The best data broker removal services [2025]

Having your personal information exposed by data brokers is not a made-up threat.

The Minnesota shooting is a tragic example of how bad actors can exploit data brokers to access sensitive information—and use it to carry out their plans.

With this much at stake, you shouldn’t settle for just any data removal service.

A good data removal service isn’t just about how many brokers it covers—it’s also about how consistently and effectively it can remove your data.

This comparison is meant to help you make a more informed decision.

Let’s take a closer look at what each service really offers. 

Updated: July 21, 2025

Disclaimer:

This review was written by Incogni—one of the data removal services featured in this comparison.

While we strive for accuracy and fairness, please note that we have a financial interest in Incogni’s success. We encourage you to conduct independent research—across multiple sources—before making any purchasing decisions.

This review was conducted in July, 2025.

Get a quick, AI-generated snapshot of this comparison.

A comparison of the most popular data removal services

Here’s a quick comparison table of the most popular data removal services.

For this table we’ve included only the most fundamental elements, like the numbers of data brokers in automated removals, type of brokers, and so on.

* Optery links the number of data brokers it covers to its pricing tiers—lower-cost plans include less coverage, with the starting plan covering just 100+ data brokers.

** Our experience using the service and third-party reviews (1, 2) show that the actual number of data brokers scanned during automated removals (as shown in the user’s dashboard) differs from the numbers advertised.

*** “Non-data-broker removals” refers to a service’s ability to remove your personal information from other types of websites as well—such as blogs, forums, and similar platforms.

**** Aura offers a 60-day, money-back guarantee option.

***** On their support page, PrivacyBee states that they operate globally, but they do not clearly specify which countries (other than the US) are covered, nor how many international data brokers they remove personal information from.All prices and data are up to date as of 02 July, 2025, and are based on information published at incogni.com, aura.com, joindeleteme.com, onerep.com, optery.com, and privacybee.com, assuming the purchase of an annual subscription.

If you’re interested in more in-depth information about each data removal service, you can scroll down to the dedicated sections or have a look at our face-off comparison reviews:

• Incogni vs Optery
• Incogni vs DeleteMe
• Incogni review
• Optery review
• DeleteMe review
• Onerep review

Incogni: The complete data removal service

In short

Incogni provides coverage for more than 270 data brokers across all subscription plans and allows for unlimited custom data removals from nearly any online source. It also includes a user-friendly web application with comprehensive dashboards and reports, with access to 24/7 support via email or chat. Individual yearly plans begin at $8.28 per month, while family plans for up to five people start at $16.49 per month.

For more information about Incogni, see our recent in-depth review of its service.

We truly believe Incogni is the best service out there for removing your personal data—not just from data brokers, but from across the internet.

Here’s why.

Incogni offers automated removals from over 270 data brokers. That includes both public and private-database brokers, making Incogni the most comprehensive data removal service available.

But it’s not just about how many brokers we cover—it’s also about how effective we are at removing your information from them. 

As of May 2025, we’d completed over 200 million successful data removals* in just three years.

Is that a lot?

You can compare it to Onerep’s 19 million removals over the same period, Optery’s 30 million since the launch of the service, and DeleteMe’s 50 million over 10 years of service.

However, raw numbers like the ones above don’t necessarily prove superiority.

There could be several reasons why we’ve reached a higher number than our competitors—like having a larger user base, for example.

What really matters is whether a service can successfully remove your data from sites that actually affect you.

And that’s where Incogni truly takes data removal to the next level.

Instead of only targeting data brokers, Incogni now can request the removal of your personal information from almost any website—making it one of the most versatile tools in your privacy-toolbox.

With the launch of our Unlimited plan and custom removal requests, Incogni became the first service in the industry to offer such wide coverage.

That includes:

• People search sites not currently covered by our automated service
• Private databases you suspect may hold your information
• Data-gathering websites that aren’t traditional brokers, like alumni directories
• Online forums and communities
• Blogs
• E-commerce and product websites

…and pretty much any site that publishes your personal data and doesn’t give you a way to remove it yourself.

*By “successful removal,” we mean cases where the user’s data was either found and removed, or not found but the broker added the user to a suppression list.

Plans offered by Incogni

To complete this brief summary, here’s a detailed overview of the plans offered by Incogni:

All prices are up to date as of 21 July, 2025, and are based on information published at incogni.com/pricing, assuming the purchase of an annual subscription.

