RTI Wiki vs commercial RTI filing services — long-term cost analysis
TL;DR. A typical Indian citizen who files RTI moves through 3 phases: (1) curious-once: try a paid service for ease; (2) regular-user: switch to RTI Wiki + Speed Post; (3) activist: pure DIY. The savings compound: ~Rs 4,000+/year for regular users.
Annual cost comparison (10 RTIs/year)
| Service | Per-RTI | 10 RTIs | First Appeal extra | Total |
| RTI Wiki + Speed Post | Rs 32 | Rs 320 | Rs 0 | Rs 320 |
| rtionline.gov.in (online) | Rs 10 | Rs 100 | Rs 0 | Rs 100 |
| FileMyRTI | Rs 199-499 | Rs 1,990-4,990 | Rs 199 | Rs 2,189-5,189 |
| OnlineRTI | Rs 149-399 | Rs 1,490-3,990 | Rs 149 | Rs 1,639-4,139 |
| LegalWiz / Vakilsearch | Rs 999+ | Rs 9,990+ | Rs 999+ | Rs 10,989+ |
Where commercial wins
- Time saved: 0 minutes filing-related logistics. For a CXO who values their hour at Rs 5,000+, this can pencil.
- Anonymity: filed via 3rd party — useful for whistleblowers (though your name still appears on the application).
- Postage handled: no Speed Post visit.
Where DIY wins
- Cost — 10x to 30x cheaper.
- Skill — you learn the law, become harder to fool.
- Speed — file in minutes, not 1-2 days for the service to process.
- Privacy — your name + address don't sit in a 3rd party's database.
- First Appeal & beyond — commercial services charge per stage; RTI Wiki tools are free at every stage.
Verdict
For regular RTI users (journalists, activists, retirees, parents, RWA office-bearers), DIY via RTI Wiki saves Rs. 2,000-10,000/year. For one-shot urgent filers, commercial may be worth the convenience.
Related
Last reviewed: 25 April 2026.
More comparisons: browse every RTI-vs-alternative side-by-side in RTI vs Alternatives: the full comparison hub <!– rti-wiki-comparisons-hub-2026-vs-start –>
Reader signal
Was this article useful?
Tap once if it helped you. These counters show other citizens which pages are worth reading.