The Data Broker Problem
Your name, address, phone number, and family members are for sale. Data brokers like Spokeo, WhitePages, and BeenVerified collect and sell your personal information to anyone willing to pay—including stalkers, scammers, and identity thieves.
Manually opting out of 200+ broker sites takes 100+ hours. Data removal services automate this process for $8-25/month.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
Quick Comparison Table
| Service | Sites Covered | Annual Price | Monthly Price | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optery | 365-630+ | $39-249/year | $3.99-24.99 | Best Overall |
| Incogni | 420+ | $95.88/year | $7.99 | Best Budget |
| DeleteMe | 750+ | $129/year | ~$10.75 | Best Track Record |
| Aura | 140+ | $144/year | $12 | Best All-in-One |
| Kanary | 310 | $179.88/year | $14.99 | Good Alternative |
Detailed Service Breakdown
Optery — Best Overall
Why We Recommend It: Optery covers the most data broker sites (up to 630+) at competitive pricing. Their "live screenshots" prove removals actually happened, and their free tier lets you scan before committing.
Pricing Tiers
- Free: Quarterly scans, DIY opt-out guides
- Core ($3.99/mo or $39/year): 365+ sites, automated removals
- Extended ($14.99/mo or $149/year): 535+ sites, human agents, unlimited name variations
- Ultimate ($24.99/mo or $249/year): 630+ sites, custom requests, search engine removal
Key Features
- Live screenshot proof of removals
- Patented search technology
- US-based company (California)
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- No data broker affiliations
Limitations
- Core tier limited to one name/location
- International coverage limited
- Some sites require legal documentation
Affiliate link — supports our educational content
Incogni — Best Budget Option
Why Consider It: Incogni is the most affordable automated removal service at $7.99/month. Part of the Surfshark ecosystem, it offers solid coverage of 420+ data brokers with a clean, simple interface.
Pricing
- Standard: $7.99/month or $95.88/year (50% savings)
- Unlimited: $14.99/month or $179.88/year — adds 2,000+ custom removal sites
- Family: $15.99/month or $191.88/year — up to 5 members
- Family Unlimited: $22.99/month or $275.88/year
Key Features
- 245+ million removal requests completed
- Weekly progress reports
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Simple, clean dashboard
- EU-based (Lithuania) — strong privacy laws
Limitations
- Fewer sites than Optery (420 vs 630+)
- No phone support
- Basic reporting
- Part of Nord Security (acquired Surfshark)
Affiliate link — supports our educational content
DeleteMe — Best Track Record
Why Consider It: DeleteMe has been in the data removal business since 2011—longer than anyone else. They use human privacy experts (not just automation) and have an A+ BBB rating with proven results.
Pricing
- 1 Person: $129/year (~$10.75/month)
- 2 People: $229/year (~$9.54/month each) — Most Popular
- 4 People: $329/year (~$6.85/month each) — Family Plan
- 2-Year Plans: Additional savings ($209/2yr for 1 person)
Key Features
- 750+ data broker sites covered
- Human privacy experts assist removals
- Phone, email, and chat support
- Quarterly privacy reports
- A+ BBB rating, 100% satisfaction guarantee
- Removes 15+ listings within days on average
Limitations
- More expensive than automated-only services
- No free trial or free tier
- Slower than fully automated services
Note: We're waiting on DeleteMe affiliate approval. Visit DeleteMe directly →
Aura — Best All-in-One Protection
Why Consider It: Aura isn't just data removal—it's comprehensive identity protection including $1-5M identity theft insurance, credit monitoring, and antivirus. If you want everything in one service, Aura is the choice.
Pricing
- Individual: $12/month (annual) or $15/month (monthly)
- Couple: $22/month (annual) — 2 adults, 20 devices
- Family: $32/month (annual) — 5 adults, unlimited kids
- Kids: $10/month — parental controls focus
Key Features
- 140+ data brokers + Google Search removal
- $1M-$5M identity theft insurance
- Credit monitoring (all 3 bureaus)
- Password manager included
- VPN and antivirus included
- 14-day free trial, 60-day money-back guarantee
Limitations
- Fewest data brokers covered (140+ vs 400-600+)
- Higher price for data removal alone
- Overkill if you only need data removal
Best for: Users who want identity protection, credit monitoring, AND data removal in one subscription.
