CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

C1.ai vs Sonrai

C1.ai gives agents policy-controlled access to models, tools, and credentials at runtime. Sonrai sells identity, access, and permissions security for companies running on AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud platforms. CISO Tribune files both under Non-human identity security. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

Change the companies

Up to four companies side by side.

  • C1.ai
  • Sonrai
C1.ai vs Sonrai: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
C1.aiC1.ai gives agents policy-controlled access to models, tools, and credentials at runtime.c1.aiSonraiSonrai sells identity, access, and permissions security for companies running on AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud platforms.sonraisecurity.com
What it sells
  • AI-Native Identity Governance[1][2]Automates lifecycle, access requests, reviews, and compliance for human and non-human identities.
  • NHI & Identity Security[1][2]Discovers and alerts on identity and non-human identity risks across the workforce and agents.
  • Agent SSO & Runtime Governance[1][2]Enforces runtime guardrails and access controls for AI agents, with human-in-the-loop approval.
  • Apps & MCP Self Service[1][2]Provides on-demand self-service access to approved apps, MCPs, and AI tools.
  • Deploy Custom Agents[1][2]Lets organizations run autonomous agents across connected systems with guardrails.
  • Shadow AI Discovery[1][2]Finds unsanctioned AI tools, agents, MCP servers, and credentials in use.
  • Cloud Permissions Firewall[2][3][4][6][8]Removes dangerous permissions and blocks unused privileges, services, and regions with automated global policies.
Categories
Headquarters
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Founded
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
  • October 13, 2026Workday announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire C1.ai, with the transaction expected to close in the fourth quarter of Workday's fiscal year 2027, ending January 31, 2027.[9]
Not stated on its pages
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: Not stated on its pages
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[5]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
From its own pages, C1.ai sells to organisations that manage access for people, non-human identities, and agents, and to technical teams that extend the platform through APIs and Terraform. The pages describe governed access for infrastructure teams through the tools they already use. The pages cover on-premises technology such as Active Directory and back-office apps. A named energy-sector customer sought an identity governance solution after an external auditor recommended one to streamline user access reviews.From its own pages, Sonrai sells mainly to enterprises of all sizes that run on AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud platforms. Deployment is described as covering agents, humans, and machines. Banks in the US and Canada use Sonrai to secure their cloud, alongside customers from other highly regulated industries. The customers described include a financial services company providing insurance, investment, and wealth management products and services. The customers described include a global fuel provider. One described customer operating model bridges operations between cloud, security, audit, and DevOps teams.
Last verified
November 2, 2026September 27, 2026

Where they overlap

  • C1.ai and Sonrai are both filed under Non-human identity security.

Where they differ, field by field

  • C1.ai's primary category is Identity governance and administration; Sonrai's is Cloud identity entitlements (CIEM).
  • C1.ai is also filed under Privileged access management and AI model and agent security. Sonrai is also filed under Cloud security posture management.
  • C1.ai lists AI-Native Identity Governance, NHI & Identity Security, Agent SSO & Runtime Governance, Apps & MCP Self Service, Deploy Custom Agents and 1 more. Sonrai lists Cloud Permissions Firewall.

What it sells: Sonrai

What Cloud Permissions Firewall does[2][3][4][6][8]
The Cloud Permissions Firewall removes dangerous permissions before an attack can use them. Policies are built from usage data, and anything in use is exempted before a policy is written.

Questions about C1.ai and Sonrai

What do C1.ai and Sonrai sell?
C1.ai sells AI-Native Identity Governance, NHI & Identity Security, Agent SSO & Runtime Governance, Apps & MCP Self Service, Deploy Custom Agents and 1 more. Sonrai sells Cloud Permissions Firewall.
Are C1.ai and Sonrai in the same category?
They share Non-human identity security. C1.ai's primary category is Identity governance and administration and Sonrai's is Cloud identity entitlements (CIEM).
Who are C1.ai and Sonrai sold to?
From its own pages, C1.ai sells to organisations that manage access for people, non-human identities, and agents, and to technical teams that extend the platform through APIs and Terraform. From its own pages, Sonrai sells mainly to enterprises of all sizes that run on AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud platforms.
What have C1.ai and Sonrai announced recently?
October 13, 2026: Workday announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire C1.ai, with the transaction expected to close in the fourth quarter of Workday's fiscal year 2027, ending January 31, 2027.