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Aura: An all-round digital security platform

In short

Aura offers a wide range of digital security features, including personal data removal from 80+ data brokers, identity theft protection, and credit monitoring. However, its data removal service excludes private-database brokers, lacks transparency about which sites it covers, and doesn’t support custom removals. While comprehensive in scope, Aura’s data removal capabilities are limited compared to specialized services, and it comes at a higher price point.

Aura isn’t just a data removal service—it’s a lot more than that.

It includes credit monitoring, identity theft protection, identity theft insurance, a VPN, antivirus software, a password manager, and more.

And somewhere in the midst of all that, you’ll also find a data removal feature that targets just over 80 people search sites.

Here’s the thing, though—

Aura tries to do a lot at once—which could make it either the best all-in-one solution or the most underwhelming, depending on how well everything works.

You know the saying, “jack of all trades, master of none.”

Aura says it removes your information from 80+ data brokers—but that’s about all the detail we could find.

The exact number isn’t listed anywhere on their main site and we only came across it in one of their blog posts.

Unfortunately, there’s no public list of which brokers they remove from, so there’s no way to assess what impact those removals could have—there’s a difference between having your profile removed from Whitepages versus CaliforniaPharmacists. 

What’s more, Aura doesn’t offer custom removal requests—a crucial feature that helps close the gap between automated coverage and where your data might still be exposed.

Putting it all together, there’s really very little about Aura’s data removal service that can compete with other options out there.

• It doesn’t cover the most data brokers.
• It doesn’t remove your info from private-database brokers.
• It doesn’t offer custom removals.
• It doesn’t tell you which sites it removes your data from.
• And—if you want to bundle all the extra features—it’s the most expensive option.

If your main goal is data removal—and you want it done right—Aura might not be the best choice.

But if you want an all-in-one privacy solution with a modest seasoning of data removal, the many extra features included in Aura’s plans could make up for what it lacks in data removal.

Quick note: Aura does offer a plan focused solely on online privacy, priced at just $19.99 for the first year—making it the most affordable option that includes data broker opt-outs. It also comes with a few extras, like a VPN and antivirus.

Just keep in mind the price increases to $99.99 after the first 12 months.

Plans offered by Aura

Here’s a breakdown of plans that include the data removal service.

All prices are up to date as of 02 July, 2025, and are based on information published at aura.com/pricing and buy.aura.com/privacy-protection, assuming the purchase of an annual subscription.

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DeleteMe: A fair-priced service for people search site removal

In short

DeleteMe is a dependable service that covers most major people search sites and offers fair pricing. That said, its automated removals only cover around 85 websites, and custom removal requests are limited to just 40 per year. DeleteMe also doesn’t do much to protect you from private-database brokers, which are often the main source of spam, robocalls, and targeted ads.

For more information about DeleteMe, see our recent in-depth review of its service.

The moment you land on DeleteMe’s website, you’re greeted with an impressive-looking number: 50+ data brokers covered.

But here’s the thing—

That number is a bit misleading. It includes the total number of data brokers from automated removals, unique sites from custom removals, and brokers available through special plans.

Once you visit the “sites we remove from” page and  break those numbers down, the impact starts to fade:

• 85+ people search sites in automated removals
• 560+ unique sites through custom removals
• 90+ sites included in special plans.

So what does that mean for you?

On one hand, you’ve got automated removals:

If you’re looking for a service that quietly runs in the background, DeleteMe will only remove your personal information from about 85 websites—significantly fewer than many competitors.

On the other hand, there are custom removals:

If you want to close the gap between automated coverage and your actual data exposure, DeleteMe only supports custom removals for people search sites, and in limited numbers—just 40 sites per account.

Other services, like Incogni and Optery, allow you to submit an unlimited number of custom requests, which makes DeleteMe seem limited by comparison.

DeleteMe focuses primarily on people search sites, with a few marketing data brokers included here and there.

And we’ve got to give them credit—DeleteMe does a solid job covering the biggest people search sites in the industry, making it an effective service for reducing your exposure on these types of platforms.

Many smaller people search sites are essentially “satellite” sites that pull from the same databases as the larger brokers.

In practice, this means that removing your data from a major broker—like Radaris or Intelius—can also eliminate your profiles from several smaller sites automatically.

DeleteMe can help with that.

