Formal

What is Formal?

Formal is a network security and privileged access platform that applies least privilege to both people and AI agents. It runs two protocol-aware proxies: a Connector, deployed in your network, that sits in front of resources such as Postgres, Snowflake, SSH and Kubernetes, and an Endpoint, an egress proxy for macOS, Linux and Windows laptops and agent sandboxes. Policies written in Rego, the language of Open Policy Agent, can block connections, mask or redact results, rewrite queries, enforce MFA and inject credentials so secrets stay out of agent sandboxes. The Endpoint attributes traffic to a human or to the agent acting for them, flags unapproved agents, MCP servers and skills, and tracks AI tool adoption. A catalog and approval workflows let staff request access that expires on its own, and every session is recorded for audit. Formal supports 15+ wire protocols and is deployed inside your own VPC. Pricing is not published, and visitors are invited to book a demo.

Use cases

• Control AI agent access to databases
• Mask sensitive data in query results
• Discover unapproved agents and MCP servers
• Record database and SSH sessions
• Grant just-in-time access to resources
• Inspect traffic leaving agent sandboxes
• Audit queries and API requests

Who it's for

• Security teams
• Platform engineers
• Infrastructure teams
• Engineering leaders

Why use Formal

• Agents and engineers use their own identities instead of shared credentials.
• Sensitive fields can be masked inline before data reaches a user or model provider.
• Dry-run mode tests a policy against real traffic before enforcing it.
• Traffic from browsers and coding agents is visible in one place.
• Deployed in your VPC, so data stays in your infrastructure.

Formal features

• Protocol-aware reverse proxy (Connector)
• Egress proxy for laptops and agent sandboxes (Endpoint)
• Policies as code in Rego with draft, dry-run and active states
• Data masking and redaction in query results
• Credential injection at the proxy
• Short-lived identity tied to a human
• Shadow AI, MCP server and skill discovery
• Catalog for requesting access
• Approval workflows with access that expires
• Session recording and audit logs

Formal integrations

• Postgres
• MySQL
• MongoDB
• Snowflake
• Kubernetes
• Terraform
• Looker
• Metabase
• Retool
• Cursor
• Devin
• AWS
• Azure

How to get started with Formal

1. Deploy the Connector in your network and register resources such as databases.
2. Install the Endpoint on laptops or in agent sandboxes.
3. Write policies in Rego and test them in dry-run mode.
4. Activate policies, then review audit logs and session recordings.

Formal limitations

• No pricing is published; contact Formal for terms
• Connector is deployed in your own network, which requires setup

Formal pricing

Formal is sold on custom quotes, so its prices aren't published.

Prices can change and may vary by country or exclude tax. Check the official pricing page.

Formal alternatives

The main Formal alternatives listed on Debuly are Context Data, AI for Database, DBHub, Metorial, OrcaRouter and SandBase Harness. The table compares pricing and platforms; order is A–Z.

1. 

   AI for Database

   Ask your PostgreSQL, MySQL or Google Sheets data questions in plain English and get charts, dashboards and automated alerts.

   Developer platformsProductivityAutomation and agents
   FreemiumVisit AI for Database (official site)
2. 

   Context Data

   InterLock proxy that governs what AI agents can read and write in databases, files and APIs, with redaction and approvals.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agents
   Visit Context Data (official site)
3. 

   DBHub

   Minimal database MCP server that lets Claude, Cursor, VS Code and other MCP clients explore schemas and run SQL safely.

   Developer platformsCodingAutomation and agents
   Open sourceVisit DBHub (official site)
4. 

   Metorial

   Control plane for AI agents with 1,000+ managed MCP integrations, per-user permissions, SSO and audit logs behind one connection URL.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agents
   FreemiumVisit Metorial (official site)
5. 

   OrcaRouter

   OpenAI-compatible AI gateway that routes requests across 200+ models at provider token prices, with guardrails and spend controls.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agents
   FreemiumVisit OrcaRouter (official site)
6. 

   SandBase Harness

   Open-source, local-first runtime for AI agents with sandboxed tools, persistent sessions, memory, credential vaults, audit trails and a console.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agents
   Open sourceVisit SandBase Harness (official site)

Formal FAQ

Sources & verification

Facts on this page come from the official sources below, each with the date we read it. Written by Debuly; the vendor did not review this page.

Image credits

• Logo: from formal.ai · fetched 24 Oct 2026 · Vendor trademark, used only to identify the product; removed on request
• Cover: none collected yet, so a generated tile is shown.

Spot an error? Report an issue with this listing. We also remove a logo or image on the owner's request.