~/tools/data-removal

Personal Data Removers

last updated 2026-06-17 · 3 recommendations · what changed

Data broker sites aggregate and resell your name, address, phone number, relatives, and property records to anyone who pays. Removal services automate the opt-out requests across hundreds of these brokers so you're not filing them by hand one at a time.

before you pick Manage expectations: these services reduce exposure, they don't guarantee permanent removal. Brokers re-scrape public records periodically, so a name removed today can resurface in a few months. That's also why this is a recurring subscription category rather than a one-time purchase: the underlying work is recurring, not the billing model being greedy.

what actually matters

breadth of broker coverage

The internet has hundreds of data brokers, and new ones appear constantly. More coverage means fewer gaps for old data to hide in.

automation vs. manual opt-outs

Some brokers accept automated requests; others require a human to fill out a form or mail a letter. A service that does both covers more ground.

recurring re-removal & monitoring

Removal isn't permanent. The service needs to keep checking and re-filing as brokers re-list you, not just run once at signup.

recommendations

EasyOptOuts

the recommended pick
~100+ brokers coveredrecurring monitoringflat annual fee$19.99/yr

The default recommendation on this page on price: ongoing monitoring rather than a one-and-done sweep, at $19.99/year flat, well under what the other two entries on this page cost. No flashy upsells, just the opt-out work done on a recurring basis. Coverage is narrower than Incogni or DeleteMe (around 100+ brokers vs. their broader lists), a real trade-off for the price.

good
  • Cheapest entry on this page by a wide margin: $19.99/year flat, no monthly option
  • Ongoing re-removal, not a single sweep
  • Simpler, less aggressively marketed than the big-name competitors
mind the
  • Narrowest broker coverage of the three (~100+ sites vs. Incogni's 420+)
  • Smaller company, less brand recognition than Incogni or DeleteMe
  • No free tier; it's subscription-only like the rest of this category
  • Re-removal happens on a cycle, not instantly: exposure can briefly reappear
$19.99/yr flat easyoptouts.com →

Incogni

the broad-coverage pick
broad broker coveragesubscriptionsurfshark / nord~$8/mo

One of the broadest broker lists in the category, with a straightforward subscription model and a track record of actually following through on removal requests. Built in-house by Surfshark, which merged with Nord Security in 2022 under the holding company Cyberspace B.V., so Incogni now sits under the wider Nord umbrella alongside NordVPN, not a red flag on its own, but worth knowing if you're trying to keep your privacy-tool vendors from concentrating under one umbrella.

good
  • Very broad broker coverage
  • Established track record and clear reporting on what's been removed
  • Family plans available for covering household members
mind the
  • A Surfshark product, now under the wider Nord group: same group runs a VPN you may also be evaluating
  • No free tier
  • Some brokers are handled faster than others; full coverage takes time
from ~$8/mo incogni.com →

DeleteMe

the established pick
long-runninghuman-reviewed reportssubscription~$10/mo

The longest-running name in this category, with a human-reviewed reports element on top of the automated sweeps: actual people check the broker listings rather than relying purely on scripts. That human layer is reflected in the price, which runs higher than the more automation-first competitors above.

good
  • Long track record and brand recognition
  • Human review adds a layer automated-only services skip
  • Detailed periodic reports on what was found and removed
mind the
  • Pricier than Incogni or EasyOptOuts for a comparable scope
  • No free tier
  • Human-in-the-loop steps can mean slower turnaround on some requests
from ~$10/mo joindeleteme.com →

at a glance

servicebroker coveragemonitoringhuman reviewfrom
EasyOptOutsbroadongoingautomated~$8/mo
Incognivery broadongoingautomated~$8/mo
DeleteMebroadongoingyes~$10/mo

prices are ballpark rates, check the provider before you commit.

worth knowing

Google Data Removal is free and narrower in scope. Google's own "Results about you" tool lets you request removal of personal info (your address, phone number, and similar) from Google Search results specifically. It's not a broker-removal service and won't touch the underlying broker listing, only Google's index of it, but it's free and worth doing regardless of which paid service above you pick.

No removal service prevents new data from appearing. This whole category is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix; new brokers launch, old ones re-scrape public records, and a clean report today doesn't mean a clean report in six months. Budget for it as a subscription, not a purchase.