Approach comparison
Halo vs DIY governance
Many teams start AI governance with spreadsheets, scripts, and point tools. Halo replaces that upkeep with discovery that stays current, controls in the request path, and evidence you can export, starting at $99 per month.
The short version
- DIY governance usually combines a spreadsheet inventory, scripts, existing security tools, and policy documents that people keep current by hand.
- Halo discovers AI on browsers and endpoints, enforces policy and budgets at gateways and in a sandboxed agent runtime, and records the evidence reviewers ask for.
- Self-serve plans start at $99 per month with published pricing, so your team spends its time on policy instead of upkeep.
What DIY governance looks like
A typical DIY program keeps an inventory in a spreadsheet, uses scripts to pull logs or usage data, and relies on point tools such as a proxy, a data loss prevention tool, or a device management report.
Policies live in documents, and evidence is assembled from logs, tickets, and screenshots when someone asks. Each control is another script or integration for your team to build, document, and maintain.
How Halo approaches AI governance
Halo discovers AI use through Halo Browser (Chrome and Edge, plus Safari on macOS) and Halo Endpoint (macOS and Windows, with Linux coming soon), and keeps an inventory with classifications, source, and confidence.
Policy bundles are enforced at gateways and through the Halo AI Gateway, and a secure agent runtime sets execution boundaries for agents. Decisions, approvals, denials, costs, and configuration changes are recorded and export as CSV and JSON.
Side by side
How Halo and DIY governance compare
| Dimension | Halo | DIY governance |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory | Halo Guided rolloutDiscovery from browsers and endpoints feeds an inventory with classifications, source, and confidence. | DIY governance A spreadsheet that people update by hand, often from surveys and intake forms. |
| Keeping it current | Halo Guided rolloutDiscovery updates the inventory as new AI use appears on supported surfaces. | DIY governance Currency depends on how often someone reviews the sheet or reruns a script. |
| Policy enforcement | Halo Available nowPolicy bundles apply at gateways with audit and enforce modes, and the secure agent runtime sets execution boundaries. | DIY governance Policy lives in documents, and enforcement relies on the point tools you already run. |
| Testing a policy | Halo Available nowRun a policy in audit mode to record what it would do, or simulate it against a request and read the decision trace. | DIY governance Policies are tested when they are first enforced. |
| Credentials | Halo Available nowProvider and app credentials stay bound at the gateway, and agents receive scoped capabilities. | DIY governance Handling depends on each team’s scripts and secret stores. |
| Evidence | Halo Available nowDecisions, approvals, denials, costs, and configuration changes are recorded and export as CSV and JSON. Coming soon Framework packs that map EU AI Act and NIST AI RMF controls to Halo checks, with an exportable evidence pack. | DIY governance Evidence is assembled from logs, tickets, and screenshots when a reviewer asks. |
| Cost control | Halo Available nowAccount, agent, and per-user budgets with thresholds and automatic actions, plus cost analytics by agent and model. | DIY governance Spend is usually tracked in provider consoles and invoices. |
| Time to first control | Halo Available nowStart on a self-serve plan right away, and our team guides enterprise rollout of Halo Browser and Halo Endpoint. | DIY governance Depends on what your team builds and connects. |
| Effort and ownership | Halo Available nowHalo provides the platform, and your team sets policy and reviews decisions. | DIY governance Your team builds, maintains, and documents each script and integration. |
Why Halo
Why choose Halo over DIY governance
Simple, secure, and efficient AI, governed where it runs.
Discovery that stays current
Halo Browser and Halo Endpoint find AI websites, extensions, apps, and local runtimes as they appear, and each inventory item records its source and confidence.
Policy you can read and test
Structured policy as code runs in audit mode first, simulates against a request with a full decision trace, and explains each gateway decision.
Evidence you can export
Audit logs and gateway decisions export as CSV and JSON, so reviewers get records without assembling screenshots.
Budgets that act
Account, agent, and per-user budgets can notify owners, pause new operations, or stop active deployments, and cost analytics show spend by agent and model.
Credentials agents never see
Provider and app credentials stay bound at the Halo gateway. Agents receive scoped capabilities and never hold raw keys.
Start today with published pricing
Self-serve plans start at $99 per month, and our team guides enterprise rollout of Halo Browser and Halo Endpoint.
Roadmap
What Halo is building next
Each of these extends the controls Halo runs today.
Capabilities marked coming soon or on the roadmap reflect current plans and may change.
- Coming soon
Framework packs
EU AI Act and NIST AI RMF controls mapped to Halo checks and runtime policies, with an exportable evidence pack.
- Coming soon
Tamper-evident evidence
Hash-chained decision and audit records with retention, legal hold, and a verifier your auditors can run.
- Coming soon
AI system registry and intake
Register each AI system with an owner, purpose, and risk tier, linked to the agents, apps, and AI Gateway clients Halo already sees.
Buyer checklist
Questions to ask in your evaluation
Bring these to each vendor you evaluate. Here is how Halo answers them.
Who owns each script and spreadsheet, and what happens when that person moves on?
How Halo answers
Halo is maintained as a product, so discovery, enforcement, and evidence keep working as people change roles.
How do you know the inventory is current, and how quickly does a new AI tool show up in it?
How Halo answers
Discovery updates the inventory as new AI use appears on supported browsers and devices, without a manual review.
Where does policy actually run, and what stops a prohibited action?
How Halo answers
Policy runs at the Halo gateways, on devices, in browsers, and in the agent runtime, where a deny outcome stops the action before it runs.
How would you produce evidence for a reviewer next quarter?
How Halo answers
Export audit logs and gateway decisions as CSV or JSON, with each decision recording the policy, the outcome, and the reason.
How much engineering time does it take to maintain these controls as AI tools and provider APIs change?
How Halo answers
Halo keeps its sensors, gateways, and provider connections current, so your team spends its time on policy.
Sources and review
Last reviewed October 19, 2026. Information about DIY governance comes from public materials and may change. Product names belong to their owners. Capabilities marked coming soon or on the roadmap reflect current plans and may change. If you spot something out of date, please let us know.
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