Best Company to Delete Your Personal Data Online

Ever Googled yourself and found stuff that made your stomach drop? Maybe an old address, your cell number, or even a record you thought was long buried? Yeah, I’ve been there. And trust me—once you start digging, it’s hard to stop.

The truth is, we’re all walking data points. From our full names and emails to things like property records, court filings, and even our damn hobbies—this stuff’s floating around out there. Publicly. And it’s not just the big scary stuff like Social Security numbers (though, yes, even those can leak). It’s the quiet details that add up into a full profile of you, and it’s being bought and sold like candy.

And you know what’s worse? Most of us have no idea how many companies are behind this or how to get our info back.

That’s where personal data removal services come in.

I tested a few of them—and in this guide, I’m breaking it all down. What kind of personal data is online, how it gets there, why you should care, and who’s the best at cleaning up your digital footprint.

Let’s get into it.

What Kind of Personal Info Is Out There?

Here’s a quick look at what data brokers typically collect—and yep, this stuff can be accessed, scraped, and sold:

Even your search history or what you’ve liked on social media can be linked to you through cookies, trackers, and behavioral analytics.

Creeped out yet? Same here.

So Who’s Selling This Info?

The dirty work is mostly done by data brokers. These companies scoop up info from public sources, apps, cookies, social media, and sometimes even shady third-party leaks. Then they bundle it up and sell it to marketers, background check services, insurance companies, and anyone willing to pay.

Here’s the breakdown:

🧍 People Search Sites

These guys post detailed personal profiles and often let anyone “look you up” for free or for a small fee.

📢 Marketing Data Brokers

They package and sell your interests, behaviors, and demographics to advertisers.

💰 Financial Data Brokers

They know about your assets, debts, and might even have your Social Security number. Often used in credit scoring.

🧑‍💼 Recruitment Brokers

Your LinkedIn profile? Just the tip of the iceberg. These companies track your entire work history for hiring processes.

🧮 Risk Mitigation Brokers

Think insurance companies, investors, and banks—looking to assess how risky you are. Often using sensitive data to decide.

Why You Should Care About Removing Your Info

You might be thinking: “I’ve got nothing to hide.” But this isn’t about hiding—it’s about control.

Here’s why I took this seriously:

• Scammers love free data. Phishing attacks are way more convincing when they know your name, city, and last job.
• Spammers are relentless. Once your phone or email is leaked, good luck keeping it clean.
• Creepy ads are just the start. Ever noticed ads for stuff you only thought about? Yeah, that’s not magic—it’s data mining.
• Bias and discrimination. People have been denied housing, jobs, and insurance based on data that’s online and out of context.
• Peace of mind. I sleep better knowing my info isn’t floating around for the next sketchy data leak or identity theft.

The 5 Best Personal Info Removal Services (Ranked)

Here’s my breakdown of the top services I tried, based on price, value, coverage, features, and how “hands-off” the process is.

I’ll go into more detail for each in the next sections, but here’s the TL;DR:

✅ Up next: I’ll break down each one, starting with Incogni, and show you which is worth your money.

🥇 Incogni — My Top Pick (and the One I Personally Use)

Let me be real with you—Incogni is the one I ended up using for myself. Not just because it’s budget-friendly, but because it actually works without me having to babysit the process.

What Makes Incogni Different?

Right off the bat, Incogni stands out for a few key reasons:

• Automated takedown requests — They automatically contact 180+ data brokers on your behalf.
• Continuous monitoring — Brokers tend to re-add your info over time, but Incogni keeps sending follow-ups.
• User-friendly dashboard — I can track which companies got removal requests, which completed them, and which are pending.
• Multi-data support — You can add up to 3 emails, 3 phone numbers, and 3 physical addresses (super helpful if you’ve moved or use multiple emails).
• Global privacy laws — They lean into regulations like the GDPR (Europe) and CCPA (California) to push brokers into compliance.

I got the yearly individual plan for $7.49/month (billed annually), which was half off—and I honestly think it’s a steal.

They also have a Family & Friends plan that lets you cover up to four additional people. Great if you’ve got a partner, kids, or even parents you want to protect.

What Info Can You Remove with Incogni?

Here’s what I found they actively target:

They specifically mention going after marketing, recruitment, financial, and health data brokers—some of the worst offenders.

