Optery vs Incogni: Which Data Removal Service Wins in 2026?

The Two Contenders

Side-by-Side Comparison

Data Broker Coverage

The whole point of these services is how many data brokers they reach. This is the most important number, and the gap is not small.

Optery scans 500+ data broker and people-search sites and actively removes you from 200+. The remaining sites are ones with no formal opt-out process, so Optery provides DIY guides to handle them manually. This is the most comprehensive removal program in the category. Sites like Spokeo, WhitePages, BeenVerified, MyLife, Intelius, and dozens of niche people-search databases are all covered.

Incogni covers 180+ data brokers. It focuses on the high-priority sites — the ones most likely to sell your data to insurers, employers, and marketers — but the narrower list means some people-search sites that actively publish your home address and phone number fall through the cracks.

Verdict: Optery wins by a wide margin. 500+ vs 180+ is not a rounding error — that's nearly 3x the coverage. Every site you're on that Incogni misses is still a liability.

Transparency & Proof of Removal

This is where the philosophical gap between the two services is sharpest.

Optery takes screenshots before and after every removal. You can log into your dashboard and see exactly which sites had your data, what profile was up, and confirmation of the removal. Every scan result is visible — not just a count, but the actual listing with your name, address, phone number, relatives, and age that was publicly available. This level of receipts is rare and genuinely valuable. It means you can verify the work is being done, not just trust a vendor's report.

Incogni shows you a dashboard with a count of requests sent, completed, and in progress. It also breaks down the risk level of each broker (high/medium/low) and the data types involved. It's a cleaner UI, but it's more of a summary than a receipt. You can't see which specific profile was removed or compare before/after states.

Verdict: Optery wins. Screenshot proof is the gold standard. Incogni gives you enough to feel like progress is happening, but Optery lets you verify it.

Free Tier & Getting Started

How each service handles the try-before-you-buy experience matters more than you'd think.

Optery offers a free scan that shows you exactly which data broker sites have your information. You can see every listing — your name, age, address, phone, relatives — across 100+ sites before paying a cent. This is genuinely useful: it quantifies your exposure and motivates the upgrade in a way that a generic pitch never could. The free plan also removes you from a handful of the highest-risk sites automatically.

Incogni has no free tier. You pay upfront, and while there's a 30-day money-back guarantee, you're committing blind. The annual plan ($6.49/month, billed yearly) is reasonable, but you have no visibility into your actual exposure before signing up.

Verdict: Optery wins. The free scan is a meaningful differentiator. Seeing your actual data on 47 sites before you've paid anything is more persuasive than any marketing copy — and it's genuinely useful as a privacy audit tool.

Pricing & Value

Both services are priced reasonably for what they do. The nuances matter.

Optery's Basic plan at $3.99/month is the cheapest entry point in the category with real automated removals. If you need the full 500+ site coverage, Optery Ultimate at $12.99/month matches Incogni's monthly pricing but gives you nearly 3x the broker coverage. Incogni's main pricing advantage is the Surfshark bundle — if you're already paying for their VPN, adding Incogni is a cheap add-on.

Verdict: Optery wins on value unless you're already a Surfshark subscriber. For standalone privacy protection, Optery gives you more for your money at every price tier.

Where Optery Wins

Where Incogni Wins

Final Verdict

This one isn't close for most people.

Choose Optery if you're buying a standalone data removal service. It covers nearly 3x more sites, gives you screenshot proof of every removal, has a free tier that lets you see your exposure before paying, and offers family plans that Incogni doesn't. The $3.99/month Basic plan is the best entry-level privacy purchase in the category. The only reason to upgrade to Ultimate is if you want comprehensive coverage across all 500+ sites.

Choose Incogni if you're already a Surfshark subscriber and want to add data removal at a bundled discount. The narrower coverage is a real trade-off, but if the price difference is material to you, Incogni is decent enough for the highest-priority broker removals.

For anyone evaluating these two services cold in 2026, Optery is the better service. Start with the free scan — it will show you exactly why this category matters.