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Best for Comprehensive Data Removal
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Removes your data from the web to avoid scams, spam and stalkers
100+ million successful opt-out removals
Provides continued removals every three months
Best for Budget-Friendly DIY Data Removal
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Has a free plan that finds your data on broker sites
Removals Report comes with screenshots to prove progress
A data removal service can work on your behalf to search the web and ask data broker sites to remove your information, and in this comparison, DeleteMe wins.
DeleteMe provides ongoing removals every three months and has some additional privacy tools starting at $8.69/mo (billed annually) for one person. Optery has a free version and includes removal reports to illustrate the software’s progress, but it has some customer service and encryption issues.
In our expert guide, we examine the pros and cons of both products to help you choose the best data removal service.
One difference between DeleteMe and Optery is that DeleteMe doesn’t offer a free plan or even a free trial for the product. Optery has a free version for basic protection but also includes paid plans.
Optery's approach to data removal is more user-centered, so you’ll have some DIY projects. DeleteMe provides a more comprehensive service with extra privacy tools and over 750 data brokers contacted.
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| Star rating | ||
| Price | $8.60–$21.94/mo | Free–$24.99/mo |
| # of site removals | 750+ | Up to 575 |
| Privacy reports | Yes — every three months | Yes — monthly for paid plans |
| Family plan | ||
| Recurring removals | ||
| Custom removal requests | ||
| Encryption | AES-256 and TLS 1.2 | AES-256 and TLS 1.3 |
| Extras | Email masking, phone masking, card masking | Automatic opt-out |
| Learn more | Get DeleteMe | Get Optery |
To review data removal services, we sign up for the service anywhere from a week to a month in advance. This allows it time to gather our data, scrub it from the data broker and people search sites, and send us reports on its process.
With so many data broker websites, you’ll want to make sure the one you choose sends requests to a lot of them, as well as follows up and searches for more.
Once we've spent some time with the service, we calculate our editorial rating by taking into account key features, prices, security measures, and other criteria.
To learn more about how we test, check out our full data removal testing methodology here.
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Our Pick | |
| Number of people covered | 1-2 | 1 |
| Paid monthly | N/A | Free–$24.99/mo |
| Paid annually | $15.26/mo (billed annually) | $39-$249/annually |
| Paid every two years | $15.26/mo (billed annually) | N/A |
| Money-back guarantee | No | Yes — 30 days |
| Best value plan | 2 years, 2 people for $15.26/mo (billed annually) | Extended annual plan for $12.42/mo |
| Learn more | Get DeleteMe | Get Optery |
DeleteMe doesn’t offer a free trial for services, but you can conduct a free scan. There’s also no money-back guarantee, but you can get a full refund before your first privacy report arrives. Your first report should come within seven days, so you won’t have long to test the product. After that, you may receive a prorated refund if you’re unhappy with the services.
DeleteMe’s plans include all the same features. The difference is whether you want to cover one or two people for an annual or biennial subscription.
Optery starts with a free basic plan. From there, you have three paid options with some different features and broker site number changes. You’ll get more with the higher-priced plans, and your data will be removed from more websites.
With Optery, there are no family plans. Your family members must create their own accounts, but you can link individual accounts together for a discount.
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| Free scan | ||
| Data broker opt-out | Yes, with paid plans | |
| Data broker site scans | ||
| Number of data brokers covered | 750+ | Up to 325+ |
| How often is data rechecked? | Quarterly | Monthly/Quarterly |
| Monthly report | Yes, with paid plans | |
| Marketing list removal | ||
| Email privacy | ||
| Privacy reports | Yes — Quarterly | Yes — Monthly/Quarterly |
| Real-time alerts | ||
| Social media account monitoring | ||
| Dark web monitoring | ||
| Credit monitoring | ||
| Fraud monitoring | ||
| Learn more | Get DeleteMe | Get Optery |
Optery has a free version if you’re on a budget or just looking to save some cash, but DeleteMe doesn’t. Also, Optery has a monthly report for paid plans and includes screenshots to let you know it’s been working on your behalf and to update you on the progress.
