Optery vs DeleteMe Comparison: Which Is Better in 2026?

Our Optery vs DeleteMe Comparison looks at how these two popular data removal services help keep your personal information out of data broker databases and reduce unwanted exposure, spam calls, and targeted scams.

Optery leans on automation for faster scans and lower starting prices, while DeleteMe combines expert-led removals with broader international coverage and extra privacy tools. In this 2026 comparison, we’ll look at their real-world performance, pricing, data broker coverage, and additional features to help you decide which service best fits your needs.

Beyond the bold promises, what do these services actually offer? Let’s find out.

	DeleteMe	Optery
Website	JoinDeleteMe.com	Optery.com
Regional availability	US, UK, CA, AU, EU plans	United States only
True coverage	100+ base sites automated (969 total)	150+ automated sites baseline (625+ via Ultimate and Expanded Reach)
Features and tools	Email, phone, and card masking	Privacy browser extension, GPC opt-outs
Support channels	Phone, live chat, email ticketing	Live web chat, help desk ticketing
Pricing	From 8.60/month (annual)	From $3.25/month (Core tier, annual)
Best deal	20% Off Discount >	20% Off Discount >

Provider backgrounds

DeleteMe and Optery both aim to keep your personal information off data broker sites, but the level of protection you get depends on how each service works.

DeleteMe overview

Owned by Abine, Inc., DeleteMe has been a familiar name in data removal since 2010. It holds a 3.6-star Trustpilot rating, with 72% of reviewers giving it five stars. Originally focused on the US market, the service has expanded its reach to the UK, Canada, Australia, and parts of Europe.

While DeleteMe advertises coverage of 969+ data brokers, its Standard plan automatically handles removals from roughly 85–100 core databases. Accessing the rest of its extensive catalog relies largely on custom requests. Standard users must find their exposed profiles and submit them to a privacy agent, with a limit of 40 manual requests per year.

DeleteMe pros and cons

Optery overview

Founded in 2020 by Lawrence Gentilello, San Francisco-based Optery is a newer player in the data removal market, with a strong focus on automation. It holds a 4.1-star Trustpilot rating, with 77% of reviewers giving it five stars.

Optery relies on automated scanning to cover a wide range of data brokers, including hundreds on its lower-tier plans. However, its pricing structure is highly tiered: access to the broadest broker network and custom removal requests is reserved for its most expensive subscription.

Optery pros and cons

How data is removed

	DeleteMe	Optery
Method	Manual expert opt-outs	Algorithmic automation
Custom requests	✅ Up to 40/year	✅ Ultimate tier only
Removals	✅ Recurring checks	✅ Ongoing monitoring
Timeline	7 days to a few weeks	A few days to weeks
Reports	✅ Deep quarterly audits	✅ Monthly screenshots

DeleteMe takes a hands-on approach, with privacy experts submitting opt-out requests to data brokers on your behalf. They also follow up periodically to check whether your information has been removed or has resurfaced. If you find a stubborn listing, you can flag it through the custom removal process.

Optery takes the automated route. Its algorithms scan for exposed personal information, send removal requests, and monitor listings for reappearances. One of its standout features is visual proof, with before-and-after screenshots showing how your profiles change after removal requests.

Legal compliance

Both DeleteMe and Optery use privacy laws to help users request the removal of their personal information from data brokers.

	DeleteMe	Optery
Privacy regulations	✅ CCPA, GDPR	✅ CCPA, GDPR
Security certification	✅ SOC 2 Type II	✅ SOC 2 Type II
Auditing body	✅ AICPA standards	✅ AICPA standards
Data encryption	✅ AES-256 bank-grade	✅ AES-256 bank-grade

Both services rely on privacy regulations such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to support data removal requests. These laws give consumers certain rights to request the deletion of their personal information, although exceptions and requirements vary.

Both companies also report SOC 2 Type II compliance, which provides assurance about their internal security controls and how they handle sensitive customer data.

Global availability

DeleteMe	Optery
✅United States of America (50 states) ✅European Union (limited) ✅United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (limited) ✅Canada️ ✅Singapore️ ❌Switzerland️ ❌Norway️ ❌Iceland️ ❌Liechtenstein	✅United States of America (50 states) ❌European Union  ❌United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland  ❌Canada ️❌Singapore ️❌Switzerland ️❌Norway ️❌Iceland ️❌Liechtenstein

Location matters when choosing a data removal service. DeleteMe offers international coverage, serving users in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, Singapore, and parts of Europe. Optery, on the other hand, currently focuses on the US market.

