DIY opt-outs (manual) vs DeleteMe
Both are alternatives to Incogni. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as DeleteMe vs DIY opt-outs (manual) — same comparison, one verdict.
DIY opt-outs (manual) keeps your data local by default and DeleteMe keeps it in the vendor's cloud — for most teams that single fact decides it.
DIY opt-outs (manual)
Free, most thorough, and entirely in your control.
The sovereign route: file the opt-outs yourself using the community-maintained Big Ass Data Broker Opt-Out List, which documents the process for hundreds of brokers. Free, the most complete coverage possible — and honestly tedious: budget a weekend up front and a few hours each quarter to keep it clean.
DeleteMe
The white-glove option — human privacy specialists work your case.
The longest-running name in the category, and the one that puts humans on your file: privacy specialists handle edge cases and custom removal requests that pure automation misses. The honest trade: its base plan automates roughly 85–100 platforms — fewer than rivals — at the category's highest price.
Side by side
6 points of comparison, every one read from a verified field. Green marks the side that wins a row outright. A dash means we do not hold that fact — never that it is zero.
| DIY opt-outs (manual) | DeleteMe | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 95 | 45 |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Local-first data | Yes | No |
| License | Free — community guides | Proprietary service |
| Pricing | Free — your time is the cost: a weekend up front, a few hours quarterly after | From ~$10.75/mo billed annually; custom removals and wider coverage on higher tiers |
DIY opt-outs (manual) edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
Weighing both against staying on Incogni? Is Incogni free? What it actually costs →
DIY opt-outs (manual)
Strengths
- +Costs nothing
- +You decide exactly what disappears first
- +Community guides cover more brokers than any paid service
Trade-offs
- −Hours of tedious form-filling
- −Must be repeated as brokers relist your data
- −Easy to burn out before finishing the list
DeleteMe
Strengths
- +Human experts handle edge cases automation misses
- +Custom removal requests on demand
- +Longest track record in the category
Trade-offs
- −Base plan automates roughly 85–100 platforms — less than rivals
- −Priciest of the group
- −US-centric coverage
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose DIY opt-outs (manual)
if your data should stay on machines you control, and costs nothing.
Choose DeleteMe
if human experts handle edge cases automation misses.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — hours of tedious form-filling, and base plan automates roughly 85–100 platforms — less than rivals. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
DIY opt-outs (manual) vs DeleteMe — common questions
Is DIY opt-outs (manual) a better fit than DeleteMe for data removal & privacy?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: DIY opt-outs (manual) scores 95 to DeleteMe's 45 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. DeleteMe earns its place on a different axis — human experts handle edge cases automation misses. Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
DIY opt-outs (manual) keeps its data local or in open formats, so leaving is an export rather than a negotiation. DeleteMe keeps your data on its own infrastructure, which is the part to plan for: confirm the export path before you commit, not when you are already trying to leave.
Is DIY opt-outs (manual) free?
DIY opt-outs (manual): Free — your time is the cost: a weekend up front, a few hours quarterly after. The other side of this comparison, DeleteMe, is priced as From ~$10.75/mo billed annually; custom removals and wider coverage on higher tiers. "Free" here means no licence fee — if you self-host it you still pay for the server, and the running cost row above is our honest estimate of that.
Are DIY opt-outs (manual) and DeleteMe both alternatives to Incogni?
Yes — both appear in our Incogni comparison, which is why they are worth putting side by side. People usually arrive here already having decided to move off Incogni and now choosing between the two replacements, which is a narrower and much easier question.
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Facts verified 2026-07-18. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.