AgentIndex icon
AgentIndex
helio logo
helio
★ 14
vs
satgate logo
satgate
★ 11

helio vs satgate

helio: Helio is an open-source MCP proxy that provides governance for AI agents by enforcing policies on tool calls, managing spend, and routing approvals. It operates between agents and their tools, ensuring useful autonomy without unlimited authority across various platforms and frameworks.; satgate: SatGate acts as an economic firewall for AI agents, governing their API calls by enforcing scoped authority, budgets, and paid-rail context. It prevents unauthorized spending and resource invocation, integrating seamlessly with existing routing gateways and LLM providers.

01

TL;DR

helio logo
helioSecurity & Safety · ★ 14

Prevent unauthorized API calls and modifications to production records by AI agents.

Read helio full review →
satgate logo
satgateSecurity & Safety · ★ 11

Controlling and limiting AI agent spending on external API services.

Read satgate full review →
02

Side-by-Side Comparison

Field
helio logohelio
satgate logosatgate
Category
Security & Safety
Security & Safety
Stars
★ 14
★ 11
License
Apache-2.0
Apache-2.0
Install Command
npx @gethelio/proxy init
curl -L https://github.com/satgate-io/satgate/releases/latest/download/satgate-darwin-arm64 -o satgate && chmod +x satgate
Updated
1d ago
1d ago
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Website
↗ Visit
↗ Visit
GitHub
↗ GitHub
↗ GitHub
Tags
MCP Proxy, AI Agent Governance, Tool Call Policy
AI Agent Governance, Economic Firewall, API Security
03

Features

helio logohelio
01Declarative Policy Engine: Define YAML rules for tool names, inputs, and state, with hot-reloading and dry-run mode.
02Cross-Tool Spend Budgets: Aggregate and cap spending across multiple tools and MCP servers with break-glass approvals.
03Approval Workflows: Route sensitive tool calls to Slack, webhooks, or the dashboard for human review and approval.
04Comprehensive Audit Trail: Record all tool calls, policy decisions, and responses for full traceability and searchability.
05Evidence Grounding: Require fresh, application-provided evidence to validate actions, preventing accidental skips.
satgate logosatgate
01Capability Tokens (Macaroons) for delegatable and caveated credentials.
02Hard budget enforcement to block agent requests when spending limits are reached.
03MCP-aware governance for granular cost attribution to specific agent tool calls.
04Default-Deny Zero Trust security model, requiring valid credentials for all routes by default.
05Lightweight Go proxy with minimal latency (<50ms overhead) for efficient governance.
04

Use Cases

helio logohelio
↳Prevent unauthorized API calls and modifications to production records by AI agents.
↳Establish centralized governance for AI agents operating across multiple platforms like Claude, ChatGPT, and LangChain.
↳Implement human-in-the-loop approval workflows for sensitive or destructive agent operations.
↳Manage and cap cumulative spending by AI agents across various integrated tools and services.
satgate logosatgate
↳Controlling and limiting AI agent spending on external API services.
↳Safely delegating specific, reduced permissions and budgets to sub-agents.
↳Governing access and enforcing policies for monetized API endpoints and paid-rail contexts.
↳Achieving granular cost attribution for individual tool calls made by AI agents.
↳Securing internal and external microservice endpoints with a default-deny access policy for agents.
FAQ

FAQ

What is the difference between helio and satgate?
Both helio and satgate are in the Security & Safety category. helio has 14 stars, while satgate has 11 stars.
Which is better, helio or satgate?
The best choice depends on your use case. Choose helio if Prevent unauthorized API calls and modifications to production records by AI agents., and satgate if Controlling and limiting AI agent spending on external API services..
Is helio free or open source?
Yes, helio is open source on GitHub (Apache-2.0).
Is satgate free or open source?
Yes, satgate is open source on GitHub (Apache-2.0).
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