# Hawcx vs Keycard for AI agent authentication

> Hawcx vs Keycard: both give AI agents runtime credentials. Hawcx also carries a person’s proof to every action and makes each grant single-use.

Markdown version of <https://www.hawcx.com/compare/hawcx-vs-keycard>. Last updated 2026-10-03.

Both give AI agents credentials at runtime instead of standing secrets. Hawcx also roots each agent in a person’s phishing-resistant sign-in, carries proof of who delegated every action, and makes each grant single-use.

## Hawcx vs Keycard, side by side

Nine capabilities: the six most vendors now cover, and the three that carry a person’s authority to each action.

| Capability | Hawcx | Keycard |
|---|---|---|
| The basics |   |   |
| Discovery: Finds the agents already running across your tools. | Partial | Not covered |
| Zero standing credentials: Agents hold no long-lived secrets; access is issued when it’s needed. | Full | Full |
| Agent authentication: Each agent proves its own identity. | Full | Full |
| Authorization policy: Rules decide what each agent may do. | Full | Full |
| Runtime enforcement: Every call is checked before it runs. | Full | Full |
| Governance and audit: A record of every agent, its owner and its actions. | Full | Partial |
| From the person to the action |   |   |
| Phishing-resistant human root of trust: The agent’s authority starts with a person’s phishing-resistant sign-in. | Full | Not covered |
| Proof of delegation on every action: Each action carries proof that a specific person delegated it. | Full | Partial |
| A single-use grant for every tool call: A captured call can’t run twice. | Full | Not covered |

Based on public materials, September 2026.

## Which one fits?

### Choose Hawcx when

Every agent action has to trace back to a person with cryptographic proof, sensitive actions should wait for a person to approve, and a captured call must fail if it’s replayed.

### Choose Keycard when

Your agents mainly need runtime credentials and policy to reach your APIs and SaaS, and your identity provider already handles how people sign in.

[All comparisons](https://www.hawcx.com/compare)