Overview
Kastra is a runtime authorization layer for AI agents, enforcing policies before actions execute. It sits in the path of every prompt, tool call, shell command, and API request, deciding allow or deny in under a millisecond. It integrates with Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, OpenClaw, and various SDKs, providing a central control plane for governance, audit, and compliance.
AIQualityHQ is a free, browser-native toolkit for AI developers, QA teams, and prompt engineers. It offers seven tools including a Prompt Quality Checker, Prompt Rewriter, System Prompt Generator, Token Optimizer, Injection Scanner, Jailbreak Detector, and LLM Auditor. The engine runs entirely client-side, ensuring 100% privacy and instant results in under 10ms.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Kastra | AIQualityHQ |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Function | Runtime authorization for AI agents | Prompt quality and security analysis |
| Deployment | Cloud, self-hosted, air-gap | Browser-native, client-side |
| Latency | Sub-millisecond (p99 0.8ms) | Under 10ms |
| Enforcement | Allow/deny before action | None (static analysis) |
| Security | Prevents injection, unauthorized tool use | Scans for injection, jailbreak patterns |
| Audit | Signed, append-only audit trail | No audit trail |
| Integrations | Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, OpenClaw, SDKs | Standalone web tools |
| Target User | Platform teams, security engineers | Prompt engineers, QA teams |
| Pricing | Free tier, custom enterprise pricing | Completely free |
| Data Privacy | Depends on deployment (cloud/self-hosted) | 100% client-side, no data leaves device |
Pricing
Kastra: Offers a free tier for solo developers with local edge agent. For teams, pricing is custom based on usage and deployment model. Enterprise features include self-hosting, air-gap, and compliance certifications.
AIQualityHQ: Completely free. No sign-up, no API keys, no cost. All tools are accessible in the browser with no server-side processing.
Pros and Cons
Kastra
Pros:
- Runtime enforcement prevents incidents before they happen
- Sub-millisecond latency suitable for production
- Comprehensive compliance certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001, etc.)
- Supports multiple agent frameworks and SDKs
- Audit trail with signed, replayable decisions
Cons:
- Requires installation and setup (CLI or macOS app)
- Pricing for enterprise may be high
- Primarily focused on authorization, not prompt quality analysis
AIQualityHQ
Pros:
- 100% free and private (client-side execution)
- Instant results under 10ms
- Deterministic scoring, reproducible results
- No sign-up or API key required
- Covers multiple aspects: quality, security, token optimization
Cons:
- No runtime enforcement; only static analysis
- Limited to prompt-level checks, not agent actions
- No integration with agent frameworks or CI/CD pipelines
- Lacks compliance certifications and audit trails
Verdict
Choose Kastra if you need runtime authorization and enforcement for AI agents in production, especially in regulated industries. Choose AIQualityHQ if you are a developer or QA engineer looking for a free, private, and instant prompt quality and security analysis tool before deployment. Both can complement each other: use AIQualityHQ to harden prompts, and Kastra to enforce policies at runtime.