DIY opt-outs (manual) vs Optery
Both are alternatives to Incogni. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as Optery vs DIY opt-outs (manual) — same comparison, one verdict.
DIY opt-outs (manual) keeps your data local by default and Optery 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.
Optery
Best measured removal rates, with a free exposure report.
Optery led independent testing with a 68% removal rate and is the only service with a genuinely useful free tier: exposure reports with screenshots of exactly where your data appears, before you pay a cent. Full coverage of the biggest people-search sites sits on the top tier, and it serves the US and Canada only.
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) | Optery | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 95 | 52 |
| 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 | Free exposure reports; paid from ~$8.99/mo (365+ sites) to Ultimate (635+) |
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
Optery
Strengths
- +68% removal rate — best in independent testing
- +Free tier shows screenshots of where you're exposed
- +30-day money-back guarantee
Trade-offs
- −US and Canada only
- −Biggest people-search sites reserved for the top tier
- −Full coverage gets pricey
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 Optery
if 68% removal rate — best in independent testing.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — hours of tedious form-filling, and uS and Canada only. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
DIY opt-outs (manual) vs Optery — common questions
Is DIY opt-outs (manual) a better fit than Optery 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 Optery's 52 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. Optery earns its place on a different axis — 68% removal rate — best in independent testing. 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. Optery 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.
Are DIY opt-outs (manual) and Optery 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.
Related alternative guides
Facts verified 2026-07-18. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.