An honest comparison. If the free ICO tools work for you, use them. Last checked 2 November 2026.
| Task | Doing it yourself with the free ICO tools (ico.org.uk) | DataSorted (planned) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Planned £15 a month (not charging yet) |
| Do I need to pay the ICO fee? | Free fee self-assessment on ico.org.uk | Short question set on your phone, then a link to ico.org.uk to pay the ICO directly. We never take the fee. |
| Privacy notice | Free ICO privacy notice generator for small businesses and sole traders | Guided questions; notice saved with your other records and flagged for yearly review |
| Record of the data you hold | ICO guidance and downloadable templates you fill in and store yourself | Simple phone form; kept in one place |
| Customer data requests | ICO guidance; you track deadlines yourself | Log with a reminder before the one-month deadline |
| Breaches | ICO guidance and breach self-assessment; you track the 72 hours yourself | Log with a 72-hour timer and a link to the ICO's guidance; you decide whether to report |
| Training | Free ICO "Data Protection Essentials" training for organisations under 250 staff | Not included. We'll point you to the free ICO training. |
| Official status | The ICO is the UK regulator | Independent private business. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the ICO. |
| Legal advice | Guidance, not advice about your situation | Not legal advice |
If you're happy reading guidance, filling in templates and keeping your own reminders, the free ICO tools are enough, and they cost nothing.
People who would rather pay a small monthly fee to have it all in one place on their phone, with logs and reminders, and not have to remember deadlines.
ICO small business hub: ico.org.uk/for-organisations/advice-for-small-organisations