Plans offered by DeleteMe

All prices are up to date as of 02 July, 2025, and are based on information published at joindeleteme.com/pricing, assuming the purchase of an annual subscription.

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Onerep: Data removal with trust issues

In short

Onerep offers a straightforward data removal service, covering over 200 people search sites—including major brokers like Spokeo, Whitepages, and BeenVerified. While it’s transparent about its removal list and keeps things simple, serious concerns arise around its leadership’s ties to data broker companies. These connections raise ethical red flags that cast doubt on Onerep’s trustworthiness as a privacy-focused service.

For more information about Onerep, see our recent in-depth review of its service.

Onerep is a simple and straightforward data removal service that does one thing and does it well: it sends removal requests on your behalf to over 200 different people search sites.

There aren’t any flashy features built into the product—but for some, that might be its biggest strength.

Onerep doesn’t pretend to be more than it is. Its messaging is clear and direct, with no misleading claims.

Pricing is fair and balanced, coming in at just over $8 per month with an annual subscription—right in line with similar services.

That said, there are a few downsides.

For starters, Onerep focuses exclusively on people search sites, with no support for other types of data brokers.

Here’s why that matters: people search sites make up only about a third of all data brokers. The remaining 66% are private-database brokers that trade your personal information behind the scenes, far from public view.

While those transactions may be hard to detect, their consequences are not.

Private-database brokers buy and sell profiles in bulk—often containing thousands of records—and pass them on to other businesses or anyone willing to pay.

As long as your data is in their hands, you’ve got zero control over who gets it or what they do with it.

And, unfortunately, that’s the part of the privacy battle Onerep doesn’t touch.

If that weren’t enough, Onerep doesn’t offer custom removals—meaning you’re limited to the websites covered in their automated plan.

But here’s the most concerning part—

Independent research by Brian Krebs found that Onerep’s CEO has founded numerous people search sites and currently holds an ownership stake in Nuwber.

While this doesn’t necessarily impact service quality, it does represent a clear conflict of interests that you should consider when making any purchasing decisions.

We won’t go into all the details here, but you can read more about it in our full Onerep review.

Plans offered by Onerep

If you’re still considering subscribing to Onerep, here’s a quick breakdown of its plans:

All prices are up to date as of 02 July, 2025, and are based on information published at onerep.com/pricing, assuming the purchase of an annual subscription.

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Optery: Wide data broker coverage—at a cost

In short

Optery focuses primarily on people search sites, and its top-tier Ultimate plan offers broad coverage in that area, but it comes at a much higher price than competitors’ offerings. The more affordable plans include a long list of data brokers as well, but many are smaller, state-specific sites like CaliforniaPharmacists, so it might not deliver the nationwide protection you’re expecting.

For more information about Optery, see our recent in-depth review of its service.

Optery is one of the top services when it comes to the number of data brokers covered: over 380 sites in automated removals with the Ultimate plan.

But it comes at a cost.

Optery is also the most expensive data removal service currently on the market, costing over $20 per month with an annual subscription.

There are more affordable plans starting at $3, but they come with a significant drawback: the types of websites covered under these plans are mainly state- or niche-specific.

What that means is Optery may search for your data across the directories of hundreds of brokers—giving you a sense of security—but those brokers may never have posed a real threat to your privacy in the first place, since they focus on California engineers, pharmacists, or similar niche groups.

That said, Optery is a really good service, under two conditions: 

1. You’re willing to pay extra for the Ultimate plan
2. You’re mostly concerned about people search sites.

Now, let’s talk about Optery’s Expanded Reach feature.

Every paid plan includes a free add-on called Expanded Reach, which adds over 250 additional data brokers.

So, if you purchase the Ultimate plan—which covers 380+ data brokers—activating Expanded Reach bumps that number up to 640.

If you’re wondering why these brokers aren’t included by default, here’s how Optery explains it: “Expanded Reach provides coverage for data brokers who do not yet meet Optery’s rigorous removal verification standards.”

Optery further explains that these are brokers with non-public databases, making it harder to verify whether opt-out requests have been processed successfully.

These are what we call “private-database brokers”—companies that profit from selling personal information to other businesses, like marketing firms.

However—

Because of the nature of these brokers, successful removals are much harder to carry out. The process often involves long, tedious email exchanges. Some brokers delay responses or ignore requests entirely, forcing removal teams to find alternative ways to complete the process.

That takes serious time and effort.

