Clerk vs PII Blackout
Both sit in security & privacy. Here is how they differ on the things you can actually check.
On price: Clerk starts $4 a month cheaper than PII Blackout ($25 against $29, 14% less) on its Pro tier. Paying annually takes Clerk to $20/mo (20% off). Both figures were read from the vendors' own pricing pages on the dates shown below.
Clerk
clerk.com
Authentication and user management with ready-made components, organisations, MFA and session handling for modern frameworks.
PII Blackout
piiblackout.com
A Windows desktop app that finds personal data in PDF, Word and Excel files, such as Social Security, bank account and credit card numbers, client names and your own case keywords, and blacks it out on your computer: documents are not uploaded, and the app goes online only to sign in and check the subscription. Pattern rules scan every page first, then a PII model built on Microsoft Presidio and GLiNER refines the matches, and you review each highlighted match before anything is removed. Removed text is erased from the page image rather than covered, and every job can export a page-by-page report of what was taken out. The free tier handles 3 PDFs a day of up to 15 pages each; Starter allows one device and 100 pages a month, and Professional removes the page limit and adds batch folders on up to two devices. Its download page lists a Mac version as still in development.
| Clerk | PII Blackout | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $25/mo | $29/mo |
| Entry plan | Pro | Starter |
| Paid annually | $20/mosave 20% | — |
| Price checked | 19 Oct 2026 | 4 Nov 2026 |
| Pricing model | Free plan | Free plan |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Category | Security & Privacy | Security & Privacy |
| Around since | 2020 | — |
Every price here was read from the vendor's own pricing page, most recently on 4 Nov 2026. Entry tier only — vendors change pricing without notice.
Clerk vs PII Blackout, answered
- Is Clerk cheaper than PII Blackout?
- Yes. Clerk starts at $25 a month against PII Blackout's $29, 14% less.
- Do Clerk or PII Blackout have a free plan?
- Both do. Clerk and PII Blackout each publish an ongoing free tier rather than a time-limited trial.
- What is the difference between Clerk and PII Blackout?
- Clerk: Authentication and user management with ready-made components, organisations, MFA and session handling for modern frameworks. PII Blackout: A Windows desktop app that finds personal data in PDF, Word and Excel files, such as Social Security, bank account and credit card numbers, client names and your own case keywords, and blacks it out on your computer: documents are not uploaded, and the app goes online only to sign in and check the subscription. Pattern rules scan every page first, then a PII model built on Microsoft Presidio and GLiNER refines the matches, and you review each highlighted match before anything is removed. Removed text is erased from the page image rather than covered, and every job can export a page-by-page report of what was taken out. The free tier handles 3 PDFs a day of up to 15 pages each; Starter allows one device and 100 pages a month, and Professional removes the page limit and adds batch folders on up to two devices. Its download page lists a Mac version as still in development.
- Which one is cheaper paid annually?
- We can't say for sure. Clerk drops to $20 a month paid yearly (20% off), while we could not read a yearly price for PII Blackout, which is $29 month to month. PII Blackout would need to take more than 31% off for paying yearly to come in under Clerk's $20.
