When it comes to personal data removal, consumers and businesses rely on reviews to evaluate solutions. Unfortunately, most online reviews cannot be trusted as they are posted by affiliate marketers and influencers paid to generate sales for the vendors. This is why when selecting a personal data removal service, our #1 recommendation is to sign up for a free scan and start vetting the company’s product yourself before shelling out any of your hard-earned cash. Test out the free version of the product yourself to get a feel for what’s the best product that will protect your privacy the most. If the company doesn’t offer a free scan or free account tier, you are likely to be disappointed.
However, if you’re short on time, there are some experts you can trust, including the recognized industry expert on security, privacy, and identity protection, Neil J. Rubenking of PCMag, who recently put Optery to the test in two separate head-to-head comparisons reviews — against both DeleteMe and Incogni.
In both cases, Optery was named the Winner and Editors’ Choice over DeleteMe and Incogni.

DeleteMe vs. Optery
According to the DeleteMe vs. Optery matchup, Optery stood out for greater breadth of coverage, pricing options, free services, and bonus privacy features:
- Flexible Pricing: DeleteMe offers a single flat rate, while Optery provides multiple tiers starting at just $39, with the comparison noting that “these flexible options make Optery the winner in the pricing matchup.”
- Free Services: Optery’s free Basic subscription and DIY opt-out resources set it apart. Rubenking wrote: “With an ongoing free subscription and plenty of help for do-it-yourself data removal, Optery is the winner here.”
- Breadth of Coverage: While DeleteMe’s automated removals cover just 135 brokers, Optery’s coverage spans nearly 380 brokers by default, and expands to 640+ with Expanded Reach enabled. “Optery is the clear winner for breadth of coverage.”
- Transparency and Bonus Features: Rubenking called out Optery’s before-and-after screenshot proof as “especially impressive.”
“Speaking of seeing how your profile cleanup is progressing, Optery does more than the competition to show exactly what it has done for you. When possible, it fleshes out its report of a successful removal with before and after screenshots. Now you see a profile, now you don’t. You’ll have no doubt about its efficacy.”
The article concludes:
“Optery is the winner in this showdown. Optery’s pricing options are more flexible, with one tier that seriously undercuts DeleteMe. And it’s way ahead in the number of data sites managed automatically. In terms of no-charge services and useful bonus features, it also edges out DeleteMe, making it our Editors’ Choice.”
The analysis arrives at a similar conclusion as the Consumer Reports study “Evaluating People-Search Site Removal Services” where Optery performed 41 percentage points better than DeleteMe at the conclusion of the 4-month study.
Incogni vs. Optery
In “Incogni vs. Optery”, Rubenking again recognized Optery’s superior reach, free services, and bonus features.
- Coverage: Incogni covers 274 brokers, but Optery manages almost 390 by default and more than 640 with Expanded Reach — “more than twice what Incogni covers.”
- Free Tier: Optery offers a free Basic plan with quarterly exposure reports and detailed DIY guides for nearly 200 brokers, compared to Incogni’s harder-to-find free scan and limited DIY instructions. “Optery wins this one.”
- Bonus Features: Optery’s before-and-after screenshots and GPC browser extension tipped the scales. Rubenking wrote: “Optery shines with more bonus features.”
The Final Verdict
“Optery handles removals for a significantly larger pool of brokers. If you have more time than money, you can get a free membership from Optery that covers more than a hundred of those brokers, with links to help you perform your own opt-out requests. And Optery shines with more bonus features…Optery is the winner in this face-off and our Editors’ Choice for data removal services.”From pricing flexibility to unmatched broker coverage and screenshot-based proof, Optery continues to raise the bar for effectiveness and transparency in data removal. That’s why PCMag named Optery Editors’ Choice — and why hundreds of thousands of people and hundreds of businesses trust Optery to protect their privacy every day.
More Optery vs. DeleteMe vs. Incogni Reviews
If you would like to learn more about how Optery compares to DeleteMe and Incogni, you can can learn more at the links below: