# DeleteMe vs Incogni vs Optery: What Each One Actually Files

Source: https://delisthq.com/blog/2026-11-08-deleteme-incogni-optery-compared/

DelistHQ blog · 2026-11-08


Published 2026-11-08

DeleteMe, Incogni, and Optery all promise to scrub your home address off people-search sites. They do it in different ways, at different prices, and with wildly different coverage claims, and the cheapest one is not the best for everyone. The comparison that matters is not the headline broker count. It is what each service actually files, and whether you can check its work.

The coverage numbers are not apples to apples, and treating them that way is the single biggest mistake in most comparison content. DeleteMe advertises the largest list, 950-plus sites, with human researchers and quarterly privacy reports, at 129 dollars a year for one person. That number includes hundreds of custom-removal targets that need manual handling rather than a standard automated opt-out. Incogni's 420-plus figure is a single automated list applied uniformly across plans, at 95.88 dollars a year for Standard, with Unlimited at 179.88 adding custom removals. Optery's count runs 150-plus on Core at 39 dollars a year, up to 630-plus on Ultimate at 249 dollars, and it is the only one of the three with a free tier.

## What each one actually files

DeleteMe is the human operation. A personal expert works every plan, searches for your listings first, and avoids blind opt-outs: it files where it found you, not everywhere at once. Custom removals are handled by researchers, which is why the list is long and the price is the highest of the three. Incogni is the automation operation. It sends opt-outs to 420-plus brokers and re-sends them forever, with privacy specialists only on the Unlimited tier. The cheapest plan does the whole core job, which is why it is the usual pick for most people. Optery is the transparency operation. Its reports show live screenshots of where it found you, before and after, and the free Basic plan gives you an exposure report and the tools to do the removals yourself.

The difference that decides it is verification. Optery shows you screenshots. DeleteMe shows you quarterly reports from a human expert. Incogni shows you the requests it sent. For public listings, screenshots and searches are checkable. For private brokers, all three rely on the broker's word, and none of them can prove a private deletion. Pick the service whose proof you can check, not the one whose number is biggest.

## The subscription question

All three are subscriptions, and the reason is the relist. Brokers re-collect information within 90 days of removal, so a one-time scrub decays. Incogni's annual billing roughly halves the monthly rate. Optery's Core at 39 dollars a year is the cheapest way in, and its Extended at 149 adds a human Privacy Agent and before-and-after screenshot reports about every 90 days. DeleteMe prices by people: 129 for one, 229 for two, 329 for a family of four. Incogni's Family covers up to five people at 191.88 a year.

One more thing the comparisons usually bury: Incogni and Optery now belong to the same group, after Surfshark bought a majority stake in Optery in September 2026. That does not change what either files today, but it is worth knowing when you read a comparison that treats them as independent competitors.

Keep reading: [California's Registered Brokers: The DROP List and What It Covers](https://delisthq.com/blog/2026-11-07-california-drop-registered-brokers/), [The DROP 45-Day Clock: What Brokers Have to Do and When](https://delisthq.com/blog/2026-11-06-drop-45-day-clock-brokers/), and [Your Opt-Outs Expire: Building a Renewal Calendar for Data Broker Removals](https://delisthq.com/blog/2026-11-07-opt-outs-expire-renewal-calendar/) cover the nearby cases in this series.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much do DeleteMe, Incogni, and Optery cost?

DeleteMe is 129 dollars a year for one person. Incogni Standard is 95.88 dollars a year, Unlimited 179.88. Optery Core is 39 dollars a year, Extended 149, Ultimate 249, and it is the only one of the three with a free tier.

### Why are the broker coverage numbers so different?

They count different things. DeleteMe's 950-plus includes hundreds of custom-removal targets needing manual handling. Incogni's 420-plus is a single automated list. Optery's count grows by tier, from 150-plus to 630-plus.

### Which service lets me verify the removal?

Optery shows before-and-after screenshots of where it found you. DeleteMe gives quarterly reports from a human expert. Incogni shows the requests it sent. For private brokers, all three rely on the broker's word.

### Are Incogni and Optery still independent?

Not fully. Surfshark bought a majority stake in Optery in September 2026, so the two now belong to the same group. That does not change what either files today.