What's the best service to remove my personal information from data-broker sites?

If your goal is specifically removing personal information from data-broker and people-search sites, the main services worth comparing right now are Optery, Incogni, and DeleteMe.

*Prices and coverage can change. Current 2026 comparisons show meaningful differences between advertised total coverage and the number of sites automatically handled on each plan.

How I'd choose

• Try Optery first if you want to see your exposure before paying. Its free tier can identify exposed information, and its paid plans provide removal/monitoring.
• Choose Incogni if you mainly want a straightforward set-it-and-forget-it service. It automates opt-out requests across hundreds of brokers and is relatively simple.
• Choose DeleteMe if you prefer a more human-assisted approach and don't mind paying more annually.

One important caveat: none of these services permanently erase your information from the internet. Data brokers can reacquire information, so recurring monitoring/removal is important. The FTC specifically recommends checking how often a service rescans and whether it reports which sites it has handled.

If you tell me whether you're in the U.S. and whether you care more about lowest cost, maximum coverage, or hands-off removal, I can narrow it down to the most suitable plan and compare the current prices/features.

When choosing a data-broker removal service, the "best" option depends on whether your priority is budget-friendly continuous automation, deep proof of deletion, or a full identity-theft suite.

The top-rated services stack up as follows:

1. Incogni — Best Overall Value & Coverage
   • Pros: Highly automated, budget-friendly (around $95/year), covers hundreds of core brokers with options to expand via custom removal requests up to 3,000+ sites on higher tiers. Backed by solid independent audits.
   • Cons: Less granular visual proof (like screenshots) compared to competitors.
2. DeleteMe — Best for Human-Assisted Expert Care
   • Pros: A veteran in the space that uses human privacy experts to manually review and handle difficult removal requests. Excellent customer support and regular reports.
   • Cons: Pricier than Incogni (around $129/year).
3. Optery — Best for Proof and Transparency
   • Pros: Provides visual proof including screenshots of your removed listings from data brokers. Excellent breadth of coverage and deep scanning accuracy.
   • Cons: Can be on the more expensive side for top-tier plans.
4. Aura — Best All-in-One Identity Theft Suite
   • Pros: Bundles data broker removal with robust identity theft protection, credit monitoring, antivirus, and a VPN.
   • Cons: Expensive if you only want data removal ($300+/year), though great value if you utilize the whole suite.

User Experiences

I tried deleteme for a year and then switched at the end of 2024 to incogni. I still perform random checks by googling myself, but you can't find anything, so I'd recommend incogni.

From my experience, both work well as intended, but I had better results with Incogni from the coverage, price and removal speed side.

To help narrow down which one fits you best, tell me:

• Are you looking for pure data removal , or do you also want identity theft/credit monitoring?
• What is your approximate budget for an annual subscription?

The "best" service depends on whether you prefer human-backed thoroughness, maximum automation on a budget, or deep custom reporting. Because data brokers constantly re-acquire and repost information, continuous monitoring is essential.

The top services stand out in distinct categories:

• DeleteMe: Best for human-backed oversight & transparency. One of the oldest and most trusted names in the space. It combines automated sweeps with human privacy advisors who handle tricky manual opt-outs. You get detailed quarterly reports and human customer support, though it is on the pricier side (around $129/year). You can check plans on DeleteMe.
• Incogni: Best budget-friendly, high-volume automated choice. Owned by the cybersecurity company Surfshark, Incogni continuously sends and re-sends automated data removal requests to a massive list of data brokers. It’s significantly cheaper than DeleteMe (roughly $8 to $9 a month on an annual plan) and operates mostly in the background with daily status updates. You can explore details on Incogni.
• Optery: Best for comprehensive proof and visibility. Optery stands out by providing actual screenshot evidence of data removals from broker sites. It offers a free scan to show you where your data is exposed before you even pay, and has flexible tiers ranging from standard automated removal up to intensive manual executive privacy plans. Learn more at Optery.
• Consumer Reports Permission Slip: Best free/low-cost alternative. If you don't want to commit to a pricey annual subscription, this app-based tool lets you request data deletion from participating companies and brokers on your own terms, though it requires more active user management.

If you want to narrow this down, tell me:

• What is your budget range?
• Do you prefer a fully hands-off automated tool or one with human customer support and reporting?

I can help you pick the exact match!

If your goal is specifically getting your personal information off data-broker and people-search sites, my pick in 2026 is Incogni for most people.