Core features comparison

Both services do the trick, but there are a few key differences you should be aware of.

Data broker coverage

	DeleteMe	Optery
Headline site count	969+ data brokers	940+ total sites
Entry plan baseline	100+ data brokers handled automatically	150+ data brokers handled automatically
B2B lead gen sites	❌	✅
Custom takedowns	40 requests/year on Standard	Unlimited on Ultimate
Excluded sites	Risk, recruitment, and financial brokers	Risk, recruitment, and financial brokers

Headline coverage numbers rarely tell the whole story. DeleteMe advertises a catalog of more than 969 sites, but its Standard plan automatically handles removals from roughly 100 core databases. Much of the remaining coverage depends on manual custom requests, which are capped at 40 submissions per year on the entry-level plan.

Optery, by contrast, puts more emphasis on automated coverage, utilizing a tiered structure that relies on its “Expanded Reach” setting:

• Core: Handles opt-outs across 380+ automated sites (which drops to 150+ sites if Expanded Reach is turned off).
• Extended: Scales protection up to 555+ automated sites (or 330+ sites without Expanded Reach).
• Ultimate: Expands automated coverage to its maximum network of 625+ sites (or 400+ sites without Expanded Reach) and includes completely unlimited custom removal requests targeting up to 940+ total registries after a 30-day active window.

Both services primarily target marketing databases, people-search sites, and B2B lead generation platforms, rather than focusing on risk, financial, and recruitment databases.

DeleteMe	Optery
✅People search sites ✅Marketing data brokers ❌Risk mitigation brokers️ ❌Recruitment data brokers️ ❌Financial information brokers	✅People search sites ✅Marketing data brokers ❌Risk mitigation brokers ❌Recruitment data brokers ❌Financial information brokers

Progress reporting

Optery takes a visual approach to progress reporting, giving paid users monthly removal reports with before-and-after screenshots. These show where your personal information appeared and what has been removed, making it easier to track results and verify progress at a glance.

DeleteMe offers more detailed quarterly privacy reports. Rather than relying on screenshots, it provides a written breakdown of which brokers held your information, what specific data was exposed, and how long each removal took. Reports also highlight pending requests, helping you identify brokers that are taking longer to act.

Automation and efficiency

DeleteMe relies primarily on a manual, expert-led approach. Although it uses digital tools behind the scenes, its privacy specialists handle most opt-out submissions and custom removal requests. This hands-on process can be especially useful for stubborn listings that require individual attention, but it also makes the overall workflow slower.

Optery takes a hybrid approach, combining automated software with human oversight. Its scanning technology searches hundreds of data broker platforms simultaneously and sends opt-out requests at scale. However, the process isn’t entirely automated. On its Extended and Ultimate plans, human privacy agents provide additional quality checks and handle more complicated listings that automated tools may struggle to remove.

Custom removals

Sometimes your personal information appears on smaller or less familiar websites that aren’t covered by a service’s standard removal network. Both DeleteMe and Optery let you flag these listings for manual removal, but access and limits vary by plan:

• DeleteMe: Standard individual subscriptions include up to 40 custom removal requests per year. If you find your information on an uncovered site, you can submit the URL to a privacy advisor, who will handle the opt-out process on your behalf.
• Optery: Custom removal requests are unlimited, but available only on the top-tier Ultimate plan. New subscribers must also wait 30 days from their subscription date before submitting their first custom URL.

Additional security features

	DeleteMe	Optery
Privacy browser extension	❌	✅ Chrome
GPC signal support	❌	✅
Masked email and phone numbers	✅	❌
Masked credit cards	✅	❌
Free identity exposure scan	✅	✅
Free ongoing self-service tier	❌	✅

Optery offers a Chrome extension that supports Global Privacy Control (GPC), automatically signaling your preference to opt out of data sharing and targeted advertising on participating websites. It also provides a free ongoing account, allowing users to run exposure scans and check which personal details appear on data broker sites.

DeleteMe, meanwhile, stands out for its identity-masking tools. Users can generate masked email addresses, phone numbers, and virtual payment cards to avoid sharing their real contact and payment details when signing up for services or shopping online. These tools help keep personal information private and reduce unwanted marketing messages and calls.

Ease of use

DeleteMe is designed for people who would rather set things in motion and let the experts take over. Its dashboard keeps privacy activity easy to follow, using clean charts and progress summaries instead of burying you in details. You can check how things are going at a glance, then rely on quarterly reports delivered straight to your inbox. No need to keep checking in or micromanaging every removal.

