Incogni and DeleteMe are two of the best-known knowledge removing companies. Incogni was launched in 2022 by Surfshark, the corporate greatest identified for its eponymous digital non-public community (VPN) app. Logically, as a VPN supplier, Surfshark is concerned about serving to customers maximize their on-line privateness, and Incogni represented one other step in direction of this aim.
With a month-to-month or annual subscription, Incogni customers can scan the online for his or her private knowledge and ship automated removing requests to knowledge brokers. After the preliminary scan, Incogni often rescans for a similar private knowledge and sends recent removing requests, significantly to new knowledge brokers that seemingly don’t stop to emerge.
Founded in 2010, DeleteMe presents the same knowledge removing service. Users can submit their private data and run a deep scan to seek out this data wherever it seems throughout the online. Then, DeleteMe will ship removing requests to knowledge brokers to clean this data. It’ll additionally run frequent re-scans and ship new knowledge removing requests to make sure your private data stays off the online.
We’ve lined the floor of those two knowledge removing companies, however there’s way more beneath. This information compares Incogni and DeleteMe throughout key areas — dealer protection, pricing, options, ease of use, and buyer help — that can assist you select the most suitable choice to your wants.
Broker protection
Incogni covers roughly 420 knowledge brokers, whereas DeleteMe covers 750+ knowledge brokers. However, these figures don’t inform the entire story. These numbers symbolize the variety of brokers the place each platforms can ship automated removing requests. However, customers can ship customized removing requests to different websites. A customized request includes Incogni or DeleteMe’s group contacting the positioning in your behalf to request the deletion of your private data.
Incogni enables you to ship customized removing requests to 1,000 websites. Notably, customized requests aren’t out there on the Standard plan, however require subscribing to the Unlimited plan at the next price. DeleteMe additionally helps customized requests, however solely 40 per yr on the Standard plan and 60 on the Premium plan.
Based on the variety of brokers to which you’ll be able to ship automated and guide removing requests, Incogni is a greater possibility than DeleteMe.
Data insights
Both Incogni and DeleteMe present intuitive dashboards to trace your knowledge removing requests and their standing. However, in my expertise, DeleteMe presents extra detailed, labeled experiences, whereas Incogni presents generalized experiences tailor-made to the dangers related to my knowledge.
On Incogni, I acquired common e mail updates on knowledge removing requests, together with once they have been formally submitted and when the request was profitable. I might additionally monitor the progress of my removing requests on the Incogni dashboard, together with the estimated timeline for every pending request.
On DeleteMe, I additionally received frequent e mail updates about removing requests from begin to end. Likewise, I might at all times monitor the progress of every request from my DeleteMe dashboard.
However, DeleteMe stood out with its PDF experiences itemizing every web site the place my private data was discovered, when removing requests have been despatched to every web site, and the progress of every request. Its experiences have been extra customized than Incogni’s.
DeleteMe sends customers their first detailed PDF report one week after signing up. Afterwards, detailed knowledge removing experiences are despatched to customers subscribed to the Standard plan each three months, or to customers on the Premium plan each two months.
DeleteMe presents essentially the most complete statistical experiences, whereas Incogni presents easier, generalized insights. Understandably, not everyone seems to be within the minute particulars DeleteMe gives, but it surely’s the most suitable choice if you wish to perceive each nook and cranny of your private knowledge removing.
Extra options
Along with their core options, knowledge removing companies typically present some additional functionalities to assist customers increase their on-line privateness. From my expertise testing Incogni and DeleteMe, the latter is the clear winner on this criterion.
DeleteMe presents a complementary Cyber platform with worthwhile options. For one, you’ll be able to search the darkish internet to see in case your e mail handle was compromised in any knowledge leak. If you detect your e mail credentials on any web site leak, it’s a sign to alter passwords for the affected web site instantly.
For web site house owners, DeleteMe additionally presents a service to scan your area identify and detect whether or not delicate knowledge linked to it’s current on the darkish internet. Several different complementary options exist, however these are essentially the most notable I can level out.
On the opposite hand, Incogni doesn’t provide complementary options like DeleteMe. It focuses solely on knowledge removing and excels at that, however don’t count on additional safety features such as you’ll discover with DeleteMe. This lack of complementary options is what makes DeleteMe the clear winner on this class.
