Sanitext vs Tonic Textual
Sanitext is the better Tonic Textual alternative when you want a simple, self-serve PII redaction API with published flat pricing and no per-token AI cost. Tonic Textual fits teams that need synthetic data replacement to preserve utility for model training. For fast prompt and log redaction, pick Sanitext.
Tonic Textual is a data platform that detects PII and swaps it for synthetic values to keep data useful for training. Sanitext is a focused API that detects and redacts PII. This page compares the two fairly so you can pick the right tool.
Sanitext vs Tonic Textual: feature and price comparison
| Sanitext | Tonic Textual | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat tiers, published. Free, $29, $149, $499/mo. Overage $0.35–0.60 per 1M chars | Usage-based per 1,000 words, exact rate gated behind signup |
| Languages | 30+ languages | Broad language and entity coverage |
| Redaction output | Masked spans like [EMAIL], [PHONE], [NAME] | Synthetic replacement that preserves data utility |
| Self-serve | Yes. Sign up, Stripe, API key, curl in 60 seconds | Platform signup, pricing not public |
| Data residency | EU data residency and DPA on Enterprise; no raw-text retention | SOC 2 audited platform |
| Free tier | One-time 300K characters, no card, never resets | Not published |
| Integration | Two REST endpoints: /v1/detect and /v1/redact | LangChain integration, file connectors, dataset tooling |
What is the difference between Sanitext and Tonic Textual?
Tonic Textual is a broader data platform. Its main trick is synthetic replacement: instead of masking a name, it swaps it for a fake but realistic name so the text stays useful for analytics and model training. It is SOC 2 audited and ships a LangChain integration. Pricing is usage-based per 1,000 words, but the exact rate sits behind signup.
Sanitext is a single-purpose API. You send text, you get back entity spans or redacted text with masks like [EMAIL] or [PHONE]. It detects PII in 30+ languages and runs on our own Cloudflare infrastructure on an open-weights model, so there is zero per-token AI cost. That lets us publish flat, transparent prices and never send your text to a third-party LLM.
Pick Tonic Textual when data utility after redaction matters most. Pick Sanitext when you want a fast, cheap, self-serve API to clean text before it hits an LLM, a log, or a support tool.
How do Sanitext and Tonic Textual compare on price and features?
The table below lines up the facts that usually decide the call. Sanitext publishes every price and gives you a free one-time 300K characters with no card. Tonic Textual gates its per-1,000-word rate behind a signup, which makes budgeting harder for a quick integration.
When Tonic Textual is the better choice
We will be straight with you. Tonic Textual is the stronger pick in several real cases.
Choose Tonic Textual if you need synthetic replacement that preserves data utility. Masking a date as [DATE] destroys the value for a model that needs to learn date patterns. Tonic swaps in a realistic fake date instead, which keeps the dataset trainable.
Choose Tonic Textual if you are building large training or analytics datasets and want a managed platform with file connectors, dataset versioning, and a deeper entity catalog out of the box. It also carries a SOC 2 report and a native LangChain integration, which some procurement and RAG teams require.
Sanitext is a redaction and data-minimization aid, not an anonymization or compliance guarantee, and it does not generate synthetic replacements. If those are your core needs, Tonic Textual fits better.
Where Sanitext wins
Sanitext is built for speed, clarity, and cost.
Transparent flat pricing. You see every tier before you sign up: Free 300K chars one-time, Hobby $29/mo for 12M chars, Pro $149/mo for 120M, Scale $499/mo for 450M. Overage runs $0.35 to $0.60 per 1M characters, up to about 2x cheaper than metered hyperscalers.
Zero per-token AI cost. We own the open-weights model and run it on our own infra, so there is no LLM markup hiding in your bill and your text never goes to a third-party model.
60-second self-serve. Sign up, pay through Stripe, get an API key, and run a curl. No demo call, no sales gate, no quote request.
Two clean endpoints. POST /v1/detect returns spans with label, byte offsets, score, and text. POST /v1/redact returns the same text with each span masked as [LABEL]. Labels cover FIRSTNAME, LASTNAME, EMAIL, PHONE, ADDRESS, DATE, URL, ACCOUNT, SECRET, and PREFIX.
Privacy posture. EU data residency and a DPA are available on Enterprise, and we keep no raw text. We log counts and timings only.
How to switch from Tonic Textual to Sanitext
Migration is light because Sanitext is a plain HTTP API.
1. Sign up at sanitext.app and grab your API key. The free tier gives you 300K characters to test with no card.
2. Map your needs. If you only used Tonic for masking PII before an LLM call or a log write, swap the call to POST /v1/redact. If you parsed entities, use POST /v1/detect and read the spans.
3. Replace synthetic replacement carefully. Sanitext masks, it does not generate synthetic stand-ins. If a downstream model needs realistic fake values, keep Tonic for that dataset and use Sanitext for real-time redaction paths.
4. Update labels. Sanitext returns fixed labels like [EMAIL] and [PHONE]. Adjust any code that expected Tonic's entity names or synthetic output.
5. Test on a sample, then cut over. Run the playground or a small batch, confirm the spans match your expectations across your languages, then move production traffic.
- —Test free with 300K characters, no card
- —Swap masking calls to POST /v1/redact
- —Use POST /v1/detect for entity spans
- —Keep Tonic only for synthetic training data if you need it
bash
curl https://api.sanitext.app/v1/redact \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $SANITEXT_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"text": "Email Dr. Jane Doe at jane@acme.com or call +1 415 555 0132."}'
# Response
# {
# "text": "Email [PREFIX] [FIRSTNAME] [LASTNAME] at [EMAIL] or call [PHONE]."
# }FAQ
Is Sanitext a good Tonic Textual alternative?+
Yes, if you want a simple, self-serve PII redaction API with published flat pricing in 30+ languages. Sanitext runs on its own infra with zero per-token AI cost and never sends text to a third-party LLM. Tonic Textual fits better when you need synthetic data for model training.
Does Sanitext do synthetic data replacement like Tonic Textual?+
No. Sanitext masks PII with labels like [EMAIL] and [PHONE]. It does not generate realistic fake stand-ins to preserve data utility. If you need synthetic replacement for training datasets, Tonic Textual is the right tool. Sanitext targets real-time redaction before LLMs, logs, and support tools.
How much does Sanitext cost compared to Tonic Textual?+
Sanitext publishes flat tiers: Free 300K chars one-time, Hobby $29/mo, Pro $149/mo, Scale $499/mo, with overage at $0.35–0.60 per 1M characters. Tonic Textual charges usage-based per 1,000 words but does not publish its rate, so you must sign up to see pricing.
Can I switch from Tonic Textual to Sanitext without a sales call?+
Yes. Sanitext is fully self-serve. Sign up, pay through Stripe, get an API key, and call POST /v1/redact in about 60 seconds. The free tier gives 300K characters with no card so you can test before you commit.
Is Sanitext a compliance guarantee?+
No. Sanitext is a redaction and data-minimization aid, not an anonymization or compliance guarantee. It helps you cut PII exposure before text reaches an LLM, log, or vendor, but you still own your compliance program. EU data residency and a DPA are available on Enterprise.
Redact PII in 60 seconds
Start free with 300K characters, no card. Sign up, grab an API key, and run your first /v1/redact call today.
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