DeleteMe vs. Optery

Given that everything is so digitized and easily accessible online, it should make your privacy and security a top priority. Whenever you buy something online, sign up for a newsletter, or even click on a new website, heaps of data are collected and distributed online. Many times this information is sold off to data brokers and then traded multiple times between brokers.

All of this is to say that you may be more vulnerable to online scams, spam, fraud, unsolicited communications, and identity theft than you think. The bright side, though, is that there are data removal services that opt out or request the removal of your information from hundreds of broker sites for you, which can improve your personal digital security. We’re here today to review two of our favorite data removal services: DeleteMe and Optery.

We did our due diligence in comparing these two services, because as security experts, we value data privacy. We took a look at privacy policies, user experiences, customer support, features, subscription costs, and reviews for both companies. In examining these services, we hope that you gain insight into which one is better for your needs and priorities. At the end of the day, we want to help you make an informed decision while keeping your data private and secure.

Company Overview

When we think of spending our hard-earned money on a service, product, or anything, really, we look for quality. As security experts who have tested many privacy and security tools, we look for transparency, ease of use, and customer service.

So, we took a look at privacy policies, dashboards, and features to rate user experience and customer support options. Weighing all this out typically gives us a better picture of a service and if we’re going to get back what we invest into it.

>> Read First: A 2024 Guide to Data Removal Services

Privacy Policies

We spent a significant amount of time sorting through Optery and DeleteMe’s privacy policies to compare the two. We examined how they:

• Collect data
• Use data
• Share data
• Secure data

We found that Optery made its privacy policy easy to follow and read. They highlight and condense the most important information at the very top of the page — major points to Optery for this. We were able to find out fairly quickly that they don’t sell any information to third parties for any reason. They also don’t have any sort of relationship with data broker sites. That gave us peace of mind.

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Overall, Optery’s main goal is to use your data to effectively perform its removal services. They very clearly state they apply the data privacy rights required by the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) to users everywhere. While we appreciate these laws, it’s still important to remember that 47 states have weak or nonexistent data privacy laws, so don’t rely on them too much.

DeleteMe’s privacy policy was a bit more challenging to get through. Mainly because it’s a standard and traditional policy that’s lengthy and doesn’t have highlights at the top. We wanted to be thorough, so we read through each section, which took longer than we’d like to admit.

However, we found that their policy shared similar principles that emphasize data protection and user privacy. They also don’t sell your data to any third party and they do adhere to privacy laws. DeleteMe states it will only collect and use your information for the purpose of removing it from broker sites.

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Both services are transparent about how they use your data. They also take security very seriously, but to add an extra layer of protection to your account, we advise setting up a two-factor or multifactor authentication, if possible.

In terms of privacy policies, we do feel strongly about making it accessible and easy to understand. That’s why we have to give it to Optery for this one. We spent half as much time combing through their policy and it wasn’t overwhelming to read.

User Experience

Optery and DeleteMe have user interfaces that are equally intuitive, easy to navigate, and simple in the best way. Both dashboards have a menu bar set up on the left side, allowing users to see all the features they’re paying for and easily swap between pages.

Navigation

DeleteMe’s interface has several graphs and charts on display so you can see how your data is being exposed as soon as you log in. For paid users, it also labels the information that’s found, how many listings have been reviewed, how many listings have been removed, and all pending listings. This gives users a clear timeline of what’s going on with their data and when they can expect removals to happen.

Optery’s dashboard is also fairly similar. It also features charts and graphs that help users understand how exposed their data is. This dashboard also shares the status of listings that have been reviewed, removed, and those that are in progress. Both dashboards remind us of the layout our favorite antivirus software uses, except these dashboards show us the exposure of our data instead of the health of our computer.

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Reporting

Although both dashboards have similar elements, one difference stood out to us: the way you access your reports. DeleteMe provides a simple tile view of how your data is being removed. The tiles include a small logo for the broker site, the estimated removal time, the personally identifiable information that’s been exposed, and whether the removal is in progress or complete. If the removal is complete, it will say “Clean!” and tell you how many days are left until the next scan.

Optery, on the other hand, gives you a list of the websites it’s found your listings on with links to view your profiles. We did find them to be a bit of an overachiever in this area, seeing as it offers screenshots of every profile found of you on data broker sites.

Although you get the same results from both services, we do appreciate the visual appeal Optery provides users with. It makes us feel like our money goes a long way.

In terms of how often they share reports, DeleteMe offers updates quarterly and Optery provides updates every month to paid users. So, if you’re someone who wants information fast and is more satisfied seeing movement, Optery might be best for you. But, for most cases, quarterly is more than enough. After all, that’s what all the best identity theft protection services with credit monitoring do for your credit report. And those credit reports definitely come in handy for preventing account takeover fraud.

