Masked evidence for investigations | Yes | PartlyLogs; content only with inspection | PartlyVaries by product | No |
| Shows how much of each AI tool is actually observed | YesTelemetry level per app | No | No | No |
| Works without changes to network or TLS inspection | Yes | No | PartlyAPI mode does; inline mode does not | Yes |
| Device coverage | PartlyWindows endpoints today | YesAnything on the network | PartlyDepends on deployment | YesEveryone who reads it |
The three right-hand columns describe categories of approach, not any particular vendor. Many products combine them, and results depend on how they are configured.
EndSecure vs. a firewall or web proxy
- Where it is the right tool
- Blocking a category of sites for everyone, on every device that uses your network, is exactly what a firewall or proxy is built for.
- What EndSecure adds
- EndSecure sees AI on the device itself, including local models that never touch the network, and acts on the data being sent rather than the whole site, so approved AI stays usable.
- Using both
- Keep network rules for sites nobody should use. Use EndSecure for the AI you allow, where the risk is what people put into it.
EndSecure vs. a cloud access security broker
- Where it is the right tool
- Governing sanctioned cloud applications, their data and their sharing settings across your organisation.
- What EndSecure adds
- EndSecure focuses on the endpoint moment: the paste, the send, the upload and the desktop AI app, with a telemetry level that says how much of each tool is observed.
- Using both
- A broker can govern your sanctioned SaaS estate while EndSecure covers AI use on Windows endpoints.
EndSecure vs. a written AI policy alone
- Where it is the right tool
- Setting expectations, explaining risk and giving people rules they understand.
- What EndSecure adds
- EndSecure turns the written policy into rules that run, shows where AI is actually used and records what happened for review.
- Using both
- Write the policy, then express it as EndSecure rules. Start in Monitor only to see how far practice is from policy.
EndSecure vs. blocking AI outright
- Where it is the right tool
- Short-term containment while you decide what to allow.
- What EndSecure adds
- EndSecure lets you approve the tools that help, while warning, redacting or blocking only when sensitive data is involved.
- Using both
- Use Strict while you review AI tools, then approve them one by one in the AI inventory.
When EndSecure is not the right fit
- Your endpoints are mostly macOS, Linux or mobile. The sensor runs on Windows today.
- You need every prompt captured word for word. EndSecure inspects content only where the application allows it, and keeps findings masked.
- You want a SIEM, Syslog or Slack export today. Those are coming soon; Wazuh is the supported integration now.
- You only need to block a list of AI websites for everyone. A network rule does that with less effort.
Still comparing? See it on your own endpoints.
Try it yourself
Join the waitlist for early access. When your spot opens you get a workspace and the sensor for one Windows endpoint, with nobody calling you first.
Have us walk you through it
We will run the same walkthrough against your environment, your AI tools and the questions this page did not answer. Bring the difficult ones.