My ranking

1. incogni.com — Best overall

• Automatically handles removals from 420+ data-broker sites, with recurring removals.
• The standard plan is currently about $7.99/month when billed annually.
• Its higher-tier Unlimited plan adds 3,000+ additional sites through custom removal requests.
• Independent testing in 2026 ranked it #1 overall among major removal services.

2. optery.com — Best if you want proof

• Has a free tier that lets you see your exposure and do some removals yourself.
• Paid plans provide automated removals, and higher tiers include before/after screenshots showing the removal work.
• Plans currently range from about $3.25/month annually to $20.70/month annually, depending on coverage.

3. joindeleteme.com — Best hands-on option

• A more established service with human involvement and broad coverage.
• Independent 2026 comparisons generally put it around $129/year for an individual.
• I'd choose it if you value human-reviewed removals more than getting the most coverage per dollar.

What I'd do

For $8-ish/year-monthly equivalent, I'd start with Incogni. It offers a particularly good balance of automation, coverage, recurring monitoring, and price.

One important caveat: no removal service makes you permanently disappear from the internet. Data brokers can reacquire information, which is why recurring monitoring/removal is more useful than a one-time cleanup.

If you tell me whether you're primarily concerned about home address/phone number exposure, identity theft, stalking/harassment, or just general privacy, I can tell you which service I'd choose for that particular situation.

Choosing the "best" data removal service depends on whether you prioritize thoroughness and reporting (human-backed), budget-friendliness (automated) , or transparency . Because data brokers constantly re-scrape and repost information, no service offers a permanent "one-and-done" fix; continuous monitoring is required.

The top-rated services on the market stand out for distinct reasons:

• DeleteMe : Best overall for comprehensive service and transparency. It combines automated tech with human privacy experts, providing robust quarterly reports that show exactly what was removed and which brokers still have data. It is one of the more expensive options, but widely trusted for thoroughness. You can explore their plans on the DeleteMe Website.
• Incogni : Best budget-friendly automated option. Owned by Surfshark, Incogni leverages privacy regulations (like GDPR and CCPA) to continuously force data removal from a massive and growing list of brokers. It offers a great balance of low monthly costs on annual plans and frequent dashboard updates. More details are available on the Incogni Website.
• Optery : Best for visibility and reporting. Optery is frequently praised by testing organizations (like PCMag and Consumer Reports studies) for high efficacy rates. Uniquely, they provide a free exposure report with actual screenshots of your exposed data before you even pay for automated removal. Check it out via the Optery Website.
• Permission Slip (by Consumer Reports) : Best free alternative. If you don't want to pay a subscription fee, Consumer Reports’ app lets you submit automated deletion requests to select data brokers, though it won't have the deep, continuous hand-holding of paid enterprise alternatives.

If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:

• Your budget range (under $100/year vs. premium tier)
• Whether you want family coverage or just an individual plan

I can help you pick the exact right fit.

For most people, the best data-broker removal service is Incogni if you want a good balance of price, automation, and coverage. But the “best” choice depends on whether you value breadth, human help, proof of removals, or extra security features.

Here’s how the major options compare:

Aura Security.org### My picks by situation

• “I just want my information removed with minimal effort” → Incogni

• Good fit if you don’t want to manually chase dozens of opt-outs.

• Best value for many users.

• “I’m worried about privacy and want someone managing it” → DeleteMe

• Better if you prefer reports and a more concierge-style approach.

• “I want to see exactly what’s happening” → Optery

• Good if you like evidence and visibility before paying for a long-term plan.

• “I also want identity theft monitoring, alerts, and other security tools” → Aura

• Makes more sense as a broader security subscription rather than a pure removal tool.

A few important caveats:

• No service can permanently erase you from the internet. Data brokers can reacquire information, so ongoing monitoring matters.
• These services generally target data brokers and people-search sites; they do not remove things like your social media posts, public government records, or all credit-report information.
• You can also do much of this yourself for free by opting out of major people-search sites, but it is time-consuming.

If I were choosing for a typical privacy-conscious person:

1. Incogni for the simplest “set it and forget it” approach.
2. Optery if you want the most visibility.
3. DeleteMe if you value human assistance over automation.

I’d avoid paying for a premium bundle unless you actually want the extra identity-protection features.

The best service to remove your personal information from data-broker sites depends on your specific privacy needs, but independent testing ranks Optery and Incogni as the top overall choices.

