Alternatives & comparisons
Proctorio Alternatives: The Privacy and AI Gap, Explained (2026)
Proctorio is a browser extension plus AI behavior monitoring system. It records webcam footage and behavioral signals. What it cannot do: stop an OS-layer overlay like Cluely or detect a local LLM running in memory with no network traffic.
What Proctorio Does
Proctorio is a browser extension plus AI behavior monitoring system deployed at hundreds of universities. It monitors gaze direction, flags head movements, records screen and webcam, and applies automated AI to flag suspicious behavior for human review. It's deeply integrated into Canvas.
Proctorio's Privacy Record
Documented incidents, factually stated:
- 1
Proctorio's CEO shared a student's private support conversation publicly on social media in 2020, triggering a faculty vote against Proctorio use at the University of British Columbia.
- 2
Dutch security researchers identified a vulnerability in Proctorio's browser extension that could allow third parties to activate the webcam remotely.
- 3
Multiple universities (UBC, USC) reduced or removed Proctorio citing privacy concerns.
- 4
EPIC's 2020 complaint cited Proctorio among services engaging in excessive collection of students' biometric and personal data.
The Name-List Trap
Proctorio has moved to detect Cluely by matching its process name. That blocks one named tool — and that is exactly the limit. A process-name denylist catches only what is already on it. Rename the binary, run an open-source fork, or switch to a different invisible overlay and the name no longer matches, while the cheating method is identical.
Aiseptor detects the technique instead of the name: every overlay that hides from screen-share must set the same screen-capture exclusion flag, so renamed and never-before-seen tools trip the same control. It also cannot, as a browser extension, see on-device LLMs running in local memory — which Aiseptor catches through process, model-file, and GPU-memory signatures. The webcam sees the room, not the transparent overlay floating above the exam window.
The Ephemeral Alternative
Aiseptor's architecture on privacy: no webcam, no screen content, no keystrokes. Session-scoped enforcement only. Data retained for 24 hours by default. No browser extension. A lightweight ephemeral enclave tears itself down at session end.
“The enforcement is on the network and device level. The audit record is cryptographically signed metadata about what was and wasn't reachable, not a recording of the candidate.”
See the full data model on the trust page.
Comparison: Proctorio vs. Network-Layer Enforcement
| Capability | Proctorio | Aiseptor (Network Layer) |
|---|---|---|
| Browser extension required | Yes | No |
| Webcam data collected | Yes | No |
| Data retention | Extended (months) | 24 hours (default) |
| Named overlay (e.g. Cluely on a denylist) | Yes (process-name match) | Yes (technique match) |
| Renamed / unknown / forked overlays | No (not on the name list) | Yes |
| On-device LLM detection | No | Yes |
| Persistent installation post-session | Yes | No |
Who Should Use What
If your institution needs behavioral monitoring and recorded sessions for audit purposes, Proctorio provides that. If your concern is AI cheating that Proctorio's architecture cannot reach, and if privacy constraints are a factor, Aiseptor fills that surface.
Complementary, not either/or.
See also: Honorlock alternatives · Respondus alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Proctorio alternatives?
The right alternative depends on what gap you're filling. For AI cheating tools that operate at the OS layer (invisible overlays, local language models), network-layer enforcement is the architectural complement to browser-based proctoring. Aiseptor is the production deployment of that approach.
Does Proctorio collect webcam data?
Yes. Proctorio records webcam footage, screen activity, and behavioral signals. Data retention practices have been a documented concern for institutions subject to FERPA or GDPR, and the EPIC Privacy Coalition raised concerns about excessive biometric data collection in 2020.
Is Proctorio privacy compliant?
Proctorio operates under a privacy policy, but compliance depends on your jurisdiction and institutional requirements. Multiple universities have reviewed Proctorio's data practices and chosen to reduce or end their use based on privacy concerns.
Can Proctorio detect Cluely?
Proctorio has moved to detect Cluely by matching its process name. That catches the one named tool but not the technique. A renamed build, an open-source fork, or a different invisible overlay (Pluely, InterviewCoder, the next release) uses the same screen-capture-exclusion architecture under a different name and slips past a name-matching list. Aiseptor detects the exclusion flag itself, so it catches renamed and unknown overlays the same way.
If Proctorio added Cluely to a denylist, is the overlay problem solved?
No. A denylist is reactive — a tool must be known and named before it can be blocked, and invisible overlays are trivial to rename and fork. Aiseptor keys on the invariant every hiding overlay shares (the WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE screen-capture-exclusion flag) plus install-path, Electron renderer-tree, and GPU-memory signals, so it does not depend on having seen the tool before.
Is there an exam proctoring tool without webcam?
Yes. Aiseptor enforces exam integrity through network and device-layer controls with no webcam, no screen recording, and no behavioral surveillance. The security model is: control what the device can reach, not what the camera can see.
Where Aiseptor Fits: Beneath, Not Instead Of
Aiseptor is a layer, not a rip-and-replace. It sits beneath Proctorio — and beneath any lockdown browser or proctoring service — owning the device and network layer those tools architecturally cannot reach. Keep what you have for browser control or webcam proctoring; add Aiseptor for the OS- and network-level AI threats it was built to stop. The exam page can open in a normal browser while Aiseptor enforces the machine boundary.
What Aiseptor does not do: physical and environment security is out of scope. Aiseptor does not verify identity, watch the room, or catch a phone, a paper note, or an in-person accomplice off-camera. For those, pair Aiseptor with a live proctor or an identity-verification step. Aiseptor secures the device and the network path — not the physical room around it.
Exam security without the surveillance model.
No webcam, no screen recordings, no persistent extension. The audit record is cryptographically signed metadata, not footage of your candidates.