Hi there! Have you ever Googled yourself and realized just how much of your personal information is available online for anyone to see? Data brokers and people search sites make it easy to find everything from your phone number to your home address. This exposes you and your family to risks like identity theft and cyberstalking.
Luckily, services like Incogni and Removaly can help you take control of your digital footprint. In this guide, we‘ll compare these two leading data removal tools to help you decide which one best protects your online privacy in 2023.
Why Online Privacy Matters
Before diving into the details, it helps to understand why online privacy is so important in the first place. According to a recent report, there are over 5,000 data brokers worldwide that profit from buying and selling personal information. The data they collect can include:
- Full name and aliases
- Current and past addresses
- Phone numbers
- Employment history
- Relatives and associates
- Vehicles owned
- Criminal records
- Bankruptcies or liens
- And much more
Armed with all this data, identity thieves can easily commit financial fraud in your name. Other bad actors can use it to stalk victims or commit property crimes.
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, nearly 40 million Americans were impacted by identity fraud last year alone, with total losses nearing $50 billion [1].
It‘s clear that keeping your personal information off data broker sites is critical for protecting your security and peace of mind. This is where Incogni and Removaly come in.
Incogni Overview
Incogni entered the market in 2021 as part of VPN provider Surfshark‘s privacy protection services. It offers automated data removal by acting as your legal proxy to submit opt-out requests.
According to Incogni‘s website, here‘s how it works:
- You provide your personal information to Incogni
- Incogni searches data broker databases for any matches
- Incogni sends opt-out requests on your behalf to have that data removed
Incogni also continuously monitors supported data brokers. Whenever your information appears in a new location, Incogni automatically submits an opt-out request to have it deleted.
This approach simplifies the removal process by having Incogni handle everything for you automatically. Currently, Incogni works with over 180 data brokers. They are rapidly expanding their network as well.
Incogni‘s $77.88 annual fee includes unlimited opt-out requests. You can also cancel anytime within 30 days for a full refund.
Removaly Overview
Removaly entered the data removal space earlier in 2017. Their approach is to manually identify and remove your personal information from people search sites and data brokers.
Their website explains the process like this:
- Provide your personal details to Removaly
- Removaly‘s privacy experts search for your data online
- They manually submit opt-out requests to have your info deleted
The advantage of manual removal is the human touch. Privacy experts can thoroughly investigate sources like consumer data aggregators, public record sites, and domain name registrars.
However, Removaly only works with 51 data brokers at this time. You have to rely on their experts to find and remove all instances of your data across the web.
Removaly has a higher annual fee at $129. They do not offer any money-back guarantee.
Comparing Key Features
Now that we‘ve covered the basics of how each service works, let‘s compare some of the key features side-by-side:
Data Brokers Supported
- Incogni: 180+
- Removaly: 51
Removal Method
- Incogni: Automated opt-out requests
- Removaly: Manual requests by privacy experts
Pricing
- Incogni: $77.88/year
- Removaly: $129/year
Money-back Guarantee
- Incogni: 30 days
- Removaly: None
User Interface
- Incogni: Simple dashboard with removal stats
- Removaly: Overview dashboard but less data visibility
At a glance, Incogni appears to provide better value with its lower price, extensive broker network, and convenient dashboard. But how do these services stack up when it comes to real-world performance?
Comparing Performance and Results
Beyond the features, we need to look at how efficiently Incogni and Removaly work to remove your personal data. Key performance factors include removal speed and success rates.
Speed
Incogni‘s automated system sends real-time opt-out requests to data brokers as soon as you sign up. Their website claims new users had 23 data removal cases completed within the first week, with 81 more pending. This demonstrates the rapid results you can achieve.
With Removaly‘s manual process, your information may not be removed for days or weeks after signing up. Their experts must conduct searches to find your data before sending removal requests.
Success Rates
Incogni‘s automated approach appears highly effective based on consumer reports. The company itself cannot verify exactly what data brokers removed for legal reasons, but many Incogni users have reported seeing their personal details disappeared from various sites soon after signing up.
With Removaly, success depends on their expert‘s ability to locate all your data. Some users reported mixed results, with some data remaining visible after months of being a Removaly member.
The takeaway: Incogni‘s real-time automated process enables faster and more complete removal of your online footprint across a wider range of data brokers.
What Users Are Saying
It‘s helpful to hear direct feedback from people who have used both Incogni and Removaly. Here are some examples:
"I tried Removaly first but didn‘t see many changes after a few months. Incogni removed a ton of my info much quicker."*
"Incogni really simplifies the process of taking control of your data. I liked the dashboard showing the status of all my removal requests."*
"Removaly did successfully get my data deleted from a few shady people search sites. I may keep using both them and Incogni for comprehensive protection."*
*(Comments paraphrased from real user reviews)**
While experiences can vary, users tend to report better overall results from Incogni compared to Removaly. Using both in tandem provides even stronger privacy protection.
Which Is the Best for You?
When it comes down to Incogni vs Removaly, there are convincing arguments for both, but Incogni appears to come out ahead in this face off.
If you want automated, real-time removal of your data from a huge network of brokers, Incogni is likely the best fit. Their simple interface, affordable pricing, and fast results make protecting your privacy a breeze.
Removaly may appeal if you prefer having human experts manually identifying and removing your information across the internet. Just keep in mind that removal may take longer compared to Incogni‘s automated solution.
Here is a quick recap of the key differences based on what we covered:
- Incogni removes data from 180+ brokers automatically in real-time for just $77.88/year. Fast results and a 30-day money-back guarantee provide exceptional value.
- Removaly has experts manually remove your info from 51 brokers for $129/year. The process can be slower but the human touch may be worth it for some.
Whichever you choose, the most important thing is taking action to regain control of your online privacy. Both Incogni and Removaly are powerful tools to limit your digital footprint and protect your security in 2023.
Stay safe online my friend, and please reach out if you need any help getting started with data removal. I‘m always happy to point privacy-minded folks like yourself in the right direction!
