Vaikora › Compare › Vaikora vs Prisma AIRS

Vaikora vs Prisma AIRS

A drop-in enforcement layer vs a five-pillar AI security suite.

Vaikora is a drop-in enforcement layer with sub-500ms decisions, a SHA-256 audit chain, and an open-source gateway. Palo Alto Prisma AIRS 3.0 is a five-pillar AI security suite, most natural inside the Palo Alto stack. The choice is how much of the stack you want from one vendor.

At a glance

Capability	Vaikora	Prisma AIRS 3.0
Runtime enforcement	Yes, sub-500ms inline	Yes (API + Network Intercept)
Quantified latency SLA	Sub-500ms p95 documented	Not published
Cryptographic audit chain	SHA-256, append-only	Not specified as cryptographic
Open-source gateway	MIT-licensed, free forever	No public open-source product
AI red teaming	Out of scope (enforcement focus)	Yes, multi-turn
AI model security	Out of scope (runtime focus)	Yes, model scanning
Compliance presets	SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS, ISO 27001	Inherits Palo Alto posture
Platform requirement	None	Most natural with PAN-OS, Strata, Cortex
Free tier	Yes, MIT gateway free forever	No free product tier

How they compare

Drop-in layer vs five-pillar suite

Vaikora is a focused enforcement layer: inline, sub-500ms, a SHA-256 audit chain, 2-line deploy, platform-independent. Prisma AIRS 3.0 is a five-pillar suite covering runtime security, agent security, model security, red teaming, and AI Access Security, most natural inside the Palo Alto Networks stack.

Latency, audit, and open source

Vaikora documents sub-500ms p95 and a cryptographic append-only chain, with an MIT-licensed gateway. Prisma AIRS does not publish a latency number or a cryptographic-chain guarantee and has no public open-source product.

Scope and platform dependency

Prisma AIRS bundles model scanning and multi-turn red teaming Vaikora does not; if you want the whole AI security stack from one vendor and already run Palo Alto, AIRS fits. Vaikora focuses on the runtime enforcement decision and audit, and requires no incumbent platform.

Compliance presets and pricing

Vaikora ships named SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001 presets with a free open-source tier; the control plane is quote-based. Prisma AIRS inherits Palo Alto's compliance posture and uses token-based, quote-based licensing with no free product tier.

Who each is best for

Choose Vaikora when

Enforcement plus audit is needed without buying a whole suite.
Replayable SHA-256 receipts are a hard requirement.
An MIT-licensed gateway with no platform lock-in is preferred.
Named compliance presets and a free tier matter.

Choose Prisma AIRS when

Model security and red teaming are wanted in one suite.
The org already runs Palo Alto (PAN-OS, Strata, Cortex).
One vendor for the whole AI security stack is the goal.
Network-intercept deployment fits the environment.

See Vaikora enforce policy on your stack

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Frequently asked questions

What is the main difference between Vaikora and Prisma AIRS?

Vaikora is a drop-in enforcement layer with a sub-500ms p95, a SHA-256 audit chain, and an open-source gateway. Prisma AIRS 3.0 is a five-pillar AI security suite covering runtime, agent, model, red teaming, and access, most natural inside the Palo Alto stack.

Do I need Palo Alto to run Vaikora?

No. Vaikora is platform-independent and runs standalone. Prisma AIRS is most natural for organizations already running Palo Alto Networks products.

Does Prisma AIRS include red teaming and model security?

Yes, and Vaikora does not; Vaikora focuses on the runtime enforcement decision and the audit chain. If you want the whole AI security stack from one vendor, AIRS is broader.

Is Vaikora free?

Yes. The Vaikora gateway is MIT-licensed and free forever, with a quote-based Control Plane for the audit chain and compliance presets. Prisma AIRS has no free product tier.