When you have a citizen problem and you are not sure whether to file an RTI, a grievance on CPGRAMS, an FIR, a consumer-court case, or a Lokayukta complaint, this hub points you to every side-by-side comparison on RTI Wiki. Each link below is a working, citizen-tested guide, written for normal people, not lawyers.
Quick answer. RTI Wiki has 26 comparison pages across four buckets: (1) RTI vs other complaint routes, (2) RTI tools and portals compared, (3) state and government channel comparisons, and (4) scam-vs-real / scheme-vs-scheme guides. Pick the bucket that matches your problem, open the page, and decide in under two minutes.
This page is built so you can stop guessing. If you came here because somebody told you “just file an RTI”, check first whether RTI is even the right tool — that is exactly the question The RTI Playbook and the pages below answer.
Most citizen channels in India overlap. CPGRAMS, RTI, Lokayukta, consumer court, FIR, NCR, and 30+ state portals each have a different job, a different timeline, and a different cost. Picking the wrong one costs weeks. Picking the right one often gets a reply in 30 days under a statutory deadline (RTI Act 2005, §7(1)).
If your question is a money or service complaint, RTI alone rarely fixes it — you usually need RTI plus a grievance route. The pages below show exactly which pairing works for which situation.
These pages compare RTI to the main grievance and legal channels Indians actually use.
If you have already decided to file an RTI, the next question is how. Voice or typing? AI drafter or template? Free site or paid service? These pages answer.
The “which portal” question kills more RTIs than any other mistake. Pick the wrong jurisdiction and you wait 35 days for a one-line rejection.
Not every citizen comparison is about RTI. These pages compare government schemes, paper credentials, and real-vs-fake messages so you do not lose money or career years.
Use RTI when you need a document, file noting, or specific number — for example “give me the file noting on my pension case” or “give me the inspection report”. Use a grievance portal (CPGRAMS, state grievance system) when you want action — payment, transfer, posting, refund. Most citizen problems need both: RTI to get the paper trail, then a grievance with the RTI reply attached.
No. These pages are citizen guides, not legal advice. They cite statutes, rules, and Supreme Court / High Court rulings where relevant, and every fact is verified before publishing. For court-quality advice, consult a lawyer — but the comparison pages will tell you whether you actually need one.
Read the Quick answer block at the top of each comparison page first. If you are still unsure after two pages, open the decision matrix — it covers 10 channels in one table with cost, timeline, and success-rate columns.
Yes. Portal uptime numbers, fees, statutory deadlines, and form versions are checked against government sources before each refresh. The 2026-dated pages were verified within the last 60 days. If you spot a stale number, every page has a footer email so you can flag it.
Because citizens ask “which one should I use” every single day. Each comparison started as a real WhatsApp question from a user, then became a permanent page so the next person does not have to ask. That is also why the comparisons are honest about RTI Wiki vs commercial services — we are not trying to lock you into a paid filing service.
If you read only one page after this hub, read the decision matrix — it is the single most-trafficked comparison on the site. If you are filing your first RTI, start with RTI vs Complaint and then jump into The RTI Playbook for the full filing-to-appeal walkthrough.
Need to file right now? Use the AI RTI Drafter (free) or the First Appeal Builder if your 30-day deadline has passed.