Kanary — Solid Alternative
Why Consider It: Kanary offers a mobile-first approach with their Copilot app. Good for users who want to build privacy habits gradually with guided weekly tasks.
Pricing
- Individual: $14.99/month or $179.88/year
- Family Add-ons: $7.49-8.49/person/month (up to 10 members)
- Enterprise: $179.88/year per user
- Free Trial: 14 days + 3 free removals
Key Features
- 310 data brokers (209 automated, 101 templates)
- Mobile-first approach (Kanary Copilot app)
- Weekly guided privacy tasks
- SOC 2 certified
- 95-100% removal success by day 90
Limitations
- New platform transitioning to mobile-only
- Fewer automated removals (209 vs 400+)
- iOS-focused (Android waitlist)
Feature Comparison Deep Dive
| Feature | Optery | Incogni | DeleteMe | Aura |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sites Covered | 365-630+ | 420+ | 750+ | 140+ |
| Free Tier | Yes (scans) | No | No | 14-day trial |
| Human Assistance | Extended+ plans | Unlimited plan | All plans | Limited |
| Phone Support | Ultimate only | Unlimited only | Yes | Yes |
| Family Plans | No | Up to 5 | Up to 4 | Up to 5+ |
| Money-Back | 30 days | 30 days | 100% guarantee | 60 days |
| ID Theft Insurance | No | No | No | $1-5M |
| Custom Removals | Ultimate plan | Unlimited plan | Yes | Limited |
Who Should Use Each Service?
Choose Optery If:
- You want maximum coverage (most sites)
- You want to scan before paying
- You need proof of removals (screenshots)
- You're a privacy enthusiast
Choose Incogni If:
- Budget is your priority
- You want simple, set-and-forget
- You already use Surfshark products
- Basic coverage is enough
Choose DeleteMe If:
- You want human experts, not just bots
- Track record matters to you
- You need phone support
- You're protecting a family
Choose Aura If:
- You want all-in-one protection
- Identity theft insurance matters
- You need credit monitoring too
- You want one subscription for everything
How Data Removal Services Work
All these services follow the same basic process:
- Discovery: The service scans hundreds of data broker sites looking for your personal information
- Authorization: You grant them legal authority to submit opt-out requests on your behalf
- Removal Requests: They submit opt-out forms, emails, and API requests to each data broker
- Verification: They confirm removals are processed (usually 7-45 days per site)
- Ongoing Monitoring: They continuously check for re-listings and remove new appearances
Why Your Data Keeps Coming Back
Data brokers continuously collect information from:
- Public records (property, court, voter registration)
- Social media profiles
- Retail loyalty programs
- Other data brokers (they trade with each other)
- Website tracking and cookies
This is why one-time removal doesn't work—you need ongoing monitoring.
What Data Removal Services Can't Do
- Remove legitimate public records (court cases, property deeds, voter registration)
- Remove news articles or journalism (First Amendment protections)
- Guarantee 100% removal (some sites are impossible)
- Stop data collection at the source (you need to change your habits)
- Protect against future data breaches (that's identity monitoring)
DIY Alternative: Manual Opt-Out
Don't want to pay? You can opt out of data brokers yourself. It's free but extremely time-consuming.
Estimated Time Investment
- Major brokers (top 50): 15-20 hours
- Comprehensive removal (200+ sites): 100+ hours
- Ongoing maintenance: 2-5 hours/month
DIY Resources
- Our Data Broker Opt-Out Guide
- Big Ass Data Broker Opt-Out List (GitHub)
- Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
Our Recommendation
The Bottom Line
For most people: Start with Optery's free scan to see how exposed your data is. If you're on many sites, their Core plan ($39/year) is excellent value. Upgrade to Extended ($149/year) if you need multiple name variations or past addresses.
On a tight budget: Incogni at $7.99/month is the cheapest automated option that actually works.
Want human experts: DeleteMe's 14-year track record and human-assisted removal is worth the premium if you have complex privacy needs.
Want everything: Aura bundles data removal with identity theft insurance, credit monitoring, VPN, and more—but you're paying for services you may not need.
Combine with These Privacy Practices
Data removal is one piece of the puzzle. Maximize your privacy by also:
- Opting out of data sharing at the source
- Using a privacy-focused VPN
- Switching to private search engines
- Minimizing your digital footprint
- Using a password manager