DeleteMe covers more than double the number of data brokers that Optery covers. Essentially, that means it searches for your data in more places. One item Optery outshines DeleteMe on is removing data from marketing lists. DeleteMe surprisingly doesn’t cover that. Removal from marketing lists can be a big help when you want to stop getting information on products you care nothing about.
Both of these products have good features you’d want for getting your private information off the internet. One thing you may not think about is the time a data removal service can save you. Imagine if you had to contact all the data brokers and websites where you found your name.
You might also want something to keep your credit safe, your phone from being bombarded with calls, and an option to check for your information before you make a purchase. Below are some features you may desire with a data removal service.
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You never want to share your data with any software company before you verify the privacy policy. You need to understand how or if your data will be shared or, in some cases, sold. Some data collection is reasonable, as you must enter information about yourself to allow the product to work.
Optery doesn’t sell your data to third-party vendors, and it includes security measures to keep your data safe. Optery has access control features in place so that employees only receive pertinent information. It also includes multi-factor authentication.
DeleteMe doesn’t sell your information either, and it has regular internal audits to check for security issues. Like Optery, it uses AES-256 and TLS encryption. You can set up two-factor authentication to make it even more secure.
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| Encryption | AES 256-bit and TLS 1.2 | AES 256-bit and TLS 1.2 |
| Two-factor authentication | ||
| Multi-factor authentication | ||
| Collects data | Minimal | Minimal |
| Shares data with third parties | Minimal | Minimal |
| Learn more | Get DeleteMe | Get Optery |
As you can see, DeleteMe and Optery both have the same security features and privacy standards regarding sharing and collecting data. We aren’t alarmed by the minimal collection of data as it can be necessary for data removal software to work.
Our Pick |
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| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Customer support options | Email, phone, live chat | Email, live chat, online guides |
| Learn more | Get DeleteMe | Get Optery |
DeleteMe was easy to use, and once you set up an account, it’s mostly a hands-off experience. It does the job for you by checking for your data and then requesting its removal. Once you fill out the data sheet with your information, it's an automated process. If this is concerning, you can choose which parts you feel comfortable providing.
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Optery was likewise easy to use, and the sign-up process was seamless. The dashboard gives you an illustration of what’s taking place. You can also skip a few sections or not include your actual date of birth. There is an Exposure Report displayed on the dashboard with different sites your data has been removed from, and it includes screenshots to prove the work.
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We did notice DeleteMe doesn’t list an app for iOS, but there is one for Android devices. That may not be a concern since this program is to remove your data, so it is still working on your behalf, whether there is an app or not. Neither product offers 24/7 customer support, but there are options if you need assistance.
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 750+ data broker sites, which is twice as much as Optery's premium plan. Plus, DeleteMe includes data privacy tools like phone, email, and card masking.
During our testing, DeleteMe sent us a privacy report less than a week after we submitted our information. It showed how many brokers had our information and the number of times our data was found. It also let us know how many brokers removed our information, so all of this affirmed that the product does work.
If you like Optery and want to take advantage of getting your data removed from 325+ data broker sites, Optery Ultimate could be worth the extra cash.
DeleteMe is better if you want one of the best data removal services on the market today. If having your information on the internet is concerning, DeleteMe accesses over 750 data brokers to limit what people can see. It also comes with other sought-after features like phone, email, and card masking for extra security.
Optery is good if you want a free version with the ease and option of upgrading later. The customer support experience was less than stellar, but this product may be perfect for those who want to find out how much of their data is easily accessible and decide what to do from there.
Removes your data from the web to avoid scams, spam and stalkers
100+ million successful opt-out removals
Provides continued removals every three months
DeleteMe and Optery aren’t the only data removal services available. Some other DeleteMe alternatives we’ve tested may have extra features or different pricing plans that are better for you.
Removes your data from the web to avoid scams, spam and stalkers
100+ million successful opt-out removals
Provides continued removals every three months
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