Optery takes a more hands-on approach, putting plenty of detail right at your fingertips. Its dashboard lets you dig into individual listings, follow links to exposed profiles, and view screenshots of the information found. It’s a useful setup if you like seeing exactly what’s happening behind the scenes, though all those details can make the interface feel a little busier.

Security safeguards

	DeleteMe	Optery
Data encryption	AES-256 & TLS 1.2	AES-256 & TLS 1.3
Account authentication	2FA / MFA supported	2FA / MFA supported
Data practices	Does not sell user data; collects information needed for removals	Does not sell user data; collects information needed for removals
Security audits	SOC 2 Type II	SOC 2 Type II

Both DeleteMe and Optery use AES-256 encryption (the same as banks and governments) to keep your data safe. DeleteMe also runs regular internal audits to catch risks early.

Customer support

Good customer support matters when you’re trusting a service with sensitive personal information, especially if something goes wrong or a removal request gets stuck.

Optery	DeleteMe
✅24/7 Live Support ✅Email ✅Live chat️ ✅Social media️ ✅Web form️ ✅FAQs / Help desk	❌️Live Support: Mon-Fri, 9 AM to 8 PM ET ✅Email ✅Live chat ️✅Social media ️✅Web form ️✅FAQs / Help desk

DeleteMe has the advantage of offering more ways to reach a real person. You can call its support team or use live chat during weekday business hours, from 9 AM to 8 PM ET. Email support is another option, with replies often arriving within an hour on weekdays. The main drawback is that direct support isn’t available on weekends.

Optery keeps things digital, with no phone support. Paid users can reach the team through live chat or email, although response times may vary depending on the plan. Where Optery makes up some ground is its library of detailed, step-by-step guides, which can help users handle basic opt-outs and troubleshoot common issues on their own.

Pricing and billing

	DeleteMe	Optery
Free scan option	❌	✅ Ongoing scans
Month-to-month contract	❌ Billed annually only	✅
Starting cost	$103.20/year, for the first year	✅ $3.99/month
Top tier cost	$263.20/year, for the first year	✅ $24.99/month
Custom audits	✅ Included on entry tier	❌ Ultimate tier only

DeleteMe keeps its pricing simple with a single annual subscription rather than multiple feature-based tiers. For $129 per year, users get its standard service, including automated removals and up to 40 manual custom requests. There’s no need to upgrade just to access those extra removal options.

DeleteMe plans	1 person	2 persons	Family (4 people)
1-year	$8.60/month	$15.27/month	$21.93/month
2-year	$6.97/month	$11.63/month	$16.63/month

Deal: Get 20% OFF on DeleteMe’s plans >

Optery offers more flexibility with monthly and annual billing, plus a lower starting price. The trade-off is that its features are spread across several plans. Custom removal requests, for example, are reserved for the top-tier Ultimate subscription, which costs considerably more than the entry-level option.

Optery plans	Free	Core	Extended	Ultimate
1-month	$0/month	$3.99/month	$14.99/month	$24.99/month
1-year	$0/month	$3.25/month	$12.42/month	$20.70/month

Deal: Get 20% OFF on Optery’s plans >

Final verdict

It comes down to your priorities: DeleteMe offers a more hands-on, internationally available service, while Optery gives you more automated coverage and visual proof of progress.

Here’s how they compare:

1. Global availability: DeleteMe wins with coverage across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and parts of Europe. Optery currently focuses on US users.
2. Data broker coverage: Optery wins for automated removals, handling 150+ sites on its entry plan compared with roughly 85–100 for DeleteMe.
3. Progress reporting: DeleteMe takes the lead with granular, comprehensive breakdown reports.
4. Automation and efficiency: Optery wins for scaling automated removals and frequent progress tracking.
5. Custom removals: DeleteMe includes custom removals out-of-the-box, while Optery suits users needing unlimited submissions on higher plans.
6. Extra security perks: Tie – Optery for passive browsing security, DeleteMe for transactional privacy masking.
7. Ease of use: DeleteMe wins for straightforward privacy tracking.
8. Security safeguards: Tie – both offer strong encryption, with Optery holding a slight edge via TLS 1.3 support.
9. Customer support: DeleteMe stands out for accessible personal assistance beyond standard email support.
10. Pricing and billing: DeleteMe wins with its all-in-one annual plan including custom removals.

The bottom line

If you prefer a hands-off service with phone support, international coverage, and custom removals included, DeleteMe is the more natural fit. Optery makes more sense if you’re based in the US, like having screenshot proof of removals, and want an affordable way to get started with automated scans.

DeleteMe vs Optery FAQs