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APIs · head to head

Sanity vs Unit

Sanity logo

Sanity

APIs

Headless CMS with real-time collaborative editing and structured content APIs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Unit logo

Unit

APIs

Banking as a service platform for embedding deposit accounts, cards and payments, with a sponsor bank behind it

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Sanity has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Sanity free plan limited to 10,000 documents and 100GB assets; Unit your product depends on a sponsor bank you do not contract with directly, and 2024 showed what that means: Thread Bank received an FDIC enforcement action naming its banking as a service programmes and Blue Ridge Bank went under an OCC consent order and offboarded fintech partners.
  • They diverge on capability: Sanity covers Content API, Unit covers Deposit accounts.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Sanity and Unit actually diverge.

Attributes where Sanity and Unit differ
AttributeSanityUnit
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).

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 Sanity

  • Content API
  • Collaborative editing
  • Structured content
  • Webhooks
  • Third-party services
  • GROQ query language
  • Cloud support
  • JavaScript SDK support

Only in Unit

  • Deposit accounts
  • Card issuing
  • Payments
  • White label components
  • Compliance operations
  • Lending
  • Programme reporting
  • Sandbox

What people use each for

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

Sanity

  • Headless CMS for structured content managementnot Unit
  • Collaborative content editing with real-time multiplayer supportnot Unit
  • API-driven content delivery with GROQ query languagenot Unit

Unit

  • A vertical SaaS platform for contractors that wants to hold customer funds and issue expense cards without pursuing a charternot Sanity
  • A payroll or benefits platform embedding accounts so employees can be paid ahead of schedulenot Sanity
  • A marketplace that wants seller balances to sit in real accounts under its own brand rather than as ledger entries at a processornot Sanity
  • A company that needs interchange revenue from a card programme to make the unit economics of its core product worknot Sanity

Where each one falls short

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

Sanity

  • Free plan limited to 10,000 documents and 100GB assets
  • Free plan supports only public datasets
  • Growth plan capped at 50 seats maximum
  • Private datasets, scheduled drafts, and comments/tasks require paid plans
  • Annual billing unavailable for Growth plan; Enterprise-only

Unit

  • Your product depends on a sponsor bank you do not contract with directly, and 2024 showed what that means: Thread Bank received an FDIC enforcement action naming its banking as a service programmes and Blue Ridge Bank went under an OCC consent order and offboarded fintech partners.
  • Programme approval by the bank is a separate gate from signing with Unit, and it can add months and impose product restrictions that were not visible during the commercial conversation.
  • Compliance obligations are shared but the operational load lands on you, and platforms consistently underestimate the staffing needed for disputes, escalations and the bank ongoing oversight requests.
  • Pricing is unpublished and blends platform fees, per-account and per-transaction charges and interchange sharing, which makes it hard to model unit economics before you have volume and easy to be surprised by the minimum.
  • Migrating a live deposit programme to a different provider or bank is extremely disruptive because it involves moving customer accounts and card credentials, so switching costs are far higher than for ordinary software.

Pricing, plan by plan

Sanity

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 20 seats
    • 2 public datasets only
    • 10,000 documents included
  • Growth$15/month
    • Up to 50 seats per seat
    • 2 private or public datasets
    • 25,000 documents included
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom seats
    • Custom datasets
    • Custom document limits

Unit

On request
  • Unit Banking as a Service$undefined/year
    • Platform fee plus per-account and per-transaction charges, quoted
    • Interchange sharing arrangements negotiated per programme
    • Minimum commitment typical

Which should you pick?

Choose Sanity if

  • You need content api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want collaborative editing.
Sanity review

Choose Unit if

  • You need deposit accounts.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want card issuing.
Unit review

Questions people ask

Is Sanity or Unit better?
Neither clearly leads. Sanity starts at Free and Unit at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Sanity or Unit?
Sanity has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Sanity and On request for Unit.
Does Sanity or Unit run on more platforms?
Sanity runs on Web. Unit runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Sanity for free?
Yes. Sanity has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Unit starts at On request.
What is Sanity best used for?
Sanity is most often used for headless cms for structured content management, collaborative content editing with real-time multiplayer support, api-driven content delivery with groq query language. Of those, headless cms for structured content management and collaborative content editing with real-time multiplayer support are not what Unit is typically brought in for.
What can Sanity do that Unit cannot?
Sanity covers Content API, Collaborative editing, Structured content, Webhooks. Unit covers Deposit accounts, Card issuing, Payments, White label components.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Sanity: What does the Sanity Free plan include?

The Free plan includes up to 20 seats, 2 public datasets, 10,000 documents, 1 million API CDN requests per month, and 2 permission roles.

Source
Unit: Who actually holds the money?

A chartered partner bank, not Unit. Deposits sit at the sponsor bank and FDIC insurance flows from that bank, so its condition is your condition.

Sanity: How much does Sanity Growth plan cost per user?

The Growth plan costs $15 per seat per month, with up to 50 seats, and includes 25,000 documents, 1 million API CDN requests, and 5 permission roles.

Source
Unit: What happened with Unit sponsor banks in 2024?

Thread Bank received an FDIC enforcement action that explicitly named its banking as a service and lending as a service programmes, and Blue Ridge Bank was under an OCC consent order from January 2024 and offboarded fintech partners. Blue Ridge exited the order in late 2025.

Sanity: What is included in Sanity Enterprise pricing?

Enterprise pricing is custom and requires contacting sales. It includes custom seat limits, custom datasets, Single Sign-On, and dedicated support.

Source
Unit: What does Unit cost?

Not published. Expect a platform fee, per-account and per-transaction charges, an interchange share and a minimum commitment.

Sanity: Does Sanity offer annual billing discounts?

Annual and invoice payment options are available exclusively for Enterprise customers. Self-serve plans (Free and Growth) use monthly billing only.

Source
Unit: Do we need our own compliance team?

Yes. Unit supplies tooling and the bank sets the rules, but disputes, escalations and evidence for bank oversight require named people on your side.

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