About C1.ai

C1.ai gives agents policy-controlled access to models, tools, and credentials at runtime. C1 Agents complete multi-step jobs across connected systems, with human approval for sensitive changes. C1.ai connects to SaaS, cloud infra providers, on-prem systems, and MCP servers.[2]

On the governance side, C1.ai turns HR and directory events into day-one account and access changes across supported systems. C1.ai provisions users the access they need based on conditions and policy. C1.ai applies policy-based provisioning and routing to any connected system. C1.ai covers user access reviews and separation-of-duties (SoD) conflict detection. C1.ai gives people and agents self-service access to approved applications and AI tools, with policy applied before fulfillment.[1][2][3]

For self-service, C1.ai makes approved apps, MCP servers, AI tools, roles, and permissions discoverable from one catalog. People and agents can request access from the web, Slack, Microsoft Teams, MCP, API, or CLI. C1.ai auto-approves routine access and routes sensitive requests using identity, role, resource, and risk context. C1.ai expires just-in-time access automatically so temporary permissions do not become standing access.[4]

For cloud infrastructure, C1.ai provides engineers and agents with precisely scoped cloud access. C1.ai reads cloud providers' resource trees, preserving the parent-child relationships each platform uses natively. C1.ai resolves inherited permissions in real time. C1.ai provisions, adjusts, and revokes access automatically as roles change, teams shift, or agents are redeployed.

Every action in the console is available via API, and C1.ai operates as an MCP server. C1.ai governs human, service, workload, and AI agent identities from one control plane. C1.ai logs every action with full context: subject, actor, delegation chain, purpose, resource, policy, and outcome. C1.ai supports policies as Terraform, AI-written CEL and functions, and validation via API. Technical teams extend C1.ai with APIs, custom functions, CLI, webhooks, and an AI integration builder, and manage it with Terraform.[2][6]

C1.ai includes 300+ connectors, built on Baton, which is open source under Apache 2.0, that integrate IdPs, directories, SaaS apps, cloud infrastructure, and on-prem systems into one identity graph. The connectors can be hosted or self-hosted. The identity graph ingests identity, permission, and resource data from all of your systems. C1.ai visualizes access paths for users, non-human identities, applications, and resources. C1.ai addresses access risks such as orphaned accounts, inactive users, and high-risk users. C1.ai offers built-in remediation options such as downgrading access, offboarding accounts, and securing service accounts. C1.ai connects to non-cloud infrastructure, including LDAP, Postgres, and Microsoft SQL. C1.ai covers on-premises technology such as Active Directory and homegrown and back-office apps.[1][6][7]

IGS Energy started looking for a partner after an external auditor recommended an identity governance solution to streamline user access reviews.[1][2][8]

C1.ai on the record

Sources

C1.ai full record

  1. [1]conductorone.comConductorOne (C1.ai) · conductorone.com · undated page, accessed November 2, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]C1.ai | Put AI to WorkC1.ai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]AI-Native Identity Governance Solutions | C1.aiC1.ai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Self-Service Access for Apps, MCPs, and AI Tools | C1.aiC1.ai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Infrastructure Access - C1.aiC1.ai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Headless Identity Infrastructure | C1.aiC1.ai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Identity Graph - C1.aiC1.ai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Automating access management and reducing risk for IGS Energy’s hybrid environment | C1.aiC1.ai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Workday to Acquire C1.ai, a Leading Agentic Identity Platform for People and AgentsC1.ai · published October 13, 2026 · Tier A

Sonrai full record

  1. [1]sonraisecurity.comSonrai · sonraisecurity.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Cloud permissions firewallSonrai · sonraisecurity.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Cloud Identity and Access Management IAM Solution Platform - SonraiSonrai · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Customer Product Email Subscription | SonraiSonrai · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Sonrai Security Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features - G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 28, 2026 · Tier C
  6. [6]Sonrai Company Story - Enterprise IAM & PAM Cloud SecuritySonrai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Why Choose Sonrai for Cloud Security & Identiy Access Management - SonraiSonrai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Cloud IAM & PAM Pricing | Sonrai Security - SonraiSonrai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Case Study: Fortune 100 Insurance CompanySonrai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Case Study: World Fuel ServicesSonrai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Case Study: Top 5 Canadian Bank - Sonrai | Enterprise Cloud Security PlatformSonrai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Case Study: Top 10 US Bank - Sonrai | Enterprise Cloud Security PlatformSonrai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

Spot a factual error? Request a correction.