The EFF’s Atlas of Surveillance update this month lets anyone search which local police departments are running Flock automatic license plate readers, right down to the intersection. That map lands on top of another map that has been there for years: the one built by data brokers who list your home address, phone number, employer, and family members for anyone with a credit card.
Data broker opt-out services on desktop file the removal requests those brokers are legally required to honor. We tested eight of them by handing over the same synthetic profile and counting how many broker sites the name actually disappeared from over 60 days.
What to look for in a data broker opt-out app
Six criteria matter more than the marketing:
- Coverage: how many broker sites the service actually files against
- Removal proof: screenshots or per-broker confirmation you can show a lawyer
- Recurring re-scan cadence, because brokers re-list you every quarter
- Family plans, so one subscription covers your household
- Coverage in your country, not just the US
- A public list of the exact brokers they cover, not a vague “300 sites”
Two red flags to walk away from: services that quote a fixed removal count instead of a broker list, and services that require you to hand over a government ID before starting.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free plan | Starting price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incogni | Broad coverage at a fair price | Web on Windows, macOS, Linux | 30-day money-back | $7.49/month annual | 4.3 |
| DeleteMe | The most established option | Web on Windows, macOS, Linux | No | $10.75/month annual | 4.2 |
| Optery | Free self-service tier | Web on Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes, 40 broker exposures | $3.99/month annual | 4.4 |
| DuckDuckGo Privacy Pro | Privacy bundle you already use | Windows, macOS, Linux (browser) | No PIR trial | $9.99/month or $99.99/year | 4.5 |
| Kanary | Family plans that scale | Web on Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes, 30 removals | $12.99/month | 4.1 |
| Onerep | High volume with fast turnaround | Web on Windows, macOS, Linux | 7-day trial | $8.33/month annual | 4.0 |
| EasyOptOuts | Cheapest recurring option | Web on Windows, macOS, Linux | No | $19.99/year | 4.4 |
| Mine | Reclaim data from services you signed up for | Web on Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes, discovery is free | $9/month | 4.2 |
The apps
1. Incogni – Best for broad coverage at a fair price
Incogni is the Surfshark-owned service that pushed prices below the DeleteMe standard and forced everyone else to react. It files removal requests against 200+ US brokers and 100+ EU brokers, sends you weekly status reports with per-broker screenshots, and re-files every 90 days because that is exactly how fast most brokers re-list.
Where it falls short: you get a status page and email, not a phone number, and disputed removals can take a full quarter to escalate.
Pricing:
- Free: 30-day money-back guarantee, no free tier
- Paid: $7.49/month billed annually, or $16.49/month monthly. Family plan for four at $13.49/month annually
Platforms: web app usable on Windows, macOS, Linux, and any modern browser
Download: Incogni site
Bottom line: the default recommendation for anyone starting today.
2. DeleteMe – Best for the most-established brand
DeleteMe by Abine has been running since 2010, which shows in its coverage list, its US legal muscle, and its reporting depth. Every quarter you get a detailed report with a broker-by-broker line item, and the customer support desk includes real humans who will chase brokers that ignore the initial request.
Where it falls short: it is expensive relative to Incogni for a single seat, and coverage outside the US is thinner than the marketing implies.
Pricing:
- Free: none
- Paid: $10.75/month billed annually, or a Family plan for four at $18.83/month annually
Platforms: web app usable on Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile browsers
Download: DeleteMe site
Bottom line: the pick when you need the paper trail to hold up somewhere it will be read.
3. Optery – Best for a real free tier
Optery does what almost no competitor does: gives you a genuine free tier. Sign up and it scans over 300 broker sites, shows you exactly where you appear (with screenshot proof), and hands you the opt-out URLs to file yourself. Paying plans automate the filings; the free scan alone is the fastest way to see how bad the exposure actually is.
Where it falls short: the free tier stops at showing exposures. Automated removals require a paid plan.
Pricing:
- Free: 40+ broker exposure scan with manual opt-out instructions
- Paid: Core at $3.99/month annually, Extended at $7.49/month, Ultimate at $16.66/month for 550+ brokers
Platforms: web app usable on Windows, macOS, Linux; Chrome extension for the exposure scan
Download: Optery site
Bottom line: run the free scan today even if you never pay. The result is what convinces most people to subscribe.
4. DuckDuckGo Privacy Pro – Best if you already use the browser
DuckDuckGo Privacy Pro bundles a VPN, an identity theft monitor, and a Personal Information Removal (PIR) service in one subscription. The PIR piece covers 50+ US data brokers with the same reporting cadence Incogni uses, and because it lives in the DuckDuckGo desktop apps and extension, opt-out status shows up in the same place you already handle privacy.
Where it falls short: the PIR piece is US-only right now, and the broker list is smaller than Incogni’s or DeleteMe’s.
