Looking for a Nightfall alternative?
Nightfall is a strong cloud DLP tool — but it requires SDK integration, can't intercept IDE AI tools, and wasn't designed for the way enterprises use AI in 2026. BastionGate was.
Zero code changes
IT deploys BastionGate as an HTTPS proxy. No SDK to install, no developer instrumentation.
IDE AI coverage
Cursor, Claude Code, Copilot, Windsurf — intercepted transparently. Nightfall cannot reach these.
Real-time blocking
Requests are stopped before they hit the upstream provider. Not scan-then-alert.
Feature comparison
How BastionGate and Nightfall differ on the features that matter most for enterprise AI governance.
| Feature | BastionGateus | Nightfall |
|---|---|---|
Zero code changes Point one endpoint at the gateway. No SDK, no agent, no developer instrumentation. | Change one base URL. Done. | Requires SDK integration in every application. |
Covers IDE AI tools Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, VS Code — the highest-risk AI surface in most enterprises. | Transparent HTTPS proxy intercepts all IDE traffic. | SDK-based; cannot intercept IDE AI assistants. |
Real-time inline blocking Requests are stopped before they reach the upstream AI provider. | Block, redact, or flag — enforced at the gateway. | Primarily scan-and-alert; not inline blocking. |
OPA-backed policy engine Version-controlled, per-tenant, per-project Rego policies — not a checkbox UI. | Open Policy Agent with Git-versioned bundles. | Rule-based configuration without policy engine. |
Per-tenant / per-project policies Different enforcement rules per team, environment, or project. | Full tenant isolation with per-project scoping. | Limited to workspace-level configuration. |
Developer-friendly block messages Blocked requests return a clear reason + tip. No silent failures or cryptic errors. | Explains what was found, confirms nothing was sent. | No structured block feedback to the developer. |
Shadow AI inventory Every AI tool and provider used by your team tracked automatically. | All traffic through the gateway is attributed. | No shadow AI discovery capability. |
HIPAA & SOC 2 ready Purpose-built for regulated industries from day one. | HIPAA compliant. SOC 2 Type II in progress. | SOC 2 certified. HIPAA support available. |
Full audit log Every request logged, searchable, and exportable. | Immutable log with CSV/JSON export. | Audit log available in enterprise tier. |
✓ full support · — partial / limited · ✕ not supported
Why teams switch
The differences that matter when your developers are using Cursor and Claude Code every day.
Transparent proxy — no instrumentation
Nightfall requires developers to wrap their code with the Nightfall SDK. BastionGate is deployed by IT as an HTTPS proxy. Developers change one base URL. Everything else is automatic.
IDE AI is the biggest gap Nightfall can't fill
Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, and Windsurf account for most enterprise AI data exposure today. Because they're desktop applications — not web apps developers instrument — SDK-based solutions like Nightfall simply cannot intercept them. BastionGate can.
Policy engine, not a rule checkbox
Nightfall offers configurable detection rules. BastionGate uses Open Policy Agent: version-controlled Rego policies, per-tenant isolation, per-project scoping. You get the same governance model your infrastructure team already uses.
Built for AI — not retrofitted DLP
Nightfall started as a cloud DLP platform for SaaS apps (Slack, Google Drive, GitHub). AI is an extension of that product. BastionGate was designed from day one to sit between your team and AI providers — the architecture, policy model, and detection engine are all AI-native.
When Nightfall might still be right
We believe in honest comparisons. Nightfall is a well-built product with real strengths. It may be the better fit if:
- Your primary concern is DLP across SaaS apps like Slack, Google Drive, GitHub, and Jira — Nightfall has deep native integrations for these.
- You're already invested in a Nightfall implementation and IDE AI tools aren't a current concern.
- You want a single platform for both cloud storage DLP and AI governance rather than a dedicated AI gateway.
See BastionGate in 30 minutes
We'll show you how BastionGate covers your IDE AI tools transparently and walk through policy setup for your environment.
Book a Demo