The Top Data Removal Services Compared

Summary of What Experts Say

If you prefer a highly visual dashboard that shows exact proof of your data being deleted, reviewers favor one specific tool:

“Optery is our pick for best overall data removal service because it's easy to use and it's better than any other service at showing you the work it does to remove your data. It also had the highest removal success rate according to Consumer Reports' testing.”

For those looking for set-and-forget simplicity at a competitive price point, the consensus shifts:

“Choose Incogni if you want the best price, full end-to-end automation, global GDPR and CCPA reach, and a dashboard that requires zero ongoing effort. This is the right choice for the vast majority of users.”

How to Get Started for Free

Before paying for a subscription, you can leverage free tools to see exactly who is selling your data:

• Run a Free Scan: Create a free basic account on Optery to receive a personalized exposure report with direct links to your public profiles.
• Use Google's Built-in Tool: Search for Google's Results About You tool. It scans search results for your phone number, home address, or email and lets you request removal directly from Google for free.

To help narrow down the choices, let me know:

• Are you looking to protect just yourself or your entire family?
• Do you want a standalone privacy tool or a broader cybersecurity bundle (with a VPN and identity theft insurance)?
• What is your approximate annual budget for this service?

The “best” data-broker removal service depends on what you value most (coverage, proof, price, or extra identity protection). The main contenders are:

My recommendation by situation

• Most people: incogni.com — good balance of cost, automation, and coverage.
• If you want to see exactly what was found and removed: optery.com — its transparency features are a major differentiator.
• If you prefer a more concierge-style approach: joindeleteme.com — a good fit if you value human involvement.
• If your concern is broader identity theft, not just broker listings: aura.com may make more sense because it bundles additional protections.

A few things to keep in mind:

• No service can permanently erase everything online. Data brokers can repopulate records from public sources, so ongoing monitoring matters.
• Before paying, you can often get a free exposure check from some providers and see whether you actually have a large footprint.
• Also consider locking down the sources that feed brokers: voter records (where applicable), property records, social media privacy settings, and people-search sites.

If you tell me your priority — cheapest, most effective removal, protecting against identity theft, or removing your address/phone from people-search sites — I can narrow it down.

The “best” data-broker removal service depends on what you value most (maximum coverage, least effort, proof of removal, or price). The leading options are generally:

Independent comparisons vary, but recent reviews commonly place Incogni, Optery, and DeleteMe among the strongest choices, with the “winner” changing based on whether reviewers prioritize cost, coverage, or verification.

My practical picks:

• For most people: Incogni — good balance of cost and automation.
• If you want proof that removals happened: Optery — its reporting and evidence features are a major differentiator.
• If you don’t want to manage anything yourself: DeleteMe — a more concierge-style approach.

A few things to know before paying:

• No service permanently “deletes you from the internet.” Data brokers can reacquire information, so ongoing monitoring matters.
• Many services focus on people-search sites and marketing brokers; they may not remove records from government databases, news articles, or sites where you intentionally published information.
• You can also do some removals yourself for free, especially from major people-search sites, but it takes ongoing time.

If you’re in the U.S., also check whether your state offers a free privacy opt-out system. For example, California’s DROP program began helping residents send deletion requests to registered data brokers.

If you tell me your priority — cheapest, most complete removal, protecting against stalking/doxxing, or identity-theft prevention — I can narrow it down.

Choosing the best data-broker removal service depends on your budget, how much coverage you want, and whether you prefer human oversight or continuous automation . Industry testing consistently highlights a few standout options:

• Incogni (Best Overall & Best Value): Widely considered the gold standard for balancing cost and broad broker coverage. It continuously sends and re-sends deletion requests (every 60–90 days) using legal frameworks like GDPR and CCPA. It covers over 420 data brokers on its standard tier and is notably more affordable than competitors.
• DeleteMe (Best for Human-Driven Reports): One of the oldest names in the space. It relies heavily on human privacy advisors to audit and process removals, and provides comprehensive quarterly human-analyzed reports. It is more expensive than Incogni, but favored by those who want detailed personal reporting.
• Optery (Best for Visibility & Custom Scans): Offers robust free preliminary scanning that shows you screenshots of your data living on broker sites before you even buy. Their higher-tier plans get aggressive with deep and custom manual removals.
• Kanary (Best for Tech-Savvy Users): Focuses heavily on dashboard transparency, continuous monitoring, and allowing custom URL submissions for weird or niche people-search sites.

Community Experiences

If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:

• What is your approximate budget ($5–$8/month vs. $10–$20+/month)?
• Do you need coverage for just yourself or a family (up to 5 people)?