Ease of use
Incogni and DeleteMe are typically simple to make use of, however with key variations. Incogni takes a extra automated, hands-off method, whereas DeleteMe depends extra on guide enter.
When testing each, I appreciated Incogni’s “set and forget” method, the place I uploaded my knowledge, initiated a scan, and let Incogni ship automated removing requests on my behalf. On the opposite hand, DeleteMe required me to add extra private data and relied extra on me manually choosing websites to ship removing requests to.
That’s to not say Incogni or DeleteMe is wholly higher than the opposite in the case of user-friendliness. Rather, it relies on your most popular utilization mode. If you need a extra automated, hassle-free consumer expertise, Incogni is a greater match. However, if you need better management over knowledge removing requests and to get extra detailed experiences, DeleteMe is your greatest wager.
DeleteMe felt slower to make use of, as guide removing requests take longer to course of—it depends on DeleteMe’s workers crafting particular requests for every web site. Incogni supplied a quicker, smoother expertise throughout my check as a result of it depends on automated requests, that are naturally quicker to course of.
Customer help
Incogni presents ample help sources, starting with its self-help FAQs, manuals and consumer guides. I discovered these self-help sources worthwhile when navigating Incogni for the primary time.
When Incogni’s self-help sources weren’t appropriate, I rapidly submitted a help request and received linked to a help workers member by way of stay chat. However, typically, stay chat wasn’t out there, so I needed to look forward to an e mail response, which got here inside 24 hours. Telephone help is obtainable, however just for customers subscribed to the Unlimited or Family Unlimited plan.
DeleteMe additionally presents ample help sources to assist customers resolve issues. These embrace self-help sources that offered nice assist after I wanted to resolve mundane issues. When self-help sources weren’t sufficient, I might contact DeleteMe’s help group by way of e mail, stay chat, and phone.
Though they provide comparable help sources, I think about Incogni higher for constant availability. It presents 24/7 stay help, whereas DeleteMe’s is restricted to enterprise hours. I noticeably waited much less for e mail responses from Incogni than from DeleteMe.
Plans and pricing
Incogni presents 4 pricing plans: Standard, Unlimited, Family, and Family Unlimited. For $16 monthly, the Standard plan helps automated knowledge removing requests from over 420 knowledge dealer websites. The Unlimited plan prices $30 monthly and helps guide knowledge removing requests from 1,000+ knowledge dealer websites, along with the automated removing requests of the Standard plan.
The Incogni Family plan, which prices $32 monthly, presents the identical options because the Standard plan, however covers as much as 5 customers underneath a single subscription. The Family Unlimited plan prices $46 monthly and presents the identical performance because the Unlimited plan, notably guide knowledge removing requests from 1,000+ websites, with 5 members lined.
Incogni presents a steep 50% low cost when you pay yearly moderately than month-to-month– for instance, you’ll pay $96 yearly for the Standard plan, which breaks right down to $8 month-to-month as a substitute of the standard $16. Incogni doesn’t provide a free trial, but it surely does provide a 30-day money-back assure.
DeleteMe has easy subscription-based pricing plans. An particular person subscription prices $129 for one yr, whereas a two-person plan prices $229 yearly. The Family plan prices $329 yearly for 4 individuals. If you’re subscribing on behalf of a enterprise with many workers, you’ll be able to contact DeleteMe’s gross sales group to barter a customized deal.
When contemplating out there pricing reductions, Incogni presents a lower cost entry level than DeleteMe and extra bang to your buck. Yet, DeleteMe’s plans are additionally fairly priced, significantly for household and enterprise customers.
Which is greatest?
Incogni and DeleteMe have their respective strengths. Incogni is the only option if you need a extra inexpensive, easy-to-use knowledge removing service that handles many of the work in your behalf. It’s a set-and-forget service that helps hold your data out of information dealer websites.
DeleteMe is the only option if you need a hands-on method the place you dictate which internet sites to take away your knowledge from. It’s superb when you already know the websites your knowledge is current on and wish to ship guide removing requests, whereas Incogni is extra of a paid companion that finds and removes private data from the online in your behalf.
