Best data removal services in the UK (2026): Incogni, DeleteMe, Optery and more compared
Most "best data removal service" rankings are written by US sites that test US people-search brokers. Here is the same comparison for someone who lives in the UK: what each service actually covers here, what it costs in pounds, and what you can do for free.
- Want hands-off removal with UK coverage: Incogni or Ceaselist. Incogni covers more broker types and also uses web forms; Ceaselist is cheaper, works only by email and enforces GDPR deadlines with ICO complaint packs.
- Mostly worried about US sites (you lived or worked in the US): DeleteMe or Optery.
- Only a handful of sites bother you: do it yourself for free. Start with the open register, 192.com and the TPS.
The comparison
| Service | Price (published) | UK coverage | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incogni | From $7.99/month billed yearly; Unlimited about $180/year | Yes: UK GDPR requests to UK and EU brokers | Automated requests by email and web forms, repeated regularly | Broadest hands-off coverage in the UK |
| DeleteMe | $129/year for one person | Sold in the UK; strongest on US sites | Privacy specialists plus automation; quarterly reports | People with a US footprint |
| Optery | Free scan; paid from $39/year | US-focused removals | Scans, then opt-outs with before-and-after screenshots | Seeing proof of US removals |
| Ceaselist (us) | £29/year or £3.99/month | Yes: UK and EEA residents, UK GDPR and EU GDPR | Email requests as your authorised agent to 668 brokers; chases deadlines; ICO complaint pack if ignored | Lowest cost, legal enforcement, plain reporting |
| Do it yourself | Free | Anything you write to | Letters, opt-out forms, TPS, MPS, open register | A few specific sites |
Prices are as published in October 2026. US services bill in dollars, so the pound price moves with the exchange rate and card fees.
What actually matters when you compare
1. Does it cover UK brokers, under UK law?
The brokers that hold UK data are different from American people-search sites: credit reference agencies' marketing arms, lifestyle-data and list companies, and UK people finders such as 192.com that build on the open electoral register. A service that sends CCPA requests to US sites does little for a UK resident. Look for requests made under UK GDPR (Articles 17 and 21) to UK and EU companies.
2. What happens when a broker ignores you?
Under UK GDPR a company has one month to act, or three if it tells you within the first month why it needs longer. The useful question is what the service does on day 31. Ceaselist sends a reminder and then gives you a complaint pack for the Information Commissioner's Office with the full chronology. Ask any service what it does about non-responders.
3. Email, web forms, or both?
Some brokers accept only their own web forms. Incogni and DeleteMe fill some forms in; Ceaselist does not, and lists those brokers in your account with the link so you can do them yourself. That is a real gap, and the reason Ceaselist is cheaper.
4. How much of your data do you have to hand over?
To remove you, a service has to tell brokers who you are. Better services send each broker only what it needs to find you. Check whether you can see exactly what was sent, and whether the service ever asks for ID documents.
5. Does it repeat?
Brokers re-acquire data. A one-off clean-up fades within months, so look for regular re-requests: every three months for people-search sites and every six months for the rest is a sensible rhythm.
Doing it yourself for free
- Opt out of the open register: it is the source many UK people-search sites and marketers buy.
- Remove yourself from 192.com and similar people finders.
- Register with the Telephone Preference Service and the Mail Preference Service.
- Object to marketing use by the credit reference agencies.
- Send an erasure and objection letter to each remaining broker. Our step-by-step UK guide has a free template, and the generator fills it in for you.
Questions people ask
Is a data removal service worth it in the UK?
It is worth it if you are on people-search sites or marketing lists and don't want to write to hundreds of companies and chase them yourself. The law already gives you the right to make every request free of charge; what you pay for is the time saved, the follow-ups and the record keeping. If you only care about two or three sites, do those yourself.
How much does a data removal service cost in the UK?
Published prices in October 2026 run from about £29 a year (Ceaselist) to roughly $95 to $180 a year for Incogni and $129 a year for DeleteMe, which bill in US dollars. Optery's paid plans start at $39 a year but its removals focus on US sites.
Does Optery work in the UK?
You can sign up from anywhere, but Optery's removals are aimed at US people-search sites. UK reviewers and comparison sites list it as US-focused, so check its broker list for UK sites before paying.
Is there a free way to remove my data from data brokers?
Yes. Every request under UK GDPR is free. You can write to each broker yourself, opt out of the open register, and register with the TPS and MPS. Ceaselist's free do-it-yourself pack generates the letters for you.
Do data removal services stop spam calls?
They reduce how many companies hold and sell your number, which over time cuts marketing calls. They cannot stop scam calls from criminals who got your number from a breach or random dialling, so also register with the TPS and report scam texts to 7726.
Want this done for you? Ceaselist sends erasure requests to 668 data brokers as your authorised agent, chases the legal deadlines and prepares an ICO complaint when a broker ignores the law. £29 a year or £3.99 a month, full refund within 30 days.
Start with Ceaselist Free do-it-yourself packThis guide is general information, not legal advice. Prices and processes for other services were taken from their public websites and reviews in October 2026 and can change; check before you buy. Ceaselist is our own service, so we have an interest: we have tried to be fair, including about where we fall short.