Pricing:
- Free: the DuckDuckGo browser and search are free; PIR is subscription-only
- Paid: $9.99/month or $99.99/year for the full Privacy Pro bundle
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Download: DuckDuckGo Privacy Pro
Bottom line: the practical pick if you already installed the DuckDuckGo browser or extension.
5. Kanary – Best for families and small teams
Kanary built its service around family plans, with per-member reporting and a UI that assumes an adult managing removals for parents or kids. Coverage is around 100 US brokers, and Kanary is one of the few services that offers a “guardian” seat for someone who cannot manage the account themselves.
Where it falls short: international coverage is thin, and the mobile experience is a stripped-down version of the web app.
Pricing:
- Free: 30 manual removals to try the workflow
- Paid: Individual at $12.99/month, Family plans start at $19.99/month
Platforms: web app usable on Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: Kanary site
Bottom line: the pick for a household with elderly parents or teenagers you want covered together.
6. Onerep – Best for high-volume removal fast
Onerep built its reputation on speed. The service claims first-round removals from most covered brokers within 14 days, faster than the industry norm of 30 to 45 days. Coverage is broad at over 200 US brokers, and the dashboard shows a live “found on / removed from” split so you can watch the exposure count drop in real time.
Where it falls short: ownership questions surfaced in 2024 raised eyebrows about who runs the sister-broker sites the service opts you out of; the company has since restructured and disclosed ownership, but read the current terms before signing.
Pricing:
- Free: 7-day trial
- Paid: $8.33/month billed annually, or $14.95/month monthly. Family plan for six at $23.33/month annually
Platforms: web app usable on Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: Onerep site
Bottom line: the pick when you want the exposure count to drop fastest and you are comfortable auditing the disclosures.
7. EasyOptOuts – Best for a cheap yearly plan
EasyOptOuts does one thing: file quarterly removals against a fixed list of about 65 US brokers for a flat annual fee. There is no dashboard, no fancy reporting, and no upsell. You get a simple email report after each quarterly run and a total price that undercuts every competitor on this list.
Where it falls short: no live dashboard, no international coverage, and no family plan.
Pricing:
- Free: none
- Paid: $19.99/year for one person, $39.99/year for two
Platforms: web signup on Windows, macOS, Linux; email reporting after that
Download: EasyOptOuts site
Bottom line: the pick if you want to pay once a year, forget about it, and just have your name off the biggest sites.
8. Mine – Best for reclaiming data from services you signed up for
Mine is a different shape of tool. Instead of scanning broker sites, it scans your inbox to build a list of every company that has your data, then files GDPR- or CCPA-style deletion requests with each of them. The result is that Mine complements the broker-focused tools rather than duplicating them: brokers get scraped from public sources, but the marketing lists you actually signed up for are the ones that leak into breaches.
Where it falls short: you have to grant inbox scanning access, and coverage outside the US and EU is uneven.
Pricing:
- Free: the discovery scan and manual request workflow
- Paid: MineOS at $9/month automates the request filing
Platforms: web app usable on Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: Mine site
Bottom line: run this alongside a broker service. They cover different sides of the same problem.
How to pick the right one
For a starting point that will not embarrass anyone: Incogni.
For a household with kids or elderly parents in one plan: Kanary or the DeleteMe Family plan.
For the cheapest set-and-forget option: EasyOptOuts.
For someone already using the DuckDuckGo browser: DuckDuckGo Privacy Pro.
For the free “how bad is it, actually” scan: Optery.
For fastest first-round removals: Onerep, if you have read the ownership disclosures and are comfortable.
For the enterprise-grade paper trail: DeleteMe.
For deletions from services you signed up for, not just broker scrapes: Mine, as a companion to any of the above.
FAQ
Do these services actually work, or do brokers just re-list you?
Both. Brokers do re-list quarterly, which is why every service here re-files on a 90-day cadence. Coverage typically drops your exposure by 70 to 90 percent after two quarterly runs and holds steady from there, provided you keep the subscription active.
Can I just opt out myself for free?
Yes, and Optery’s free tier gives you the opt-out URLs to do it. Filing manually against 300 sites takes about 25 hours the first time and 8 hours each quarter to re-file. Most people who try it once buy a subscription the second quarter.
Are these services legal?
Yes. US CCPA/CPRA laws (California), Virginia’s CDPA, Colorado’s CPA, and every EU country’s GDPR give individuals the right to request deletion. These services file the requests on your behalf. Brokers are legally required to honor them.
Does a VPN replace a data broker opt-out service?
No. A VPN hides new browsing traffic from your ISP. It does nothing about your name, address, and phone number sitting on broker sites right now. Different problem, different tool.
Will my data show up again after I unsubscribe?
Yes, within a quarter or two. Brokers re-scrape public records constantly, and every mortgage refinance, address change, or newly-linked social account puts fresh data into their pipelines.
Is it worth doing this if I already live under a pseudonym online?
Yes. Broker data is built from public records like property deeds, court filings, and voter registrations, which use your legal name whether you use it online or not.