My Experience Using Incogni

Setting it up took me less than 10 minutes. I added my details, signed a data removal authorization, and that was it. Within days, I started getting updates on which brokers were contacted and how many had already started deleting my data.

After 30 days:

• 71 brokers contacted
• 68 removals completed
• 3 in progress

They even pointed out that some brokers had tried re-adding my info, and Incogni had already re-sent removal notices. I didn’t lift a finger. It just worked.

🥈 DeleteMe — Good, but Pricey

What I Liked

DeleteMe is probably the most well-known name in this space. They’re super reliable, send detailed removal reports every 3 months, and cover around 40–50 brokers. Their reports are PDF-based, clean, and show exactly which data was found and removed.

What I Didn’t Love

• Pricey: Starts at $129/year (over $10/month).
• Fewer brokers: They focus more on people search sites than financial or marketing brokers.
• Less frequent scans: Quarterly removals mean your info might stay exposed longer.

It’s a good service, especially if you like detailed reports—but for me, Incogni gave me more value for less money.

🥉 OneRep — The Power User’s Pick

If you’re the kind of person who loves dashboards, graphs, and stats, OneRep is for you.

They cover nearly 200 brokers and give you real-time updates on your removals. Their interface is slick, and you can dig into exactly how long it took each broker to respond.

But…

• It costs $14.95/month (billed yearly), so it’s the most expensive option here.
• Doesn’t offer a family plan.
• Focus is more on people search than deep financial databases.

Still, if you want control and visual data on every step, OneRep is powerful.

🏅 Removaly — Small Team, Big Heart

Removaly feels like the indie version of DeleteMe. It’s run by a small, privacy-obsessed team and covers around 50 data brokers.

What I liked:

• Great customer support (they actually replied to my email within hours).
• Straightforward dashboard.
• Affordable at $9.99/month.

But it’s not as automated or wide-reaching as Incogni or OneRep.

If you prefer a boutique experience and don’t mind a smaller broker list, it’s worth a look.

🎯 Kanary — Ambitious, but a Bit Messy

Kanary boasts 300+ data brokers, which sounds amazing—but there’s a catch.

They’re still building their database, so not all removals are automated yet. You might need to manually confirm some steps. Their UI isn’t as polished, and they lean hard into a “beta” feel.

Good idea, but I’m not fully sold yet. Maybe in a year or two.

So, Which One Should You Use?

Here’s my honest take—because let’s face it, no one wants to waste money on something that should be easy.

Personally, I stuck with Incogni. It just made everything simple, and the price is hard to beat.

How to Stay Private Beyond Just Data Removal

Deleting your info from data brokers is a huge first step—but if you’re serious about your privacy, there’s more you can do:

1. Use a VPN on all your devices

This prevents companies and websites from tracking your location, IP address, and browsing history.

My favorites:

• NordVPN
• Surfshark
• ExpressVPN

These also help you stream, bank, and work safely when traveling or using public Wi-Fi.

2. Use burner emails and phone numbers

Services like SimpleLogin or Firefox Relay help mask your real email from marketers.

3. Turn off location tracking

On your phone, in your browser, even on Google. Most of these platforms track by default.

4. Audit your social media

Clean up public info, update privacy settings, and don’t overshare. You’d be surprised what people (and bots) can do with a vacation photo + your hometown.

5. Monitor your credit

If you’re in the U.S., freeze your credit with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It’s free—and it stops thieves from opening new lines of credit in your name.

Quick FAQ

Final Thoughts

Look, we can’t erase ourselves from the internet entirely. But we can take back control of what’s out there.

Using a service like Incogni won’t make you invisible—but it will make it way harder for data brokers, advertisers, and shady actors to mess with your life.

It’s affordable. It’s automated. And it gave me real peace of mind.

👉 Sign up for Incogni here and get started in 10 minutes.

Your digital self deserves some privacy too.

Petr

I'm Petr, and the online world has been my playground for over 25 years. I build websites, run my own businesses, test new tools, explore what works (and what doesn’t), and share tips that save people time, money, and stress. On this site, you'll find no-nonsense articles, honest insights, and a dash of humor or irony. When I’m not behind the keyboard, I’m out chasing bike trails or discovering new golf courses. The rest of the time, you’ll find me on adventures with my wife and our two sons.

See Full Bio