This comparison is part of our MCP comparisons, within The MCP Guide. Facts are checked against each vendor's own documentation and pricing pages on the date shown.
Pick Mintive if you want one managed platform for both MCP tools and LLM traffic, with role-based tool bundles and a large connector library. Pick Runlayer if your priority is security: policy on every call, runtime scans and finding MCP servers staff installed on their own.
Both are managed, closed-source gateways for larger companies, and neither publishes prices. Expect a sales call either way.
Checked against: Mintive's pricing page and Runlayer's MCP Gateway page on 28 October 2026. eSEOspace did not test either product.
Key Takeaways
- Mintive is the new name of MintMCP; its homepage title reads "Mintive (formerly MintMCP): Infrastructure for the agentic enterprise."
- Mintive bundles an MCP Gateway, an LLM Proxy and 1,000+ pre-built connectors in every plan, per its pricing page.
- Runlayer's gateway checks OAuth, identity-aware policy and security scans on every call, with policies down to single tools and resources.
- Runlayer says its Shadow AI feature finds unmanaged AI use on company devices through existing device management (MDM).
- Mintive says it is SOC 2 Type II audited with a HIPAA BAA available; Runlayer says it is SOC 2 certified, HIPAA and GDPR compliant.
At a glance
| Item | Mintive | Runlayer |
|---|---|---|
| Former name | MintMCP | Not applicable |
| Main focus | Gateway plus LLM proxy and agent monitoring | Gateway plus runtime security and shadow AI discovery |
| Tool grouping | Role-based MCP bundles | Policies per server, tool, resource, user, group, role, agent, client |
| Connectors | 1,000+ pre-built, plus custom hosted | 200+ MCPs in its catalog; custom MCPs from any API |
| Clients | ChatGPT and Claude named in docs | 20+ AI clients, including Cursor, Claude Code, ChatGPT, VS Code, Codex |
| Monitoring | Agent Monitor; Mint Guard screening | Real-time scans; audit trail per request |
| Device discovery | Not documented | Shadow AI through existing MDM |
| Deployment | Cloud, managed by Mint | Not stated on the pages checked |
| Compliance (vendor claims) | SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA BAA, pen tested | SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR |
| Pricing | Custom; per user plus platform fees | Not published; book a demo |
Where Mintive is stronger
One platform for tools and models
Mintive's pricing page lists an MCP Gateway described as "managed MCP server hosting" and an LLM Proxy to route and monitor model traffic. Both come in every plan. If you want one vendor for tool calls and model calls, that saves a second product.
Role-based bundles
The Mintive homepage says admins can approve which servers teams use, bundle them by role and disable destructive tools. A sales rep might get CRM and calendar tools, while finance gets accounting tools with delete actions turned off. Our guide to excessive permissions explains why trimming tools matters.
Connector library
Every plan lists custom hosted connectors and "1,000+ pre-built connectors." Mintive's docs say you can deploy MCP servers your whole organization can use in ChatGPT and Claude, with hosted connectors that need no local installs.
Tracing to a person
The homepage says "every call traces back to a person, agent, server, and model." Mint Guard screens calls for prompt injection, leaked secrets and personal data. Logs can go to a SIEM or stream over OTLP, a standard telemetry format.
Where Runlayer is stronger
Policy at every level
Runlayer's MCP Gateway page says the gateway checks OAuth and session state, applies identity-aware policy, runs security scans and logs each call. Policies can target whole servers, specific tools or specific resources. They can also depend on users, groups, roles, agent accounts, the client in use and runtime conditions.
Detailed audit records
Each request is logged with the actor, client, connector, tool, policy result, scan metadata and outcome, per Runlayer. That level of detail helps when you need to answer "who ran what, and why was it allowed." Our MCP audit logging guide lists the fields worth keeping.
Runtime scans and approvals
Runlayer's homepage says built-in scanners detect agent intent drift, personal data, data exfiltration and other risky behavior. You can start in alert-only mode, then switch to blocking. Policies can also require human approval for risky actions.
Finding shadow AI
Runlayer's llms.txt summary says Shadow AI discovers AI use on managed devices through existing MDM, "with no employee opt-in." If staff have already connected MCP servers on their own, this helps you find them before you set policy.
Broad client support
Runlayer says it supports 20+ AI clients, including Cursor, Claude Code, ChatGPT, VS Code, GitHub Copilot, Codex and Windsurf (now Devin Desktop). Its llms.txt says its integrations page lists 27 publicly supported clients.
Pricing
Neither vendor publishes dollar amounts as of 28 October 2026.
| Item | Mintive | Runlayer |
|---|---|---|
| Model | "Custom pricing based on team size and needs," per-user licensing plus platform fees | Not stated |
| Team tiers shown | 1 to 100, 101 to 1,000, 1,001 to 9,999, 10,000+ users | Not shown |
| How to buy | Book a consultation or email sales | Book a demo |
| Enterprise add-ons | SAML and OIDC SSO, SCIM sync, OpenTelemetry export, SLAs, managed agents (early access) | Not published |
Ask both for a quote at your exact user count, and ask what counts as a user. Agent accounts may be billed differently.
Security and admin controls
| Control | Mintive | Runlayer |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-in | SAML and OIDC SSO on Enterprise | OAuth and session validation on each call |
| User sync | SCIM with Okta, Azure AD, Google Workspace (Enterprise) | Not detailed on the pages checked |
| Agent identity | Agents get their own credentials and audit trail, per docs | Policies can target agent accounts |
| Screening | Mint Guard: prompt injection, secrets, personal data | Scanners: intent drift, PII, exfiltration |
| Human approval | Disable destructive tools | Require approval for risky actions |
| Log export | SIEM or OTLP | Audit trail per request |
| Compliance (vendor claims) | SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA BAA, pen tested; Trust Center at a mintmcp.com address | SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR; Trust Center |
| Self-hosting | Not offered on the pricing page | Not stated |
All compliance claims above are the vendors' own. Ask each for its SOC 2 report and BAA terms. Our MCP vendor security questionnaire gives you the questions.
Which to choose
Pick Mintive if:
- You want MCP tools and LLM routing from one vendor.
- You want ready-made connectors and role-based bundles for many teams.
- Fully managed cloud hosting suits your policies.
Pick Runlayer if:
- Security owns the rollout and wants fine-grained policy and runtime scans.
- You suspect staff already run unmanaged MCP servers and need to find them.
- You need wide AI client coverage, including coding agents.
Consider other options if you must self-host. Neither page we checked lists a self-hosted edition. See our MCP gateways list, the Mintive spotlight, the Runlayer spotlight and our other MCP comparisons.
Next step
Before either demo, list the AI clients your staff use and the MCP servers they already connect. That inventory makes both sales calls faster and the quotes more accurate. Our MCP readiness audit can build it with you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mintive the same as MintMCP?
Yes. Mintive's homepage title says "Mintive (formerly MintMCP)," and its Trust Center link still uses a mintmcp.com address.
Do Mintive or Runlayer publish prices?
No. Mintive quotes per-user licensing plus platform fees by team size. Runlayer's gateway page offers only "Book a demo."
Can I self-host either gateway?
Mintive's pricing page lists only cloud hosting managed by Mint. Runlayer's pages we checked do not state self-hosted or VPC options, so ask its sales team.
Which is better for finding MCP servers employees installed themselves?
Runlayer documents this directly. Its Shadow AI feature uses existing device management to discover unmanaged AI use. Mintive's pages we checked do not describe device discovery.
