Removing personal information from the Internet can be challenging if done on your own. It requires time, effort, and, most importantly, knowledge of opt-out procedures. Whether you want to minimize your digital presence or protect yourself and your family from online threats, using a data removal service is a viable option. But how do you choose the best one?
There are quite a few personal data removal platforms, but there is no perfect solution for everyone. To help our readers make an informed decision, we’ve prepared a checklist for choosing a privacy provider. We also assembled essential information about the five most popular data removal services.
Here is what to look at when you compare privacy providers:
- How many websites does the service address?
- Does the service rely on an automated or manual removal process?
- Is there a trial option?
- Which service best balances cost and functionality?
How many websites does the service address?
Eighty percent of OneRep users taking our free privacy scan are found on 49 data broker sites. Some sites even display several profiles of the same person due to name variations that generate new listings. If you want to clear your Google search results of all unauthorized data broker listings, it’s essential to scan as many websites as possible for your data. OneRep searches for and removes users from 196 websites.
Check if people-search sites expose your info
OneRep’s algorithm scans 196 data broker sites for your profiles, and makes sure your private information is removed.
Does the service rely on an automated or manual removal process?
The opt-out timeline typically does not vary much from one data removal service to another, because it is dependent on the data broker or people-search engine–the website where your info is exposed. Many websites complicate the opt-out process and are slow to remove information, at times ignoring your initial opt-out requests altogether. If timeliness is not at play, what are the benefits of an automated vs. manual data removal process?
OneRep uses automated scan and removal processes that are quick and thorough, affordably guaranteeing deletion of records. It does not rely on human power and tirelessly repeats the removal process until complete, without increasing costs.
OneRep competitors hiring human experts are naturally more expensive as they manage each removal manually. If initial opt-out attempts are unsuccessful, experts must come back to repeat the procedure all over again.
Is there a trial option?
Most services offer yearly subscriptions without giving users a chance to try things out. We firmly believe that testing products is what any service owes to its customers. Therefore:
- We provide a free 5-day trial for any plan of your choice, and your protection starts immediately once you sign up.
- If you want an annual membership but feel that a 5-day trial is not enough to test the service before committing, you can use a monthly subscription first and switch to an annual plan whenever you are ready.
Which tool is the best value for money?
It’s easy to answer this question if you look at what you get for your money in terms of:
- Websites coverage: The number of websites covered by a service directly translates into your visibility in Google. OneRep removes records for the widest range of people-search sites – 196 to be exact.
- Monitoring frequency: The more often the service revisits the data brokers sites to check if your information has reappeared, the better your protection is against your information exposure. OneRep monitors 196 sites once a month which is the optimal frequency for the best protection.
- Cost per member protected: personal information of your family members exposed on data broker sites jeopardizes your privacy as well. At OneRep, we believe privacy should be affordable for everyone who wants to protect both themselves and their families. Our Family plan covers 6 people at the cost of just two individual subscriptions.
Top 5 data removal services at a glance
Below is a comparison of the performance of 5 best-known privacy providers: OneRep, DeleteMe, BrandYourself, Safe Shepherd, and ReputationDefender. This table is a detailed guide to help answer the most common questions we receive from our users.
*unavailable – the information was not publicly accessible
*❌ – the service is not provided
 |  |  |  |  |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sites coverage for basic plan | 196 | 35+ | 35+ | 50 | 15+ |
| Records monitoring | monthly | quarterly | unavailable | weekly | quarterly |
| Personal dashboard to monitor exposed info | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Reports on removal progress | monthly | quarterly | unavailable | unavailable | quarterly |
| Money back guarantee | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Free trial period | 5-day | ❌ | ❌ | 7-day | ❌ |
| Removal type | automated | manual | automated | automated | automated + manual |
| Free opt-out instructions | 350+ | 270+ | 50+ | 98 | ❌ |
| Billing | monthly and annual | annual | annual | monthly and annual | annual |
| Basic plan for 1 person | starting at $8.33/mo | starting at $10.75/mo | starting at $9.99/mo | starting at $8.33/mo | starting at $9.95/mo |
| Family plan | up to 6 people, starting at $15/mo | up to 4 people, starting at $27.42/mo | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Price you pay per data broker* | starting at $0.90 | starting at $3.40 | starting at $3.20 | starting at $1.99 | starting at $5.20 |
| Live chat support | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Customer email support | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Customer phone support | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ |
* Price you pay per data broker is subject to fluctuation based on the exact number of websites we cover.
Looking for more reviews? Check out these comparisons:
Onerep vs. BrandYourself
OneRep vs. DeleteMe
OneRep VS. ReputationDefender
Digital Marketer & Privacy Expert at OneRep | LinkedIn