Yet, Optery doesn’t clearly explain: 

• how these brokers are handled
• how frequently removal requests are sent
• how responsive the brokers are
• or whether they’ve been confirmed to comply with removal requests at all

—leaving you in the dark.

For this reason we’ve decided not to include brokers from the Expanded Reach extension when comparing Optery with other services.

Plans offered by Optery

Below is a quick breakdown of the plans offered by Optery, with key features for each plan:

All prices are up to date as of 02 July, 2025, and are based on information published at www.optery.com/pricing, assuming the purchase of an annual subscription.

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PrivacyBee: Big claims, little transparency

In short

PrivacyBee offers broad data removal coverage, including both broker and non-broker sites, but provides limited transparency about how its process works or which sites are actually included. While the company claims removals from over 860 data brokers and 180,000+ custom sites, our testing found far fewer sites actively scanned—and little detail on how removals are verified or maintained. It’s a potentially powerful tool, but without clearer information, it’s hard to gauge how much real protection you’re getting.

We had a few challenges while writing this review of PrivacyBee.

Our goal isn’t just to repeat the marketing claims—we try to look deeper and understand what’s really being offered.

While most other services share at least some clear information, PrivacyBee leaves a lot of questions unanswered.

• There’s no list of data brokers it works with.
• There’s no clear explanation of how the process works.
• There’s no information about which countries are covered.

Instead, most of the details are general and abstract, with very little specific data to support them.

Take the number of data brokers, for example.

PrivacyBee says it removes your personal data from over 860 sites.

But which sites are these? How often is the list updated? And are those brokers verified for compliance?

Similarly, they say the service works globally, noting that most brokers are based and operate in the US.

But without a list of actual brokers, you’re left guessing whether they cover any in your region—or if you’re about to pay for a service that does little to protect your data.

Without more details, it’s difficult to tell how much real protection PrivacyBee provides.

So, we did some testing for you.

To verify some of PrivacyBee’s claims, we purchased a monthly subscription a few times between March 2023 and March 2025.

Over those two years, the total number of data brokers PrivacyBee checked for exposed data was 269. 

That’s still an impressive number—one of the highest in the industry—but it doesn’t quite match the 860 brokers advertised on their website.

Other sources, like Onerep and CyberInsider, have reported similar findings: the number is high, but falls short of what’s being promoted.

Moving on, we analyzed what these websites are to create a breakdown of the types of brokers PrivacyBee covers.

Now, about geographical availability—

The majority of the sites PrivacyBee checked for our data operate solely in the US, with a few from the UK and Australia and some with a global span.

• US: 76%
• Global: 15%
• UK: 5%
• Australia: 3%
• Canada: 1%
• Sweden: 1%

Quick note: We didn’t do a deep examination of each site, so the numbers might not be exact. Please treat them as rough estimates—just to give you a general idea of the proportions.

Beyond that, let’s have a look at custom removals.

One of the most striking numbers on PrivacyBee’s pricing page is: “182,293 Custom Sites covered for data removals.”

As with some of PrivacyBee’s previous claims, there’s little supporting information to verify or better understand what this actually means.

According to PrivacyBee, this figure refers to a list of custom, non-broker websites that are scanned for a user’s personal information.

But that’s where the explanation ends.

PrivacyBee doesn’t clarify how these removals are handled, how effective they are, whether the sites cooperate with removal requests, or whether response rates are monitored.

Managing and updating a list of over 180,000 sites would be extremely difficult.

And data removal isn’t just about sending an email; it involves following through on the process to make sure the data is actually taken down.

When it comes to non-broker sites, that typically requires manual effort and ongoing management.

If PrivacyBee can actually manage that across 180,000+ sites—hats off to them.

Plans offered by PrivacyBee

Here’s a quick presentation of PrivacyBee’s plans, with each plan’s key features:

All prices are up to date as of 02 July, 2025, and are based on information published at privacybee.com/pricing, assuming the purchase of an annual subscription.

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Our methodology

To make this comparison, we relied on various data sources and verified several claims using the following methods:

• Information provided directly by the company, such as pricing details.
• Claims made by the company, like the number of data brokers covered.
• Analysis of data the company provided, including lists of websites covered.
• Our own testing, such as creating accounts to verify certain claims.
• AI tools to analyze large datasets: for example, to determine the geographical reach of data brokers.
• Reviews and analyses published by other third parties.

FAQ

Which service is best for removing personal data from the internet?

