PAIRING · MEASURED SIDE BY SIDE
Apono vs C1 (formerly ConductorOne): reach beyond the IdP and IGA
The short answer
On our default weights C1 (formerly ConductorOne) scores higher overall, 6.30 against 4.78 out of 10. Apono scores higher on Machine, service and agent accounts and Pricing transparency; C1 scores higher on Unmanaged app discovery, Accounts inside the app, Reach into apps without APIs or SCIM, Orchestrates through the existing stack and Executes changes itself. They tie on Audit evidence. They sit in different layers (Just-in-time privileged access and Identity governance (IGA) platform), so many teams run both.
By The Credential Desk · IAM Compared · Published 2026-10-08
Desk research from public vendor pages and documentation read in September 2026, updated 2026-10-13. Editorial assessment; we did not test the products.
How do they score on each criterion?
| Criterion | Weight | Apono | C1 | Higher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unmanaged app discovery | 18% | 2.0 Not documented. Discovery of applications outside its integrations is not described; it brokers just-in-time access to AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes and databases through 85+ integrations. | 6.0 Monitors shadow app sign-ups and logins to decide whether to bring an app under governance, and lists Shadow AI Discovery. | C1 |
| Accounts inside the app | 16% | 3.0 Not documented. Discovery of local, orphaned or dormant accounts inside applications is not described; it grants time-bound access through dynamic roles and revokes it automatically. | 6.0 Finds what offboarding missed; mapping of local accounts inside apps is not detailed. | C1 |
| Reach into apps without APIs or SCIM | 14% | 3.0 Not documented. Reach into applications without an API or connector is not described; coverage follows its 85+ integrations. | 6.5 Open-source Baton connectors and C1 Bridge for on-prem systems; apps with no connector are not described in detail. | C1 |
| Orchestrates through the existing stack | 14% | 6.0 Requests run through Slack, CLI or Apono Assist with 85+ integrations; it sits beside the IdP and IGA rather than replacing them, but feeding findings into IGA, PAM or ITSM tools is not described. | 7.0 Connects to existing IdPs and HR systems rather than replacing them. | C1 |
| Executes changes itself | 12% | 7.0 Grants just-in-time access and revokes it automatically itself, with dynamic roles in AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes and databases; HR-driven lifecycle changes are not described. | 7.8 HR systems and directories trigger join, role change and departure workflows. | C1 |
| Machine, service and agent accounts | 10% | 8.0 Just-in-time access for machines and AI agents as well as people, and Agent Privilege Guard with intent-based access control for AI agents; hardcoded credentials inside applications are not described. | 6.0 Shadow AI Discovery is listed; service account and credential coverage is not detailed. | Apono |
| Audit evidence | 10% | 6.5 Audit logs and AI session summaries; a framework-mapped evidence export is not described. | 6.5 Records each offboarding action; a framework evidence export is not described. | Tie |
| Pricing transparency | 6% | 6.5 No pricing page on apono.io (/pricing redirects to the homepage). AWS Marketplace, 1-month contract: $4,900.00 per month for 100 users, plus $49.00 per month for each extra user, so cost can be modelled per user. | 3.0 Publishes the pricing structure but no prices. | Apono |
| Total | 100% | 4.78 | 6.30 | C1 |
What shape is each tool's reach?
- DISC
- Unmanaged app discovery
- 2.0
- INAPP
- Accounts inside the app
- 3.0
- NOAPI
- Reach into apps without APIs or SCIM
- 3.0
- ORCH
- Orchestrates through the existing stack
- 6.0
- EXEC
- Executes changes itself
- 7.0
- NHI
- Machine, service and agent accounts
- 8.0
- EVID
- Audit evidence
- 6.5
- PRICE
- Pricing transparency
- 6.5
Each sector is one criterion. The longer the engraved sector, the higher the editorial score. Sectors are equal width, so the picture shows the shape of a tool's reach, not its weighted total.
- DISC
- Unmanaged app discovery
- 6.0
- INAPP
- Accounts inside the app
- 6.0
- NOAPI
- Reach into apps without APIs or SCIM
- 6.5
- ORCH
- Orchestrates through the existing stack
- 7.0
- EXEC
- Executes changes itself
- 7.8
- NHI
- Machine, service and agent accounts
- 6.0
- EVID
- Audit evidence
- 6.5
- PRICE
- Pricing transparency
- 3.0
Each sector is one criterion. The longer the engraved sector, the higher the editorial score. Sectors are equal width, so the picture shows the shape of a tool's reach, not its weighted total.
Which parts of the estate does each document?
| Zone | Apono | C1 |
|---|---|---|
| Unsanctioned SaaS | Not documented Discovery of unconnected SaaS not described | Partial Shadow app sign-up and login monitoring |
| On-prem and legacy apps | Not documented On-prem and legacy apps not described | Documented C1 Bridge for on-prem systems |
| Custom-built apps | Not documented Custom-built apps not described | Partial Open-source Baton connectors you can extend |
| Local accounts in apps | Not documented Local accounts inside apps not described | Partial Find what offboarding missed |
| Service accounts and hardcoded credentials | Partial Just-in-time access for machines; hardcoded credentials not described | Not documented Not described on the pages reviewed |
| AI agents | Documented Just-in-time access for AI agents and Agent Privilege Guard | Partial Shadow AI Discovery listed |
What do they cost?
Apono
Pricing
No pricing page on apono.io. AWS Marketplace, 1-month contract: $4,900.00 per month commit for 100 users, plus $49.00 per month for each extra user.
Source: AWS Marketplace: Apono · Read 11 Oct 2026 · Source: apono.io/pricing (redirects to the homepage) · Read 11 Oct 2026
Deployment
Described as cloud-native; listed on AWS Marketplace.
C1 (formerly ConductorOne)
Pricing
Pricing structure published (Platform or Flex; Pro or Advanced; 100 to 20,000 managed identities) without prices.
Source: C1 pricing · Read 12 Oct 2026
Deployment
SaaS with hosted or on-prem connectors (C1 Bridge). EU instance with tenant data held in the EU since September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which scores higher overall, Apono or C1 (formerly ConductorOne)?
On our default weights C1 (formerly ConductorOne) scores higher overall, 6.30 against 4.78 out of 10.
Where does Apono score higher than C1 (formerly ConductorOne)?
Apono scores higher on Machine, service and agent accounts (8.0 against 6.0) and Pricing transparency (6.5 against 3.0).
Can Apono and C1 (formerly ConductorOne) be used together?
Often, yes. They sit in different layers (Just-in-time privileged access; Identity governance (IGA) platform), and each one's pages describe working with existing identity tools.