Kanary vs. Incogni: Which data removal service should you choose?

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Your personal data is collected and traded on the web across hundreds of databases, including marketing lists, people-search engines, background check firms, and more.

Each new form you fill out, every site you join, or any purchase you make online adds to that footprint. Luckily, you’re not all powerless in this situation.

Providers like Kanary and Incogni are here to help you reclaim that privacy. To help you decide which one will be the better fit, below, we compare them in depth, touching upon aspects like coverage, automation, usability, pricing, and transparency.

This way, you can see which suits your needs best.

At a glance: Kanary vs. Incogni

Feature	Kanary	Incogni
Price	$14.99/month annualized (Kanary premium; there’s also a free version)	$7.99/month annualized
Automation Level	Mostly automated, some manual involvement	Fully automated, recurring removal cycles
Broker Coverage	300+ sites and people-finder networks	420+ public & private brokers
Transparency/Visibility	Shows profile removal steps, site list, public proof	Real-time dashboard, confirmation logs
Verification	None	Deloitte Limited Assurance Assessment
Support	Email, chat, sometimes responsive team access	Email, live chat for all subscribers, phone only in the Unlimited plans
Best For	Users who want visibility and direct control	Hands-off protection with deeper reach

Approach and automation

Incogni is engineered for minimal friction. Once you set up a verified account, it automatically starts sending deletion requests to brokers, tracks them, and resubmits on a schedule (e.g., every 60 or 90 days) to prevent redistribution.

What’s a huge advantage for many users is that you don’t need to babysit the process.

Kanary is largely automated when it comes to scanning and initiating removals, but it often requires manual confirmation or steps for some more complex issues.

Coverage and effectiveness

Incogni covers both public and private brokers, which means it’s not only removing visible listings but also suppressing data from marketing, risk, financial, and recruitment databases behind the scenes.

And a coverage of +420 brokers sounds the more impressive when you find out that Icogni’s processes were assured by Deloitte.

Kanary focuses more on public, people-search, and directory sites. Plus, in reality, it covers a little over 200 brokers.

As such, it may leave data exposed if it doesn’t surface publicly. Incogni’s edge lies in addressing those hidden layers.

Transparency and proof

When it comes to process transparency, Kanary manages quite well. It shows you in detail which sites hold your data and what are the next steps.

Then, it allows you to track progress through a user dashboard. Everything is very clear, even the language isn’t overly technical – can be easily understood by a laic. 

However, what may be a deal-breaker to some users, Kanary lacks legal documentation or third-party assessments. Plus, its privacy policy is relatively light, which may also be off-putting to many privacy-focused people.

Incogni, on the other hand, provides logs, deletion request status tracking, and cycles of re-checks.

Most notably, though, its core processes were assured through a Deloitte Independent Limited Assurance Assessment, which provides external accountability for how everything is actually handled.

Pricing and plans

Kanary is free to download and use, designed to make online safety accessible to everyone. Its premium tier costs $9.99 per month and expands protection to unlimited names, accounts, emails, and phone numbers.

You can also add family members. The app is available on iOS and Android, with coverage focused mainly on U.S.-based users.

Incogni uses a simpler pricing strategy. Its baseline plans (annualized) start at $7.99/month, with more expensive ones adding features like unlimited custom removals, family accounts, and priority handling.

User experience and support

Kanary is often praised for its user-friendly interface and approachable support. The team is rather responsive, while users also mention direct interaction or openness on community forums.

It’s repeated that complex listings indeed need engagement of the user, and they can also take quite some time.

Incogni is meant to run quietly without drawing your attention. Users like its minimal setup and a clean dashboard.

While it doesn’t always provide screenshot-level proof for private brokers (as private brokers often can’t do that), the system handles the majority of the job..

Support is offered by email, live chat for subscribers, and phone supports for Unlimited users; the team is known to be responsive and solution-oriented.

Users appreciate the clarity of responses and timely resolution.

Strengths and downsides

Kanary

Pros	Cons
Transparent detail on which sites hold your data	Limited depth in private broker removals
Free trial period for initial evaluation	Some manual input is needed for complex listings
Responsive team and accessible support	Higher ongoing cost relative to coverage

Incogni

Pros	Cons
Heavy automation with minimal user intervention	Less granular public proof per removal in some cases
Covers both public and private brokers deeply	No free trial (you start paying, then test via guarantee)
External assurance (Deloitte Limited Assurance Assessment)
More predictable, competitive pricing

Who each service is best for

If you’re someone who…	Choose Kanary if…	Choose Incogni if…
Values transparency and control	You want detailed visibility into which sites hold your data and removal steps	You prefer a fully automated “set-it-and-forget-it” system with minimal user intervention
Prefers hands-on vs. hands-off	You enjoy inspecting and stepping in as needed during the removal process	You want deeper protection across both public AND private broker databases
Prioritizes coverage scope	You’re mainly concerned with public, people-search, and directory sites	You want truly comprehensive broker coverage including hidden marketing, risk, and recruitment databases
Has specific privacy needs	You want a free tier to start with before committing to a paid plan	You want more comprehensive broker coverage at a lower ongoing cost

Haven’t found the answer you are looking for? Check our list of the best data broker removal services, with Kanary and Incogni, among others.

Final verdict: Depth vs. visibility

Kanary is a truly solid data removal service provider with strengths in visibility and transparency. If your priority is seeing what’s out there – which sites hold your information and following along step by step – Kanary does well.

For those who need hands-on control to validate everything themselves, it gives more immediate control than many services.

But when your goal is to truly limit exposure across different types of brokers – marketing, risk, debt, recruitment – Incogni has more to offer.

Its full automation, recurring cycles, and Deloitte assessment make it better suited for ongoing suppression beyond just surface cleanup.

If your time is limited, and you don’t want to engage in the removal process, Incogni is likely the more effective choice.

If you enjoy inspecting and stepping in as needed, Kanary gives you that extra level of transparency. In most cases, though, the automation + accountability combo gives Incogni the edge.