DeleteMe vs Incogni is the choice most people land on the moment they realize how much of their personal data is sitting on broker sites for anyone to buy. By the end of this breakdown, you will know which service fits your budget and your patience, what both of them quietly leave behind, and whether doing it yourself for free is actually the smarter move. We dig into real pricing, real coverage, and the gap no data removal service comparison likes to talk about.
The quick answer
For most people, Incogni is the best-for-most pick. It reaches more data brokers for less money, and an independent Deloitte review backs its process. Choose DeleteMe instead if you want a human team verifying removals and quarterly reports with screenshots as proof. But one catch matters more than the winner: neither service can erase everything, and we break down exactly what slips through further down.
Jump to: Pricing · What neither can remove · How to choose
- DeleteMe vs Incogni at a glance
- Pricing: what you actually pay
- Coverage: how many brokers each one reaches
- What neither DeleteMe nor Incogni can remove
- Cost vs effort: paying vs doing it yourself
- How to choose in under a minute
- Key takeaways
- FAQ
DeleteMe vs Incogni at a glance
Both services do the same core job: they find your personal information on data broker and people-search sites, then file opt-out requests to get it taken down. The difference is how they work and how much proof they hand you.
Incogni leans on automation. It sends recurring removal requests on a set schedule and covers a wide net of brokers, and its process was checked by Deloitte in an independent Deloitte limited assurance review in 2025. DeleteMe leans on people. Alongside automation, human privacy specialists verify removals and send you quarterly reports with screenshots of each listing that came down.
So one sells breadth and low cost. The other sells oversight and receipts. Which matters more depends on you, and the table below makes the tradeoff obvious.
Pricing: what you actually pay
Neither company shouts its real numbers, so here is the honest layout. Prices shift, so treat these as verified bands and check the current plans before you commit.
| Incogni | DeleteMe | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From about $96/year ($7.99/mo, billed annually) | From about $129/year ($10.75/mo effective, billed annually) |
| Brokers reached | 420+ data brokers | Markets 750+; standard plan directly covers roughly 100, the rest via manual custom requests |
| How removals happen | Automated requests, repeating every 60 to 90 days | Automation plus human specialists who verify each removal |
| Reporting | Weekly progress updates | Quarterly reports with removal screenshots |
| Custom removals | Unlimited on the Unlimited tier | 40 per year (60 on Premium) |
| Family plan | Up to 5 people (about $192/year) | Couples about $229/year, family of 4 about $329/year |
| Independent audit | Deloitte limited assurance (2025) | None published |
| Billing | Monthly or annual, 30-day money-back guarantee | Annual or 2-year only, no monthly option |
| Plans | See current Incogni plans | See current DeleteMe plans |
The headline is simple. Incogni costs less and bills flexibly. DeleteMe costs more and locks you into a year, but that price buys human eyes and paper proof.
Coverage: how many brokers each one reaches
Coverage is where the marketing gets slippery. DeleteMe advertises 750-plus sites, and the number it monitors keeps climbing. In practice, its standard plan actively opts you out of around 100 of the biggest brokers, and everything beyond that runs through custom manual requests you have to ask for.
Incogni takes the opposite approach. It targets 420-plus brokers automatically out of the box, across the US and Europe, and it re-sends requests on a rolling cycle so listings that creep back get hit again. For hands-off, set-and-forget breadth, that automation is the quieter strength.
Bottom line: Incogni casts a wider automatic net, while DeleteMe goes deeper by hand on a shorter core list. Neither number tells the whole story, because both are chasing a target that never sits still.
What neither DeleteMe nor Incogni can remove
Here is the loop we opened at the top, and it is the part the glossy roundups skip. Paid removal services suppress your data from brokers. They do not, and cannot, erase you from the internet. A few hard limits apply to both:
- Public and court records. Property filings, court cases, and voter or licensing records are public by law. A service can scrub the broker listings that repackage them, but the underlying record stays put.
- Re-listing. Brokers constantly re-scrape public data and buy from each other, so a cleared profile commonly resurfaces within about 30 to 90 days. Ongoing management is the whole point of paying, not one-and-done deletion.
- Breach dumps. Once your info leaks in a data breach and lands on shady forums, no opt-out form reaches it.
- Anything you posted yourself. Old social profiles, forum comments, and photos are on you to take down.
- Niche and non-covered brokers. Small, foreign, or brand-new sites outside a service list simply do not get touched.
Cost vs effort: paying vs doing it yourself
Now the math that decides it. A single Incogni plan runs about $96 a year. DeleteMe for one person starts around $129 a year. Doing it yourself costs zero dollars, but the first pass across the major broker opt-outs realistically eats several hours, and you have to repeat the grind every few months as listings return.
So the real question is what your time is worth. If you would rather never think about it again, the annual fee is a fair trade. If you are comfortable rolling up your sleeves, our free step-by-step guide to clearing yourself off broker sites walks through the same opt-outs the paid services automate, and it gets you most of the way there for nothing.
How to choose in under a minute
Skip the agonizing. Use these cut-offs:
- Pick Incogni if you want the widest automatic coverage for the lowest price, you like weekly updates, and you would rather pay monthly or bail within 30 days.
- Pick DeleteMe if proof matters to you: human verification, quarterly screenshots, and a team you can lean on for a family of up to four.
- Pick DIY (free) if you have a spare weekend, a stubborn streak, and only a handful of major sites to worry about.
- Pick a paid service plus DIY if you are a high-risk case (public role, past harassment, or a common name) and want belt-and-suspenders coverage.
Key takeaways
- Best for most: Incogni wins on price and automatic breadth, backed by a Deloitte review.
- Best for proof: DeleteMe gives you human verification and screenshot reports.
- Neither is magic: public records, breach data, and re-listing sit outside both.
- DIY is real: free and effective, just time-hungry and repetitive.
- Check current plans: prices and coverage move, so verify before you buy.
FAQ
Is Incogni or DeleteMe better for most people?
Incogni, for most budgets. It reaches more brokers for less and bills flexibly. DeleteMe is the better call when you specifically want human oversight and screenshot proof.
Can either service remove court or public records?
No. Both can strip the broker listings that resell those records, but the official public and court records themselves stay in place. That is a legal limit, not a product flaw.
How long until my information comes back?
Often 30 to 90 days, because brokers re-scrape public sources and trade data. Both services re-file requests on a schedule, which is exactly why the value is in ongoing removal rather than a single sweep.
Is it cheaper to just do it myself?
In cash, yes: DIY is free. In time, no: expect several hours up front plus periodic repeats. Our free guide covers the exact steps if you want to try before paying.
Do these services work outside the US?
Incogni covers US and European brokers, so it travels better. DeleteMe is strongest in the US. Check current coverage for your country before subscribing.
Can either remove my data from a breach?
No. Once data leaks in a breach, opt-out requests cannot reach it. If financial details were exposed, contact your bank or card issuer directly, and it is worth learning how to set up a family safe word so leaked info cannot be turned into a convincing scam call.
The verdict
For most readers, Incogni is the smarter default: broader automatic coverage, a lower price, and an independent review in its corner. If proof and a human team matter more to you, DeleteMe earns its premium. Just go in clear-eyed, because neither one erases you completely, and re-listing is forever. Ready to hand off the busywork? Compare current plans and pick the one that matches your budget and your patience. And if you would rather keep your money, our free DIY guide is right there.