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The exam-security market is usually compared as one list, which is misleading — the tools operate at different layers and defend against different threats. A webcam service and a lockdown browser aren't competing answers to the same question; they cover different attack surfaces. Below, the leading 2026 platforms are grouped by what they actually do, with a neutral summary and a "best for" line for each.

How to read this: match the category to your threat first, then pick within it. We build a network-layer tool (Aiseptor), so we've kept the per-tool descriptions factual and capability-based rather than evaluative.

Category 1 — Webcam & behavioral proctoring services

These monitor the candidate through a camera and behavioral signals. Strongest for identity verification, physical-room anomalies, and human review; by design they observe the person, not the device.

• Honorlock — Browser-based proctoring with live "pop-in" human proctors and automated flagging, widely used in higher education. Best for: institutions wanting on-demand human proctors layered over automation.
• Proctorio — Fully automated, AI-driven behavioral and screen monitoring that scales to large cohorts without scheduling. Best for: high-volume automated proctoring.
• ProctorU (Meazure Learning) — Live human proctors paired with AI monitoring for high-stakes exams. Best for: programs that require a human in the loop.
• Talview — Proctoring plus a broader hiring/assessment suite with behavioral AI. Best for: teams wanting proctoring inside a wider talent platform.
• Examity — Proctoring with configurable automation-to-live tiers. Best for: programs that want to dial proctoring intensity by exam.

Category 2 — Lockdown & secure browsers

These lock the exam window — disabling other tabs, copy/paste, and navigation. Strongest for controlling the application environment; by design they enforce inside one window.

• Respondus LockDown Browser — The most widely LMS-integrated lockdown browser, common in higher education. Best for: LMS-native exam-window lockdown.
• Safe Exam Browser (SEB) — Free, open-source kiosk-mode lockdown with macOS and Windows support. Best for: budget-conscious, self-hosted lockdown.
• ExamSoft / Examplify — A secure exam application for high-stakes, often offline, testing (law, medical, nursing boards). Best for: offline high-stakes licensure exams.
• Pearson OnVUE / PSI Secure Browser — Secure-browser delivery bundled with proctoring for certification and licensure. Best for: established certification-body delivery.
• Aiseptor Secure Browser (in beta) — A secure exam browser for macOS and Windows backed by OS- and network-layer enforcement, so it also blocks AI overlays and on-device LLMs that run outside the browser. Best for: lockdown that also closes the device/network gap, without a webcam.

Category 3 — Technical-assessment platforms (built-in integrity)

For coding interviews and technical hiring, the assessment platforms themselves include integrity tooling — suspicion scoring, behavioral signals, and plagiarism checks.

• HackerRank — Coding assessments with proctoring add-ons and plagiarism detection. Best for: high-volume coding screens.
• Codility — Technical assessments with similarity checks and integrity signals. Best for: structured engineering hiring funnels.
• CodeSignal — Coding assessments with a behavioral "Suspicion Score." Best for: standardized technical screening with built-in fraud signals.

Note: these platforms detect after the fact and report fraud rates — CodeSignal reported proctored-assessment fraud rising from 16% to 35% in 2025, and Fabric found 48% of technical candidates flagged, with 61% of flagged cheaters still advancing. Detection and prevention are complementary; see why detection keeps losing.

Category 4 — Network-layer security (AI-cheating prevention)

The newest category targets the device and network layer — where AI overlays, on-device LLMs, and remote-access tools operate — and prevents rather than detects.

• Aiseptor — A network-layer security platform that enforces a per-session, default-deny policy at the OS and network layer, blocking invisible AI overlays, on-device LLMs, and remote-access tools without a webcam or kernel driver. Complements physical proctoring; replaces standalone lockdown browsers. Best for: preventing AI-assisted cheating on BYOD devices, privacy-sensitive programs.

How to choose

1. Identity and the physical room → a webcam proctoring service (Category 1).
2. Lock the exam window → a lockdown/secure browser (Category 2).
3. Technical hiring at volume → an assessment platform's built-in integrity (Category 3).
4. Prevent AI overlays, on-device LLMs, and remote access — especially without a webcam → network-layer security (Category 4).

Because these cover different layers, the strongest 2026 stacks combine them — most commonly a physical-monitoring tool for identity with a device/network-layer tool for AI cheating. For a deeper methods breakdown, see our guide on how to prevent AI cheating in online assessments, or the alternatives comparisons for tool-by-tool detail.

This comparison is maintained by Aiseptor, which builds network-layer exam security. Descriptions of other tools are based on their publicly documented capabilities; corrections are welcome at hello@aiseptor.com.