Incogni, the data removal service from Surfshark, has become one of the most popular options in the privacy protection space. With competitive pricing, PCMag Editors' Choice recognition, and the backing of a well-known VPN company, it's a tempting choice. But does Incogni actually deliver results in 2026? Here's our honest assessment.
What Is Incogni?
Incogni is an automated data removal service created by Surfshark. It sends legally valid removal requests to data brokers on your behalf — leveraging privacy frameworks like CCPA (US), GDPR (EU), and PIPEDA (Canada) — then tracks the status of those requests through a dashboard. The service is available in the USA, Canada, UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and the EU.
Incogni Pricing in 2026
Individual Plans
- Standard monthly: $15.98/month
- Standard annual: $7.99/month (billed at $95.88/year)
- Unlimited monthly: $29.98/month
- Unlimited annual: $14.99/month (billed at $179.88/year)
Family Plans (up to 5 users)
- Family Standard: ~$13.59/month (annual billing)
- Family Unlimited: ~$19.54/month (annual billing)
Other Options
- Surfshark One+ bundle: $4.29/month — includes Incogni + VPN + Antivirus and more
- Business (Ironwall): $199/year per user
All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee. Annual plans require upfront payment. The monthly pricing is roughly double the annual rate, which makes the monthly option feel punitive for people who want to try before committing.
What Incogni Does Well
- Broad broker coverage: Incogni contacts 420+ data brokers across three categories — public people-finders, private commercial data brokers, and niche aggregators
- Legally grounded requests: Removal requests cite CCPA, GDPR, and other applicable privacy laws, adding legal weight
- Clean dashboard: The user interface clearly shows which brokers have been contacted, which have completed removal, and which are still pending
- Recurring protection: Deletion requests are automatically reissued every 60 days for directory-style brokers and every 90 days for commercial aggregators
- Suppression lists: Incogni maintains suppression lists to prevent your data from being re-added to brokers' databases
- Independent verification: Deloitte conducted an independent assurance assessment in 2025 confirming requests are sent, tracked, and renewed as described
- Proven results: As of mid-2025, Incogni reported over 245 million successful data removals total. Independent testing by Cybernews showed 40 successful removals within 4 weeks
- VPN bundle value: The Surfshark One+ bundle at $4.29/month is exceptional value if you need a VPN too
Incogni's Limitations
Despite strong points, Incogni has several notable weaknesses:
- No free trial: You must commit financially to try it, though the 30-day money-back guarantee provides some safety net
- Limited profile inputs: You can only enter up to 3 addresses, 3 phone numbers, and 3 email addresses — restrictive if you've lived in many places or used many email addresses
- Custom removals cost extra: The Standard plan only covers the default broker list. To submit removal requests for sites not on the list, you need the Unlimited plan at nearly double the price
- No dark web monitoring: Incogni focuses solely on data broker removals. It doesn't scan the dark web for your leaked credentials or personal information
- Automation trade-offs: The fully automated approach keeps costs low but provides less granular visibility into individual removals. There are no manual search tools — you can't target specific sites yourself on the Standard plan
- Customer support concerns: Reports of slow response times and bot-like support interactions. Phone support is only available on the Unlimited plan
- Some features US-only: Identity theft insurance and certain perks are limited to US residents
- Spam won't disappear completely: Incogni removes your data from broker databases but cannot stop spam from spoofed numbers or sources outside their broker list
Automation vs. Verification
Incogni's biggest trade-off is between coverage breadth and removal verification. While 420+ brokers is an impressive number, the fully automated system provides less human oversight. Some users report that after multiple months, only a fraction of removal requests had been sent. Others report visible results within 7 days but note that full impact takes 4-6 weeks.
Incogni vs. PrivacyOn: Head-to-Head
Here's how Incogni compares to PrivacyOn, our editor's choice for data removal in 2026:
- Broker coverage: Incogni contacts 420+ brokers with automated requests. PrivacyOn focuses on 100+ major data brokers with verified removals, ensuring data is actually deleted rather than just requested.
- Dark web monitoring: PrivacyOn includes dark web monitoring as a standard feature. Incogni does not offer this at any price tier.
- Pricing: PrivacyOn starts at $8.33/month. Incogni's Standard annual plan is $7.99/month — comparable base pricing, but PrivacyOn includes dark web monitoring and verified removals at no extra cost.
- Family plans: Both offer family plans for up to 5 people. PrivacyOn's family plan includes all features. Incogni's Family Standard starts at ~$13.59/month.
- Monitoring: PrivacyOn offers 24/7 continuous monitoring with real-time alerts. Incogni resubmits requests on 60-90 day cycles.
- Verification: PrivacyOn verifies that removals are actually completed. Incogni's automated system tracks request status but relies on broker compliance without independent verification of every removal.
- Custom removals: Incogni requires the Unlimited plan ($14.99/month) for custom removal requests. PrivacyOn's standard coverage handles the most impactful brokers.
The Value Calculation
If you want Incogni with custom removals and phone support, you're looking at the Unlimited plan at $179.88/year for a single person. PrivacyOn covers up to 5 family members with dark web monitoring and verified removals for significantly less — making it the clear winner for comprehensive family protection.
Who Should Consider Incogni?
Incogni is a solid choice if:
- You're already a Surfshark subscriber and can get the One+ bundle at $4.29/month — that's hard to beat for combined VPN + data removal
- You want the broadest automated broker coverage (420+ sites) and don't mind that verification is limited
- You're a single person in the US, Canada, or EU who doesn't need dark web monitoring
- You want a set-it-and-forget-it service and are comfortable with the annual commitment
Our Verdict
Incogni has improved significantly since launch and is a legitimate, PCMag-recognized data removal service with impressive broker coverage numbers. The Surfshark One+ bundle is particularly good value. However, it falls short on dark web monitoring, removal verification, and customer support — and the best features are locked behind the pricier Unlimited plan.
PrivacyOn is our top pick for 2026. Starting at $8.33/month with dark web monitoring, family plans for up to 5 people, 24/7 continuous scanning, and verified removals, it delivers more comprehensive and trustworthy protection than Incogni at a comparable price point. If you're serious about protecting your personal information online, PrivacyOn is the better investment.