Optery review: Key marketing claims verified
We reviewed the factors that truly matter when choosing an Optery data removal plan. Scroll down to find out more....
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Optery at a glance
Optery is a dedicated data-removal service with a free scan and paid tiers for users in several English-speaking markets.
How it works
Paid plans re-scan every 30 days. Custom removals, adding multiple aliases, and human help require the top tier.
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What it covers
All paid tiers cover impressive number of brokers and people-search sites. The free tier covers only scans and DIY opt-out guides.
What it costs
Monthly rates, when billed annually: basic plan for $3.99, $14.99 for extended coverage, and $24.99 to unlock custom removals.
About the brand
Founded by startup accelerator Y Combinator in 2020, acquired by Surfshark in Sept. 2026. The company's HQ are in San Francisco.
What's behind Optery's 945+ broker count
While the Core plan covers a limited number of people search sites, Optery's true strength lies in its comprehensiveness. Even the Core plan includes automated removals from a substantial number of B2B and marketing brokers. Numbers refer to Core/Extended/Ultimate plans with extended reach activated.¹
Total entries on the list
950 (380/557/634 + 316 upon request)
Data-brokers (total)
352/523/598 + 196 upon request
AdTech & marketing brokers
✓ (216/217/218 + 18 upon request)
B2B sales & talent brokers
✓ (52/58/71 + 76 upon request)
Risk & fraud brokers
✓ (13/13/13 + 7 upon request)
Credit & consumer reporting agencies
✓ (3/3/3 + 4 upon request)
Health & sensitive data brokers
✓ (3/3/3)
First-party collectors*
✓ (27/31/33 + 115 upon request)
Non-broker sites (gov, non-profit)
✓ (1/3/3 + 5 upon request)
People search sites
✓ (65/229/290 + 91 upon request)
Regions covered
US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa
* We used the CCPA definition. Under it, first-party collectors collect your data when you interact with them and may use tracking cookies to serve you ads. However, they are not legally classified as data brokers because they do not derive a legally defined threshold of their revenue from selling that data to third parties.
Optery pricing for individuals
Free Basic tier plus three others, paid monthly or yearly; all paid tiers include automated removals.
Plans and prices
Free Basic and: Core for $3.99/mo or $39/yr; Extended for $14.99/mo or $149/yr, and Ultimate for $24.99/mo or $249/yr.
What changes by tier
Plans cover 380+, 550+, or 630+ sites. Extended and Ultimate include human support; Ultimate includes unlimited custom removals.
How the price compares
Core is the cheapest way in, but you need Ultimate for full coverage—and it costs more than competitors’ top plans.
Optery pricing for pairs and families
No bundled plan: Optery for Family links an unlimited number of individual accounts, any tier mix is possible.
Pair, family, and group plans
Per-seat list price minus 20% (2 paid), 25% (3), 30% (4+). Heads up: Family discounts can't be combined with promo codes.
Admin rights
Admin manages billing, sees summary status (exposures, removals, plan); members keep own reports.
How the price compares
Affordable for households on Core; Extended and Ultimate cost more than competitors’ fixed-size plans.
Optery removal cycle: what happens and when
Optery offers initial scans for all users. You can remove found profiles on your own or purchase a paid plan.
Phase 1
Free scan and onboarding
The scan runs automatically after you sign up and provide basic personal details. You can add more details in the dashboard.
Phase 2
Initial requests
Requests are sent within 1–2 weeks. Most are sent right after you upgrade to any paid plan.
Phase 3
First removals confirmed
Optery sends its first progress update a week after you sign up. You will see the first results then.
Phase 4
Ongoing re-checks
Standard intervals: 30 days for paid users and 3 months for free users. Custom scans can be bought for more checks.
How automated removals work at Optery
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Data points
First name, last name, year of birth, current city, and current state.
Multiple IDs
Alternate addresses, versions of your name, past cities/states/addresses. With Core, you can add one city-and-state combination.
Difficult cases and escalation
Extended and Ultimate plans include human assistance. In tough cases, Optery uses multiple channels, like FTC complaints.
Tested removal rate
After 30 days: 58% (per Consumer Reports).²
How custom removals work at Optery
How to request one
You have to submit the full URL of the record you want removed through the Users dashboard.
Who handles it
Optery uses a platform + human approach for Ultimate plan subscribers, with a dedicated specialist helping with complex cases.
Turnaround
Custom removals processing starts 30 days after you purchase the Ultimate plan.
Limits per plan
Custom removals are available only for Ultimate plan subscribers. They can submit an unlimited number of data brokers profiles.
How Optery reports back to you
Optery stands out by offering before-and-after screenshots (available on higher tiers).
Dashboard layout
Dashboard includes general removal stats and tabs for completed and in-progress removals.
Details per request
The dashboard lists brokers, profiles found, removal status, and optional screenshots.
Email reports and alerts
Optery provides Removals Reports for Extended and Ultimate plan customers every 3 months.