While data removal services may seem similar at first glance, there are key differences that can help determine which one is the best fit for you.

Optery has a strong track record of removing personal information from people search sites, but it’s on the pricier side and doesn’t focus on private-database brokers.

Onerep is more affordable but its CEO has ties to the data broker industry—including an ownership stake in Nuwber.

Incogni offers well-rounded coverage of both people search and private-database brokers, plus unlimited custom removals—including non-broker sites—but it doesn’t include some major brokers in its automated removal process.

What’s the most effective company for scrubbing your data online?

If you’re looking for a set-it-and-forget-it type of service and don’t mind the cost, Optery’s Ultimate plan offers broad coverage of people search sites and should serve you well.

However, if your goal is to remove your data not just from data brokers but also from other websites that expose it, Incogni—with its custom removals—is the best option.

Are there any good apps or tools that automatically remove personal data?

Yes, there are several services that automatically remove your data—like Optery, Onerep, Incogni, and others.

These tools send removal requests to data brokers to delete your personal information from their databases.

Why do people pay for data broker removal services?

Because these services save time by handling the complicated and repetitive process of contacting dozens or even hundreds of data brokers.

Most people don’t know where their data is or how to ask for its removal, and these services take care of that for you.

They also monitor if your data reappears and send follow-up requests as needed.

Why choose Incogni over other data removal services?

Incogni removes data from both people search sites and harder-to-reach private brokers, which many competitors skip.

It also supports custom removals for non-broker websites that expose your data, like forums or online directories.

Plus, it’s affordable and doesn’t require much setup—just a few clicks and it runs in the background.

Is it worth staying subscribed to services like Incogni?

Yes, because new data brokers constantly pop up, and your information can be re-collected even after removal.

A one-time cleanup won’t keep your data off the internet forever.

Staying subscribed ensures ongoing scans and repeat removals over time.

What are the limitations of data removal companies?

They can’t guarantee complete removal of your data everywhere.

Some brokers ignore requests or make the process intentionally difficult.

Also, these services usually can’t remove data from public records, governmental sites or social media.

What can I do if a company refuses to delete my data?

First, ask for a clear reason—under laws like the GDPR or CCPA, companies must explain why they’re refusing your request.

If they still won’t cooperate, you can file a complaint with your local data-privacy body (like the CPPA in California).

You can also use a data removal service, which often has experience dealing with uncooperative companies and can negotiate on your behalf with more persistence and legal knowledge.

What should I include in a GDPR deletion request?

Include your full name, the email or account used with the company, and a clear statement that you’re requesting deletion under Article 17 of the GDPR.

It helps to include proof of identity so they can verify the request.

How long do companies have to delete my data after I request it?

Under the GDPR, companies have up to 30 days to respond to your request.

In some cases, they can extend that to 60 days if the request is complex, but they must notify you.

For US laws like CCPA, timelines vary but are often similar—usually around 45 days and can be extended for extra 45 days, but they must notify you.

What’s the best way to get a company to delete my personal information?

• Option 1: Do it yourself
  Find the company’s privacy or opt-out page and submit a deletion request via form or email. Include your name, email, and a clear request to delete your data under laws like the GDPR or CCPA.
• Option 2: Use a removal service
  Services like Incogni and Optery can handle custom deletion requests for you. They manage communication, follow-ups, and often get better results thanks to their experience.

When should you not rely on data removal services?

Removal services operate within the limits of privacy laws, which means their reach is restricted. 

You can’t remove your personal information from public records, government websites, social media, and certain other types of sites, like forums and news articles. That’s because there are no regulations that data removal services can rely on to request removal.

Do you need a removal service or can you do this yourself for free?

You can remove your personal information from some data brokers on your own for free. All people search sites—data brokers with public databases—offer an option to “opt out,” “remove your records,” or something similar.

However, doing this across hundreds of sites that share your information could take hours or even days, and there’s no guarantee it will work. Good data removal services not only automate this process but also monitor these databases to make sure your information doesn’t show up again.

Are data removal services worth it?

Data removal services are worth it—as long as you have realistic expectations. Signing up for one won’t fix your privacy issues overnight, and it will never be 100% effective. Some data brokers take weeks to respond to removal requests; others may ignore them entirely.

While each service aims to be the most comprehensive privacy solution, there will always be some limitations. It’s better to think of data removal as one of many complementary tools in your privacy toolbox.