Optery Review 2026: Is the Free Tier Worth It?
Optery is the only mainstream data removal service with a genuine free tier, not a trial, not a credit-card-required preview, but a real free plan covering 12 high-priority brokers. It also takes before/after screenshots as proof of removal, which no competitor does. Here is the full picture.
Optery
Good for: users who want to start free, need documented proof of removal, or want flexible tiered pricing. Not ideal for maximum broker coverage, EU/UK removal, or people who want no data stored on third-party servers.
What Optery does
Optery was founded in 2020 by a team with FTC and consumer privacy backgrounds. You create an account, enter your personal information, and choose a plan. Their system scans broker sites, captures screenshots, submits removal requests, and shows you a before/after comparison for each broker.
The free tier covers approximately 12 high-priority brokers including Spokeo, WhitePages, and BeenVerified, the sites most commonly found in casual Google searches. For users with modest exposure, the free tier alone may be sufficient.
Pricing tiers
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Brokers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | ~12 |
| Core | $3.99 | ~$39.88 | ~30 |
| Extended | $13.99 | ~$139.88 | ~100 |
| Ultimate | $19.99 | ~$199.88 | 200+ |
Pricing approximate as of May 2026 from optery.com. Exact broker counts may vary.
The screenshot documentation advantage
Optery is the only mainstream service that captures before/after screenshots of your profiles on each broker site. This matters in a few scenarios:
- ·Legal documentation, if you ever need to demonstrate that a broker had your data and removed it (for a lawsuit, CCPA complaint, or GDPR exercise), the screenshots are timestamped evidence
- ·Verification, you can see exactly what each broker listed before removal, not just take the service's word for it
- ·Peace of mind, there is no ambiguity about whether the removal actually worked
No other competitor in the mainstream market provides this level of documentation. It is a genuine differentiator.
Criterion-by-criterion breakdown
| Criterion | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | 9/10 | Only service with a genuine free tier; paid tiers start at $3.99/mo, the fairest pricing structure in the market |
| Coverage | 7/10 | 12 brokers (free) to 200+ (Ultimate, $19.99/mo); US-only |
| Success rate | 7/10 | Mix of automated and manual; screenshot documentation is unique evidence of completion |
| Privacy during removal | 5/10 | Your profile stored on Optery servers; screenshots mean broker profiles are captured |
| Speed | 6/10 | Depends on broker compliance; reporting is transparent via dashboard |
| Method transparency | 9/10 | Before/after screenshots are the best proof-of-removal documentation in the market |
| Monitoring | 8/10 | Regular re-scans on paid tiers; free tier does not include automatic re-scanning |
Optery vs alternatives
vs DeleteMe
DeleteMe covers 750+ brokers for $129/yr (no free tier). Optery Ultimate ($199.88/yr) covers 200+ but includes screenshot documentation DeleteMe lacks.
vs Incogni
Incogni covers EU/UK/Canada; Optery is US-only. Incogni has no free tier. For pure US removal on a budget, Optery's Core at $3.99/mo beats Incogni on price.
vs EasyOptOuts
EasyOptOuts ($19.99/yr) is cheaper than all Optery paid tiers, but no free tier and no screenshot documentation. Consumer Reports found ~65% success rate vs Optery's higher rate.
vs OfflistMe ($7 one-time)
OfflistMe generates opt-out emails you send from your inbox, no account required after purchase, no data stored on third-party servers. Optery's free tier is free; OfflistMe's $7 covers 300+ brokers once.
FAQ
Is Optery free?
Optery has a genuinely free tier that covers approximately 12 high-priority data broker sites. It is the only mainstream service with a real free tier (not just a trial). Paid plans start at $3.99/month (Core, ~30 brokers) up to $19.99/month (Ultimate, 200+ brokers). The free tier is worth using if you only want the most commonly-searched brokers removed.
Does Optery take screenshots as proof of removal?
Yes. Optery is unique among data removal services in providing before and after screenshots showing your profile on broker sites before removal and after confirmation. This is genuinely useful for documentation, if you ever need to demonstrate compliance (legal, HR, or personal record-keeping) the screenshots provide timestamped evidence. No other mainstream competitor offers this.
What is the best Optery alternative?
OfflistMe is $7 one-time and covers 300+ brokers, broader than Optery Core and Extended tiers. For ongoing monitoring, DeleteMe ($129/yr) and Incogni ($95.88/yr) are established options. EasyOptOuts ($19.99/yr) is the cheapest subscription. Optery is unique in offering a legitimate free tier; no other service matches that.
Does Optery work outside the US?
No. Optery focuses on US data brokers only. If you need EU, UK, or Canadian broker removal, Incogni is the only mainstream service that covers those jurisdictions.
Related reading
300+ brokers. No account. No data stored.
OfflistMe generates opt-out emails in your browser, nothing is stored on our servers. $7 one-time covers more brokers than Optery's paid Core or Extended tiers.
Start free → $7 to unlock all 300+