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Cybersecurity · head to head

Unit21 vs Zscaler Internet Access

Unit21 logo

Unit21

Cybersecurity

No-code fraud and AML risk operations platform for fintechs and neobanks

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zscaler Internet Access logo

Zscaler Internet Access

Cybersecurity

Secure cloud-native internet and SaaS access

From
$100/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Unit21 it is built for fintech scale rather than card issuer scale, so organisations reaching very high transaction volumes generally re-evaluate against heavier platforms and face a migration.; 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: Unit21 covers No-code rule builder, Zscaler Internet Access covers Secure web gateway.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Unit21 and Zscaler Internet Access actually diverge.

Attributes where Unit21 and Zscaler Internet Access differ
AttributeUnit21Zscaler Internet Access
Starting priceOn request$100/year
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Desktop, Mobile
FoundedUnknown2007

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

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 Unit21

  • No-code rule builder
  • Case management
  • SAR filing
  • Backtesting
  • Identity and device signals
  • Data ingestion API

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.

Unit21

  • A neobank whose sponsor bank requires a documented monitoring programme before it will keep the BIN sponsorshipnot Zscaler Internet Access
  • A crypto exchange needing SAR filing and case management without building an internal compliance engineering teamnot Zscaler Internet Access
  • A payments startup where the fraud lead needs to ship a new rule the same day a new attack pattern appearsnot Zscaler Internet Access
  • A lender consolidating fraud alerts from three point tools into one investigator queue with a single audit trailnot Zscaler Internet Access

Zscaler Internet Access

  • Cloud Securitynot Unit21
  • Zero Trustnot Unit21
  • Web Securitynot Unit21

Where each one falls short

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

Unit21

  • It is built for fintech scale rather than card issuer scale, so organisations reaching very high transaction volumes generally re-evaluate against heavier platforms and face a migration.
  • No-code rule authoring shifts power to the risk team, which is the point, but without governance it produces rule sprawl that nobody can explain to an examiner two years later.
  • Detection quality depends on the signals you feed it, so a thin integration produces thin results and the platform cannot compensate with proprietary consortium data the way larger vendors do.
  • Pricing is quoted by volume with an annual commitment, so a fintech whose growth stalls pays for headroom it did not use.
  • SAR filing coverage is oriented to United States FinCEN reporting, so firms filing in the United Kingdom, European Union or Asia handle those submissions outside the tool.

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

Unit21

On request
  • Unit21 Platform$undefined/year
    • Priced by monitored volume and modules, annual contract
    • Fraud, AML and case management packaged separately
    • Implementation and historical data backfill quoted with the subscription

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 Unit21 if

  • You need no-code rule builder.
  • You also want case management.
Unit21 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 Unit21 or Zscaler Internet Access better?
Neither clearly leads. Unit21 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, Unit21 or Zscaler Internet Access?
Unit21 starts at On request and Zscaler Internet Access at $100/year.
Does Unit21 or Zscaler Internet Access run on more platforms?
Unit21 runs on Web. Zscaler Internet Access runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
What is Unit21 best used for?
Unit21 is most often used for a neobank whose sponsor bank requires a documented monitoring programme before it will keep the bin sponsorship, a crypto exchange needing sar filing and case management without building an internal compliance engineering team, a payments startup where the fraud lead needs to ship a new rule the same day a new attack pattern appears, a lender consolidating fraud alerts from three point tools into one investigator queue with a single audit trail. Of those, a neobank whose sponsor bank requires a documented monitoring programme before it will keep the bin sponsorship and a crypto exchange needing sar filing and case management without building an internal compliance engineering team are not what Zscaler Internet Access is typically brought in for.
What can Unit21 do that Zscaler Internet Access cannot?
Unit21 covers No-code rule builder, Case management, SAR filing, Backtesting. Zscaler Internet Access covers Secure web gateway, Cloud firewall, URL filtering, Advanced threat protection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Unit21: Do we need engineers to run it?

Only for the initial data integration. After that the design intent is that risk and compliance staff author and deploy rules themselves.

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
Unit21: Does it file SARs?

Yes, it generates and electronically files suspicious activity reports to FinCEN. Non-US regimes are not covered to the same depth.

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
Unit21: Can we test a rule before it goes live?

Yes. Backtesting against historical data to see projected alert volume is one of the more useful parts of the product, because alert volume is the real cost.

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
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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