JustDeleteMe vs. Delete Desk
If you’re into digital minimalism even a little bit, you’ve probably heard of JustDeleteMe (JDM), a popular directory of links that show you how to delete your accounts from 1.7K websites, and while their directory is pretty good, it’s a bit light on the information, so we wanted to create an alternative that would not only be the largest Delete Desk (DD) on the internet, but the one with the comprehensive details.
JDM is a website and browser extension (Chrome or Firefox only) that helps you delete your accounts from many web services. Using a color-coding system, it shows users whether it is easy, not so easy, or difficult to delete their account from web services. Along with that, it also gives a one-word descriptor of how hard it is to delete an old profile.
As the first of its kind, this resource was a success ten years ago. However, over time, the project was gradually abandoned, and the original platform was eventually acquired by BackgroundChecks.org. Although the GitHub community attempted to replicate and maintain it, the growth rate noticeably dropped off.
Yorba’s reliable Delete Desk is ever-growing, and thanks to user feedback, it’s regularly updated, so the info is always useful.
How Yorba’s Delete Desk compares to JustDeleteMe
JustDeleteMe
Year started: 2013
Founded by: Robb Lewis and Ed Pole
Number of web services: around 1.7K
Information shown: Direct links, deletion difficulty, occasionally basic guidance or vendors’ contacts
What you get
Basic guidance: A sizable grid shows popular web services, links to the pages where you can deactivate accounts, and brief additional information, but the level of information given for each vendor shifts, so it can be difficult to quickly take action.
Color coding and search: The links are color-coded based upon the difficulty you’ll have deleting your account. The rankings include green: easy, yellow: medium, red: hard, and black: impossible. You can also use their search bar to locate a specific account.
Database: It has over 1.7K records to date, but since the project was abandoned by the original team, it’s not clear how often these are updated and the new ones are added.
Contributions through Github: After the original platform was bought out, the opensource community replicated it. However, the maintenance efforts are sporadic.
Yorba’s Delete Desk
Year started: 2020
Founded by: Chris Zeunstrom, Nolan Cabeje, David Schmudde
Number of web services: 10K+ records
Information shown: Direct links, deletion difficulty, deletion guidance, vendors’ contact information (email, phone, help center details)
What you get
In-depth guidance: Everything you need to quickly delete your accounts: deletion instructions, direct deletion link when available, information on whether email support and support centers are available, and contact details when available.
Simple filters and search: Filter services by deletion difficulty, domain name, whether they have a direct deletion link, and more.
The largest database in existence: That’s right. Delete Desk has over 10K records, covering over 75% of all online website traffic. And we’re just getting started.
Easy way to contribute: Make this the most reliable directory in the history of the internet by submitting edit requests and contributing to the directory.
Bottom line
Yorba is going to give you the most comprehensive experience, and if you use the app to find accounts through the associated email address, you can easily take action by deleting extra ones with one click.
Ready to take control of your accounts? Check out Yorba’s Delete Desk (no registration required) or sign up for Yorba today.
