Optery vs DeleteMe vs Incogni: which data removal service is worth paying for?

Every one of these services charges a yearly fee to do work you can partly do yourself. Two free tools cover a lot of it now:

• Google's Results about you hides search results that show your address, phone or email. See how to remove your information from Google.
• California residents can send one free deletion request to every registered broker through DROP. See California's Delete Act and DROP.

After that, what is left is the repetitive part: dozens of people-search opt-outs, each re-checked every few months. That is what these three sell. Our wider comparison covers six services; this page goes deeper on the three most people shortlist.

Sources: Optery pricing, DeleteMe and Incogni, read on October 19, 2026. These are the companies' own claims; plans change, so confirm on each site.

Incogni's 3,420+ looks far bigger than Optery's 625+, but the two numbers measure different things. Incogni says 420+ of its sites get automated removals and 3,000+ are covered by custom removals, where you or it raise a request for a particular site. Optery's tiers count sites it scans and removes from automatically, and its Ultimate plan adds custom requests that it says bring the total to 940+ sites. DeleteMe does not lead with a number at all.

Two kinds of broker hide inside every count. People-search sites (Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified) publish your profile where a stranger can find it. Marketing brokers keep private databases you cannot search; Incogni says it sends opt-outs to these based on factors such as where you live, without first confirming they hold you. If your worry is a stranger finding your address, the people-search sites matter most. If it is junk mail and targeted marketing, the private brokers matter more.

Optery's distinguishing feature is the free scan. It shows which sites list you, with screenshots, before you spend anything, and the free tier keeps sending exposure reports every quarter. The paid tiers then file removals monthly, and from Extended upward, according to Optery, you get before-and-after screenshots about every 90 days. That proof is the thing most removal services are weakest on.

DeleteMe is made by Abine, a privacy company, and its site says it has been removing data since 2010 (another line says 2011). It describes a mix of "DeleteMe experts and proprietary technology": you fill in a data sheet saying exactly what to delete, privacy advisors handle the removals, and the first report arrives within seven days of signing up, according to DeleteMe.

Incogni, launched by Surfshark, is built around automated requests that it re-sends on a schedule. It says its user, removal and site counts were verified by Deloitte in a limited assurance review, the only one of the three to publish outside verification of its numbers. Its Unlimited and Family Unlimited plans add custom removals, and its Family plan covers up to five members on the plan description (its FAQ says up to four added people).

• You want proof and a free first look: Optery.
• You want people handling it and a long track record: DeleteMe.
• You want the broadest automated coverage, including brokers you can never search: Incogni.
• You are a California resident: submit DROP first, wait a couple of cycles, then decide.

Whichever you pick, remember what you hand over: the exact profile you are trying to hide. Read the privacy policy. And no service can remove public records such as property and court files; for safety-critical cases, see the address options in our broker removal guide. Check the rest of your setup with the self-check.