Excavate vs Above.
Above’s AI builds cases from a browser extension and connected tools, its investigators verify them, and your team decides. Excavate’s coverage installs nothing, and our examiners sign the conclusion.
Last checked 14 October 2026 · Sources below
Above Security’s main sensor is an extension in your managed browsers, and it also connects to identity, endpoint, collaboration, AI and HR tools. Its AI turns signals into cases with a timeline and a recommended action, Above investigators verify findings before they reach your team, and your analysts decide. Excavate’s coverage installs nothing: it reads the systems you already run, every trigger opens a review that a person decides, every departure gets an exit review, and every case ends in a conclusion signed by the examiner.
Where Excavate
is stronger.
What you get with Excavate that Above leaves to your team.
Every case ends in a written conclusion signed by our examiner. Above’s investigators verify findings, and its terms make the output advisory, so the decision stays with your team.12
Excavate reads the systems you already run through read-only APIs. Above’s main sensor is a browser extension your IT installs on managed devices.23
Excavate opens an exit review when the resignation lands in your HR system, and asks IT to hold the laptop until it closes. Above watches for pre-departure signals.4
Side by side.
| Excavate | Above | |
|---|---|---|
| Who investigates | Our AI agent and examiners. Only an examiner escalates or concludes against a person. | Its AI investigates, and Above investigators verify findings. Your team decides.13 |
| What you hold at the end | A written conclusion, signed by the examiner. | AI-built cases, verified and ready for security, HR or legal, for your team to act on.61 |
| Departing employees | An exit review for every departure, opened from your HR system during offboarding. | Above watches for pre-departure signals, with HR systems connected.47 |
| People | No scoring or ranking of people. | Above scores risk and ranks cases by risk.25 |
| What goes on the laptop | Nothing for coverage. On a case, IT runs our collection tool. | A browser extension on managed devices. An endpoint agent is optional.23 |
| Stopping risky actions | We warn you through detections and investigate what happened. | Above leads with in-the-moment guidance in email, SaaS and AI tools. Ask Above which actions it can block.8 |
How Above works.
From Above’s own public documentation, as of 14 October 2026.
Above’s main sensor is a managed extension for the major browsers, which your IT installs through device management or browser policy.23 An optional endpoint agent adds device metadata.3
API connectors add identity, endpoint, cloud, collaboration, AI and HR tools.7
Its AI turns signals into cases with a timeline, context and a recommended action.6 Above investigators triage and verify every finding before it reaches your team, and your analysts validate, dismiss or escalate.13
Above leads with in-the-moment guidance: at a risky action in email, SaaS or AI tools, it shows the employee the approved way and the reason.8
Above watches for pre-departure signals and says its Flight Risk Agent tracks job-search activity.49 HR systems such as Workday, HiBob and Deel connect.7
Passwords, card numbers, social security numbers and phone numbers are masked by default, and tenants on its EU data-residency instance are hosted in Ireland.3
Running both.
If you use Above for in-the-moment guidance, keep it. Excavate reads the systems you already run, reviews every departure in writing, and puts an examiner’s signed conclusion on every case.
Questions buyers ask.
We run Above. Why add Excavate?+
Above’s AI investigates and its investigators verify findings, but your team still decides and owns the conclusion. With Excavate, our examiners conclude and sign, every departure gets an exit review, and coverage installs nothing in the browser.
Is Excavate AI too?+
Yes. Every trigger opens a review that our AI agent works and recommends on, and a person decides. Only an examiner can escalate a review or conclude anything against a person, and the examiner signs the conclusion.
Does Excavate see what happens in the browser?+
Not through an extension. Excavate reads the systems your people work in through their APIs, and device evidence comes from the laptop when your IT runs our collection tool on a case.
What does our team still do?+
Grant read-only access, ask IT to hold a leaver’s laptop, run our collection tool when a case needs it, and decide what to do with each conclusion.
- Above: How Above works
- Above: Terms of service
- Above: Trust Center FAQ
- Above: Pre-departure
- Above: Investigation workspace and case management
- Above: AI investigative agents
- Above: Integrations
- Above: Real-time guidance
- Above: homepage
- Above: Privacy policy
Above is a trademark of Above Security Inc. Excavate is not affiliated with or endorsed by any company named on this page. If something here is out of date, write to info@excavate.ai and we will correct it.
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