Proof of removal
"Removed" status on the dashboard, and screenshots in removal reports.
Optery trial, refunds and cancellations
Optery has no free trial, but you can use its Free Basic tier. Things to watch for: the free tier includes an Exposure Report but without automated removals; the 30-day refund applies to the first purchase only; a refund downgrades the account immediately; renewal happens at the non-promotional rate.
Free trial
✕ (no trial; Free Basic account instead)
Free scan
✓ (Exposure Report)
Money-back guarantee
✓ (30 days, first purchase only)
Cancellation
via dashboard
Auto-renewal
✓ (you can avoid it by cancelling your subscription earlier)
Optery extras
Optery is a standalone product, though it offers one interesting feature complementary to typical data removal features.
Search engine removal
Optery sends outdated-content submissions to Google/Bing/DDG/Yahoo on behalf of Ultimate plan subscribers.²
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What Optery users say
Users highlight visible proof of removals and noticeable results, but also mention a slow removal process in some cases.³
Free scans and screenshots show proof
Users like seeing which brokers hold their data before paying, plus screenshots that confirm removals.
Spam calls fall for some users
Some reviewers report far fewer spam calls within months, though results vary and can take time.
Google results get cleaner over time
Users say removals take weeks to months, after which their name and address may stop appearing in searches.
Some removals stay pending
Users report some brokers stuck on “pending” or “in progress” for months, sometimes across many sites.
Some still find their info online
Several customers say their name or address was still visible in searches after months of paid service.
Auto-renewal and cancellation friction
Reviewers cite charges after cancelling, renewal notices with broken links, and refunds that needed pushing.
Is Optery trustworthy?
Reddit and Trustpilot footprint
Of 83 organic Trustpilot reviews, 62 are positive; Reddit adds 45 first-hand reports (out of 281 posts), 30 positive or mixed.
BBB rating/accreditation
Optery is Better Business Bureau accredited and holds an A- rating.
Data security
Optery states it uses TLS in transit and AES-256 at rest; Prescient Assurance conducted its SOC 2 examination.
Is Optery the right fit?
Optery offers a low-cost entry point. Its top tier is among the most comprehensive, but is priced accordingly.
If you're looking for data removals for yourself
Core is an affordable way to map basic exposure and can complement other privacy tools.
If you're looking for data removals for your family
Group discounts make Optery flexible for households and more affordable than the top individual tier.
Before you subscribe
Use the free scan to assess fit before paying and compare its findings with other removal tools.
Still looking for top-tier data removal?
Let Incogni find your exposed data and help take it down for you. Try it risk-free for 30 days, with a money-back guarantee.
Common questions about Optery
Cancelling stops billing. Your plan runs to the end of the period, then drops to the free Basic tier, and your profile stays stored while the account exists. To erase it, delete your account: data is removed immediately and cleared from backups within 7 days.
Optery is worth it if you can use its free scan first and need broad removal coverage with screenshot proof. Core is a cheap starting point at $3.99/month, but meaningful coverage starts at $14.99/month, while Ultimate’s $24.99/month price is high for a removal-only service.
Optery fits users who want a free exposure scan, visual proof of completed removals, and broad coverage on its upper tiers. The trade-off is that the low-cost Core plan is limited, while comprehensive coverage and unlimited custom removals require the expensive Ultimate plan.
Reddit is split on Optery: of 45 first-hand reports, 18 are positive, 12 mixed, 15 negative. Praise: free scan, screenshots, cleaner Google results. Complaints: removals stuck pending or stalling after a year or more. Reactions to the Surfshark deal are mixed.
All 83 Optery Trustpilot reviews are organic and 62 are positive. Some praise screenshot proof, falling spam calls, and helpful support; of the 20 negative ones, 7 cite renewals, cancellations, or refunds and 3 say their info still showed on Google after months.
Yes, four in three years, mainly about removal speed and plan pricing; two of them are marked as resolved. Optery explained that some brokers take weeks or months, so they refunded customers and resubmitted removal requests.
1 Optery, “Pricing,” accessed October 13, 2026, https://www.optery.com/pricing/. Broker counts are based on the coverage list on this page (950 entries across the Core, Extended, Ultimate, Expanded Reach, and Custom Removals lists). First-party collectors and public sites are not counted as data brokers.
2 Consumer Reports and Tall Poppy, Data Defense: Evaluating People-Search Site Removal Services (Yonkers, NY: Consumer Reports, August 2024), 10, https://innovation.consumerreports.org/Data-Defense_-Evaluating-People-Search-Site-Removal-Services-.pdf.
3 This service addresses only outdated links related to data brokers that are covered by Optery.
4 Based on 364 public comments and reviews about Optery (281 Reddit posts and comments, Jan 2025 – Oct 2026; 83 US Trustpilot reviews, Oct 2025 – Oct 2026), after excluding affiliated, promotional, duplicate, and off-topic content. Much of the Reddit content comes from Optery's own subreddit.