How this compares
Facts from each service's own pages, read on October 24, 2026. All of them are reasonable choices; pick the one that fits.
| Handover Switch | deadmansswitch.net | Google Inactive Account Manager | Death Plan Switch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hosted | yes | yes | yes (part of a Google account) | no: you run it yourself (PHP, MIT licence) |
| Free tier | 1 contact, any of our intervals | sends only to you, 2-day interval, 1 message | yes (no price is listed on Google's page) | free software |
| Paid | Pro $29/yr or $4/mo | Premium $2/mo billed yearly; Duo $100 once (a lifetime account plus a gift code for a second) | none | none |
| Intervals | 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months | any interval on Premium | up to 18 months of inactivity | weekly |
| Asks someone first | Pro: one named person, "yes" resets | no | no | yes: next of kin asked at hour 72 |
| Recipients | Free 1, Pro 10 | Premium 100 | up to 10 | your own list |
| False-alarm recall | yes, one click | not stated | not stated | yes |
| Shares data | no: a written message only | messages, attachments up to 10 MB on Premium | yes: chosen Google data | a written message |
Sources: deadmansswitch.net pricing; Google Inactive Account Manager help and Google's blog on inactivity periods; Death Plan Switch and its source.
When another one fits better
- Everything you need to pass on lives in Google: Inactive Account Manager is built in and can share the data itself.
- You want attachments or many recipients for a few dollars a year: deadmansswitch.net Premium.
- You want to run it on your own server: Death Plan Switch.
Handover Switch is for people who'd rather not run a server, want a person asked before clients hear anything, and want a check-in less often than weekly.