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Government · head to head

mySidewalk vs Zscaler Internet Access

mySidewalk logo

mySidewalk

Government

Community data dashboards for local government and public health, prewired to federal datasets

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Zscaler Internet Access logo

Zscaler Internet Access

Cybersecurity

Secure cloud-native internet and SaaS access

From
$100/year
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: mySidewalk it produces analysis and presentation rather than operational change, so the value has to be re argued at every renewal against services with more visible outputs.; Zscaler Internet Access the pricing page names two base tiers, Essentials Platform and Zscaler Platform, plus modular add ons including three Digital Experience Monitoring tiers, but publishes no dollar figures anywhere and routes buyers to a demo request for cost
  • They diverge on capability: mySidewalk covers Prewired federal datasets, Zscaler Internet Access covers Secure web gateway.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which mySidewalk and Zscaler Internet Access actually diverge.

Attributes where mySidewalk and Zscaler Internet Access differ
AttributemySidewalkZscaler Internet Access
Starting priceOn request$100/year
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Desktop, Mobile
CategoryGovernmentCybersecurity
FoundedUnknown2007

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in mySidewalk

  • Prewired federal datasets
  • Margin of error handling
  • Custom geographies
  • Published dashboards
  • Local data integration
  • Report generation

Only in Zscaler Internet Access

  • Secure web gateway
  • Cloud firewall
  • URL filtering
  • Advanced threat protection
  • Data loss prevention
  • Cloud sandbox
  • Browser isolation
  • CASB

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

mySidewalk

  • A public health department producing a community health needs assessment on deadlinenot Zscaler Internet Access
  • A city applying for federal funding that requires demographic and disparity evidence for a service areanot Zscaler Internet Access
  • An agency that lost its only analyst who understood American Community Survey margins of errornot Zscaler Internet Access
  • A council wanting published neighbourhood indicator dashboards residents can browsenot Zscaler Internet Access

Zscaler Internet Access

  • Cloud Securitynot mySidewalk
  • Zero Trustnot mySidewalk
  • Web Securitynot mySidewalk

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

mySidewalk

  • It produces analysis and presentation rather than operational change, so the value has to be re argued at every renewal against services with more visible outputs.
  • Budget frequently comes from a grant, which means the subscription is exposed when the grant cycle ends rather than being protected as core infrastructure.
  • The prewired datasets are American, so the platform has effectively no value outside United States federal statistical sources.
  • Analytical depth is bounded by what the platform exposes, so an agency with a genuine analyst will hit the ceiling and move to a statistical environment.
  • Small area estimates remain small area estimates, and presenting them as polished dashboards can lend unwarranted confidence to figures whose error bars overlap.

Zscaler Internet Access

  • The pricing page names two base tiers, Essentials Platform and Zscaler Platform, plus modular add ons including three Digital Experience Monitoring tiers, but publishes no dollar figures anywhere and routes buyers to a demo request for cost

Pricing, plan by plan

mySidewalk

On request
  • mySidewalk$undefined/year
    • Quoted annually by agency scope and dataset needs
    • Custom geography and local data integration work priced separately
    • No public price list, though agency contracts are public records

Zscaler Internet Access

$100/year
  • ZIA Business$100/year
    • Web security
    • URL filtering
    • Cloud firewall
  • ZIA Transformation$200/year
    • All Business features
    • Advanced threat protection
    • Cloud sandbox
  • ZIA Unlimited$350/year
    • All Transformation features
    • Cloud browser isolation
    • CASB

Which should you pick?

Choose mySidewalk if

  • You need prewired federal datasets.
  • You also want margin of error handling.
mySidewalk review

Choose Zscaler Internet Access if

  • You need secure web gateway.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want cloud firewall.
Zscaler Internet Access review

Questions people ask

Is mySidewalk or Zscaler Internet Access better?
Neither clearly leads. mySidewalk starts at On request and Zscaler Internet Access at $100/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, mySidewalk or Zscaler Internet Access?
mySidewalk starts at On request and Zscaler Internet Access at $100/year.
Does mySidewalk or Zscaler Internet Access run on more platforms?
mySidewalk runs on Web. Zscaler Internet Access runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
What is mySidewalk best used for?
mySidewalk is most often used for a public health department producing a community health needs assessment on deadline, a city applying for federal funding that requires demographic and disparity evidence for a service area, an agency that lost its only analyst who understood american community survey margins of error, a council wanting published neighbourhood indicator dashboards residents can browse. Of those, a public health department producing a community health needs assessment on deadline and a city applying for federal funding that requires demographic and disparity evidence for a service area are not what Zscaler Internet Access is typically brought in for.
What can mySidewalk do that Zscaler Internet Access cannot?
mySidewalk covers Prewired federal datasets, Margin of error handling, Custom geographies, Published dashboards. Zscaler Internet Access covers Secure web gateway, Cloud firewall, URL filtering, Advanced threat protection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

mySidewalk: What problem does it actually solve?

Correct use of American Community Survey and federal health data for small geographies, which is difficult and is usually held by one person in an agency.

Zscaler Internet Access: How many pricing tiers does Zscaler Internet Access offer?

Zscaler Internet Access offers two main platform bundles: the Essentials Platform (entry-level) and the Zscaler Platform (comprehensive). Specific pricing is not published online.

Source
mySidewalk: Is it useful outside the United States?

No. Its value is the maintained pipeline into US federal statistical datasets.

Zscaler Internet Access: Are there optional add-on modules available?

Yes. Zscaler offers extensive optional capabilities in five categories including Inline Cyberthreat Protection, Private Access enhancements, Data Security, Security Operations, and Zero Trust Branch.

Source
mySidewalk: Who buys it?

Mostly public health departments and city planning or performance teams, often funded from a grant that requires the evidence it produces.

Zscaler Internet Access: How is Zscaler Zero Trust Branch priced?

Zero Trust Branch is sized by encrypted throughput (200 Mbps to 10 Gbps) or endpoint count (200 to 5,000 endpoints), with pricing varying by configuration.

Source
mySidewalk: Can we see comparable contract values?

Yes. Agency contracts are public records and appear in council and health board agenda materials.

Zscaler Internet Access: How do I get Zscaler pricing?

Zscaler does not publish pricing online. You must request a demo or contact their sales team to receive a pricing quote.

Source
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