Transparency

DeleteMe and Optery both do a fantastic job of giving their customers usable information that’s clear and detailed. Users are always in the know about what’s going on with their data — when it’s removed, reviewed, and still in process.

Both services also offer comprehensive guides and articles on how they go about removing data. The transparency is obvious for both, which is something we look for when spending our money on a service like this.

Customer Support

When we compared customer support between Optery and DeleteMe, we noticed several similarities. Both of these data removal services offer various pathways of support, including phone, live chat, email, social media, and step-by-step guides.

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DeleteMe provides help through email and over the phone. Additionally, they also have guides and a live chat option that can be found on nearly every page of their website. The live chat is only available during their posted business hours (9 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST), but we found it incredibly helpful. Some customers have also found it helpful to reach out via social media with any questions.

When it comes to Optery, they offer similarly comprehensive customer service. You can get help through email, over the phone, through step-by-step guides, and through a live chat option. We should note that their live chat option does experience slower response times. Still, it’s not a significant enough discrepancy between wait times for us to choose one product over the other.

Overall, both of these services have nearly the same quality and level of customer support. We could tell they really prioritized customer satisfaction by offering many different options to reach them. So, if you feel more comfortable on the phone or just reading a guide, you’re bound to get the answers you need from both services.

Features

Features are perhaps the most important part of our rating. Whether we’re paying $3.99 or $349, we want to know what gets us the most bang for our buck.

When it comes to features, we have to give it to Optery. Let us explain why. At first glance, it may seem as if both of these services offer and do the same things. While that’s partially true, Optery does a few of those things better.

For starters, the majority of removals for DeleteMe rely on custom requests. According to Optery’s research team, “90% of the sites listed on their ‘Sites We Remove From’ page are handled via something called ‘Custom Requests’ where the burden of finding and submitting profiles for removal is placed on the customer.”1

So while DeleteMe boasts about covering over 750 data brokers, most of the work is placed on the user. Optery on the other hand takes care of it all for you.

Then, looking at reporting, DeleteMe only provides quarterly reports whereas Optery gives users updates every month. Not only that, but Optery also includes screenshots of your profiles on these data broker sites, so that you can see exactly how you appear to others online.

We won’t get into pricing just yet, but those two reasons are more than enough for us to award Optery the win in terms of its features.

Cost of Subscription Plans

All right, let’s talk numbers. DeleteMe offers a more straightforward and standard pricing approach. Potential customers can choose between individual plans and a plan for two people. All of their plans cover 750+ data brokers and are billed annually and range from $129 to $349. Here’s a quick comparison:

Optery does have lower-priced subscriptions, but that also means fewer data broker sites covered. They also have a free plan. Paid plans can be billed monthly or annually to save a bit more. Interestingly enough, Optery costs about the same as our favorite VPN. When testing NordVPN, we were able to bring the cost down to $3.69 per month with the two-year basic plan.

Something to note is that while DeleteMe does cover more data brokers, the majority of their removals rely on custom requests from their users. So, you do a bit more work. To us, that doesn’t make much sense, especially looking at its steep cost.

Also, in terms of flexibility, Optery takes the win again. With less money to put into its services and its money-back guarantee, it’s almost a no-brainer. It also gives us the confidence and reassurance we need to know that this service will do what it says.

Recap: DeleteMe vs. Optery

Both Optery and DeleteMe provide comprehensive and valuable tools for anyone looking to secure their personal data. They do an excellent job of prioritizing privacy and security for their users. Choosing between the two can get a bit tricky and maybe even nitpicky in some ways, but it’s important to make an informed decision before subscribing to any service.

Those looking for a service to do the work for you may lean more toward Optery. Its broad reach and automated processes do the heavy lifting so you can go about your day knowing you’re more protected as the hours pass. On the other hand, DeleteMe’s model stands out because of its extensive coverage. Not only does it include removal for over 750+ data brokers, but it also takes its coverage internationally.

In the grand scheme of things, it may also come down to your budget and flexibility. Both services are easy to navigate and come with loads of resources. Their customer support is also similar in that they offer many different channels of communication like social media, phone, email, and live chats.

Pick DeleteMe if you’d like:

• A wide range of coverage including removal for 750+ data brokers internationally.
• Straightforward subscription plans and pricing, billed annually.
• Various customer support options, like live chat, phone, email, and more.

Pick Optery if you’d like:

• A company that prioritizes user privacy and data security.
• Intuitive interface and detailed monthly updates with screenshots.
• Flexible and affordable pricing, including a free plan and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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