Authentic8 Silo vs Menlo Security (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Authentic8 Silo and Menlo Security share a 1.6 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about the free plan, where Authentic8 Silo grades higher, or value for money, where Menlo Security does.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Authentic8 Silo
Isolated cloud browser workspace for digital investigations
Free trial · from $1,450/yr
Which one is for you
Pick Authentic8 Silo if
- Fits if you investigate sites and need your own systems kept out of it
- Makes sense if you need research traffic to come from chosen regions
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are one person: the lowest tier is $1,450 per user a year for one region
- Skip it if you want everyday browsing: Authentic8 says it is not a VPN, VDI or enterprise browser
- Tight if you need AI: Nexus AI is capped at 10 prompts a day on the listed tiers
- Watch out: the price rises with regions, to $3,450 for all of them
- Watch out: the trial has limited egress nodes
Pick Menlo Security if
- Fits if your company wants browser protection added to the browsers staff already use
- Makes sense if you have higher-risk users who need cloud-based protection
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a posted price: only a budget estimate and a sales quote exist
- Not for you if you want something free to try, as no plan or trial is listed
- Pricey if you add features: HEAT Shield AI and file sanitization cost extra
- Watch out: Protect, Secure and Manage are priced separately
- Too heavy for one person: it is sold to organizations by user license
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAAuthentic8 SiloWeak | 1.6GPAMenlo SecurityWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$1,450 to $3,450 per user a year, which is about $121 to $288 a month, far above this category's $21 dearest-tenth line. Its rivals publish no prices to set against. | CNo price is published. Menlo quotes by the products deployed and the number of user licenses, and a pricing tool gives only a budget estimate. |
| Free plan and trial | DA 30-day trial with limited egress nodes is listed, but the listing does not say whether it needs a card, so it is graded as one that might. | FNothing is free, and no trial is listed. The way in is a self-service estimate or a sales quote. |
| Features | CIsolated workspaces, a managed attribution network and audit, but Nexus AI is capped at 10 prompts a day on these tiers. | CAn extension plus cloud isolation and AI agent security, but Protect, Secure and Manage are priced separately and add-ons cost extra. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. It is a cloud environment where analysts set up regions and workspaces, with a learning curve. | CNo rating on record. It is rolled out by an organization and set up with admin controls. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA cloud environment reached from the web. The pages do not list client operating systems, though Telegram, Signal and Maltego run inside. | CWeb and a browser extension only, with no apps and no integrations listed. |
| Best for | anonymous web research for investigators | company browser security through an extension |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Authentic8 Silo and Menlo Security. How we grade
Where they differ
- Authentic8 Silo also covers research.
- Menlo Security also covers malware protection.
In commonWebAI featuresWeb browser
At a glance
| Authentic8 Silo | Menlo Security | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $1,450 per user / year | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial with limited egress nodes | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Authentic8 | Menlo Security |
| Price read from | authentic8.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Authentic8 Silo
- Pricing is per user per year, and the price rises with the number of regions covered.
- Nexus AI is capped at 10 prompts a day on the listed tiers; unlimited use is an enterprise option.
- Authentic8 says it is not a VPN, VDI or enterprise browser, so it does not replace everyday browsing.
- The pages read do not list client operating systems; Silo is described as a cloud environment.
Menlo Security
- No prices are published: Menlo quotes by the products deployed and the number of user licenses.
- A self-service pricing tool gives a budget estimate, and a custom quote comes through sales.
- Products such as Protect, Secure and Manage are priced separately, and add-ons like HEAT Shield AI and file sanitization cost extra.
Key features
Authentic8 Silo
- Isolated workspaces
- Each workspace runs apps in separate containers away from the user's network, so content from the threat space cannot reach local systems.
- Managed attribution network
- Traffic exits through 700+ endpoints across 100+ regions, with residential, mobile, data center, Tor and dark web options.
- Apps beside the browser
- Workspaces combine the Silo for Research browser with apps such as Telegram, Signal, Maltego, LibreOffice and Obsidian.
- Governance and audit
- Admins enforce access, data and usage policies, watch activity in real time and keep encrypted audit logs.
- Nexus AI
- An AI assistant with source-grounded responses and live content capture is included, limited to 10 prompts a day on listed plans.
Menlo Security
- Hybrid architecture
- Menlo says it combines local in-browser controls with cloud-based protection, and admins can send high-risk locations or users to cloud-based protection.
- Menlo IRIS extension
- A browser extension adds data and file security, web governance and an inventory of installed extensions with risk scores to browsers already in use.
- Add-on threat protection
- Add-ons cover zero-day phishing protection (HEAT Shield AI) and file sanitization through content disarm and reconstruction.
- AI agent security
- The platform applies policies to AI agents browsing the web alongside human users and helps agents reach web applications that lack APIs.
- Secure enterprise browser
- Menlo lists a secure enterprise browser, remote browser isolation and secure extension among its products.
Plans
Authentic8 Silo
Local$1,450
per user / year
One geographic region of your choice, with all Silo Workspace features, admin controls and Nexus AI.
Multi-Region$2,450
per user / year
Any two regions, with the same features as Local.
Global$3,450
per user / year
All regions, including the dark web and rapid response nodes, with the same features.
Menlo Security
Pricing could not be confirmed. See menlosecurity.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Authentic8 Silo or Menlo Security?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Authentic8 Silo starts at $1,450 per user / year, and Menlo Security has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Authentic8 Silo or Menlo Security?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Authentic8 Silo nor Menlo Security has a free plan. Authentic8 Silo has a free trial.
Which platforms do Authentic8 Silo and Menlo Security run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Menlo Security lists a browser extension. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.