Comparison
ShadowLock vs DefensX
DefensX guards the managed browser. ShadowLock guards three layers - Windows endpoint, browser, and Microsoft 365 tenant - including everywhere DefensX can't see. And we publish our pricing.
The quick verdict
DefensX is a browser-security suite that added shadow AI features. ShadowLock is a shadow AI control built across three layers: endpoint clipboard, managed browser, and M365 tenant via Microsoft Graph. The moment your shadow AI strategy moves past “block the browser tab,” you need more than one layer.
DefensX governs which sites and sessions employees can reach. But access control is not content classification — over a quarter of what employees share with AI is confidential, and that risk lives inside the prompt itself. ShadowLock classifies every paste at the clipboard (Shannon entropy, Luhn, tiered confidence) before it reaches an AI tool you have allowed.
More in the State of Shadow AI 2026 report →Side by side
| Dimension | ShadowLock | DefensX |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sees AI | Clipboard, desktop AI apps, any browser, and the M365 tenant - three control layers. | Only inside the DefensX-managed browser. |
| M365 tenant / Copilot OAuth | Microsoft Graph integration scans for AI OAuth grants (Copilot plugins, third-party add-ins). Alerts on new consent; can block or revoke. | No M365 Graph integration. Browser extension catches consent flows only when initiated through the managed browser. |
| Prompt-data classification | Shannon entropy + Luhn validation on every paste, locally on the endpoint. | In-browser PII/code regex redaction before submission. |
| Typed-prompt protection | Redacts sensitive data typed directly into a prompt at egress - on top of clipboard pastes classified at the endpoint across every app. | In-browser regex redaction, scoped to the DefensX-managed browser. |
| Data-sharing / training opt-out | Reads each provider's actual “train on my data” setting and holds prompts until it reads off - ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Le Chat, Copilot, Grok. Releases automatically, cross-tab, the moment it's fixed. | Ships a “Block Model Improvement Settings” control; its own documentation describes instructing the user to disable the setting rather than verifying or changing it. |
| Pricing | Public. $1.00 → $0.80/device/month, billed monthly, no minimum. | Quote-only through Pax8 / Sherweb / ConnectWise. |
| MSP delivery | Direct, multi-tenant, PSA/RMM webhooks included. | Channel-only via Pax8 / Sherweb co-sell. |
The browser-extension blind spot
An employee opens an unmanaged Edge profile, installs the ChatGPT desktop app, or copies a customer record from your CRM and pastes it into Claude on their phone via Continuity. DefensX's browser extension doesn't see any of that. Its enforcement happens inside the tab.
ShadowLock's clipboard monitor runs as a Windows service. It sees every paste regardless of which app is receiving it, runs entropy + Luhn classification locally, and blocks at paste time. That's the only architecture that holds when shadow AI moves outside the browser - which, for most shops, is already happening.
The data-sharing toggle nobody else enforces
Most AI tools default to training on your conversations, and the opt-out is buried in settings. ShadowLock reads each provider's actual setting on every session and blocks prompts until it reads off - then releases automatically, across every open tab, the moment someone turns it off. That's verification, not a request you hope was followed.
DefensX ships a "Block Model Improvement Settings" control, but its own documentation describes instructing the user to change the setting rather than confirming or changing it. For a compliance story - proving your data wasn't fed into a third-party model - reading and gating on the real state is the difference between evidence and an honor system.
Which one fits your situation?
Choose ShadowLock when…
- ✓You need shadow AI coverage outside the managed browser - desktop AI apps, unmanaged browsers, or any paste from anywhere.
- ✓You want visibility into M365 Copilot plugins and third-party AI add-ins consented in your tenant.
- ✓Your procurement team wants a public per-device price they can model against renewal economics.
- ✓You need clipboard-level data classification for HIPAA, SOC 2, or GDPR - not just in-browser regex redaction.
- ✓You need to prove the "train on my data" setting is off on every AI tool - and block prompts until it is, not just ask employees to flip it.
DefensX still fits if…
- •You can mandate the DefensX-managed browser on every endpoint and disable everything else.
- •You buy primarily through Pax8 or Sherweb and want the marketplace co-sell motion.
Frequently asked questions
Can ShadowLock and DefensX run on the same endpoint?+
Yes. A browser extension and an endpoint agent don't conflict. Most evaluations pick one based on threat model rather than running both.
Why doesn't DefensX catch desktop AI apps?+
DefensX enforces inside the browser tab. Native apps like ChatGPT for Windows never touch a managed browser, so they're outside the extension's control surface.
Is ShadowLock cheaper than DefensX?+
DefensX prices through distributors with no public per-seat number, so honest dollar comparisons require a quote. ShadowLock's $0.80–$1.00 per device sits in the same band as MSP DNS filters - below most browser-security suites.
Compare ShadowLock to other shadow AI tools
Researching alternatives? Honest side-by-side comparisons against every MSP-channel shadow AI tool.
AI-native XDR with no M365 scanning. We scan the tenant and publish a price.
Blocks AI apps. We inspect the prompt content.
Resolver-layer only. Blind to embedded AI and M365 OAuth.
Browser isolation. We are purpose-built for shadow AI.
Governs shadow AI inside the E5 stack. We need no E5 license.