Yes, you can hire a service to help remove your personal information from the internet. These subscription-based companies, such as DeleteMe, Incogni, and Privacy Bee, specialize in submitting opt-out requests to data brokers and people-search sites on your behalf.
Data removal services usually offer tiered pricing. Individual plans can cost $8 to $15 per month, while family plans that cover up to 4 people can cost $32 per month. Some providers, like Optery, have free plans with limited offerings.
Best for Inexpensive Data Removal
For data broker sites that don't reveal just what data they're holding, it sends a generic official opt-out request. Incogni costs less than $100 per year, while the overall average is closer to $200.
No, DeleteMe does not search the dark web. Its focus is on removing your data from public-facing data broker websites.
They also don't sell your data to any third party and they do adhere to privacy laws. DeleteMe states it will only collect and use your information for the purpose of removing it from broker sites. Both services are transparent about how they use your data.
How To Delete Digital Footprint (14 Ways)
Based on our experience, we recommend Incogni as the best DeleteMe alternative if you need a standalone data removal service. Incogni covers 420+ data brokers as well as unlimited custom removals on its Unlimited tier.
Submit your personal information for removal from search engines and data broker sites. DeleteMe experts find and remove your personal information. See sites covered by DeleteMe. Receive a detailed DeleteMe report in 7 days.
Our founders, Rob Shavell, Eugene Kuznetsov, and Andrew Sudbury, created DeleteMe in 2010 when they realized the difficulty of navigating privacy issues in today's interconnected and digital world.
Overall, DeleteMe is the better data removal service. Optery is good if you want a free version that allows you to upgrade to a paid plan later, but DeleteMe scans 153-750+ data broker sites and offers custom removals. Additionally, DeleteMe offers data privacy tools, including phone, email, and card masking.
While there are more straightforward ways to clean data, ChatGPT is a flexible and free solution that requires no coding expertise or spreadsheet wrangling.
Delete items from your Chrome history
While DeleteMe isn't perfect, it does a solid job at what it promises: removing personal data from a wide range of broker sites. If you're looking for a more hands-off, reliable way to reduce your digital footprint, DeleteMe is a strong option. That said, the platform is not for everyone.
Junk removal minimum charges typically range from $60 to $150, covering labor and the removal of a small amount (like a few bags or a small item), with prices increasing based on volume (cubic meters/yards) and item type (heavy, bulky, or requiring special disposal). Companies often price by how much space junk takes in their truck, with rates per cubic meter varying from $50 to over $150, plus extra fees for stairs, heavy items, or specific materials like mattresses or electronics.
Yes, removal companies are generally considered worth it for most people because they significantly reduce stress, save time, and offer expertise for safely handling belongings, especially large or fragile items, with insurance coverage for peace of mind, making the cost often cheaper than the hassle, potential damage, or lost time of a DIY move. While cost is a factor, their efficiency, insured transport, and handling of heavy lifting and logistics usually outweigh the expense, especially for complex moves or busy individuals.
Verdict: 4.67/5. DeleteMe includes the standard data removal features like privacy reports, custom removals, and coverage for 153-750+ removals. It lacks extras like dark web monitoring and identity monitoring, but we appreciate that it offers email, phone, and card masking.
DeleteMe sends out quarterly reports whereas Onerep sends monthly ones. However, we find both frequencies can be just as effective. Onerep also offers a free trial and more flexibility around pricing and subscriptions.
There's no question that both of these services do what they promise, but Incogni has the edge. In the matchups above, Incogni wins three times, DeleteMe wins twice, and there are two ties. That's not a huge margin, so you'll want to think about what's important to you when perusing the details.
DeleteMe and Incogni both specialize in the removal of personal and private data online. They can help remove names, emails, phone numbers, addresses, occupations, relative names, and pretty much anything on a public database.
Unfortunately, there's no way to completely delete your digital footprint if you frequently use Internet-connected devices. However, there are ways to clean up and manage your digital footprint.