- Who is behind Optery and where it came from
- What Optery does with your personal information
- What the Optery free plan includes
- How Optery coverage is counted
- Refunds and cancelling Optery
- What Optery says about security and trust
- The catch with using Optery
- Fake Optery emails, sites and support
- My verdict on Optery
- Frequently asked questions
Yes, Optery is a real company, founded in 2020 and backed by Y Combinator according to its own site. It sends opt-out requests to data brokers and people-search sites for you, and it has a free plan. The catch is that it can't wipe you from the internet, and your details can reappear on broker sites over time.
If you've ever searched your own name and found your address on a people-search site, you'll understand why a service that promises to clean that up gets attention. It also sounds a bit like something a scammer would pitch, so it's fair to ask whether Optery is legit. I've read through Optery's own pages so I can tell you what it says it does, what it costs you in terms of commitment and where you should stay sceptical.
Who is behind Optery and where it came from
According to Optery's about page, the company was founded in 2020 by Lawrence Gentilello, who is the CEO, Chen Atlas, the CTO, and Dekel Barzilay. It says it's backed by Y Combinator and runs as a fully remote global team, with its headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.
That matters because a real removal service needs named people and a business you can look up. Optery gives you names and roles rather than a faceless website. It doesn't publish a user count or a revenue figure, so I won't quote one.
What Optery does with your personal information
Optery's about page says it removes personal information from data brokers and people-search sites by submitting opt-out requests on your behalf. It also offers a free platform that shows where your personal information is posted and sold online.
In plain English, data brokers collect details like names, addresses and phone numbers and sell or publish them. Every broker has its own opt-out form, and filling them in one by one is slow. Optery's pitch is that it does the form-filling and re-checks later. It's a time saver, not a magic eraser.
What the Optery free plan includes
Optery's pricing page says the Free Basic plan costs nothing and doesn't need a credit card. It includes a personalised exposure report, a Google and Bing scan and self-service removal tools, which means you do the opt-outs yourself.
The paid plans are Core, Extended and Ultimate. The pricing page says the plans differ by how many data brokers are covered for automated removals, and that Core supports only one name and city or state per person for removals. Extended and Ultimate allow unlimited names and locations. If you've moved a lot or use more than one name, that limit is worth checking before you pay.
How Optery coverage is counted
Optery's site shows "940+ Sites covered (Automated + Custom Removals)". The wording is worth reading carefully. That total combines sites handled automatically with sites handled through custom removal requests, and the pricing page says custom removal requests on the Ultimate plan become available after 30 days. So the headline figure isn't what every plan covers from day one.
Optery doesn't explain on that page how the total is counted, so treat it as the company's own claim. It's a useful number for comparing services, but it isn't an independent audit of how many of your records vanish.
Refunds and cancelling Optery
According to Optery's pricing page, the Core, Extended and Ultimate plans include a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee, and you can cancel any time. The page doesn't spell out how to request a refund, so read the full terms on the site before you buy, and keep any confirmation email.
Subscriptions that renew automatically are an easy way to pay for something you've stopped using. If you do sign up, set a calendar reminder for a few days before the refund window ends, so you can decide with real results in front of you rather than hope.
What Optery says about security and trust
Optery's site footer displays "SOC 2 TYPE 2 Compliant", and its about page says it's SOC 2 Type II certified. Those are the company's own statements and I haven't seen an audit report, so I'm passing them on as claims, not facts I've verified.
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There's a sensible question hiding here. To remove your details, a removal service needs some of them. Before you sign up, read the privacy policy and ask yourself whether you're comfortable handing over the name, location and email it needs. If you want to tighten the rest of your accounts too, my guide on checking whether an account has been hacked is a good next step.
| What I checked | What Optery's own pages say |
|---|---|
| Who founded it? | Lawrence Gentilello, Chen Atlas and Dekel Barzilay, in 2020 |
| Who backs it? | Y Combinator, according to its about page |
| Is there a free option? | Yes, Free Basic, with no credit card needed |
| Is there a refund window? | A 30-Day Money Back Guarantee on paid plans |
| Can I cancel? | The pricing page says you can cancel any time |
| Is security audited? | It states SOC 2 Type II, with no report shown on the page |
The catch with using Optery
No removal service can promise you'll disappear from the internet. New brokers appear, old ones republish data and public records stay public. Optery's own pitch includes re-scanning for that reason, but you should expect some of your details to come back.
- Removals depend on each broker honouring the opt-out request, so results can vary.
- Coverage differs by plan, so compare the plans before you pay.
- Core covers one name and one location per person, which may not match your life.
- A paid plan is a subscription, so it keeps charging until you cancel.
- The free plan finds your exposure but leaves the opt-outs to you.
If your main worry is a business or personal website being targeted, protecting your website from hackers covers a different layer of the same problem.
Fake Optery emails, sites and support
Privacy brands attract copycats because people who care about privacy are used to handing over details. Only sign in through the address you typed yourself, not a link in an email or a text message. Optery won't need your bank password, a gift card or a payment by bank transfer to a stranger.
- Be wary of messages that claim your data was leaked and demand fast payment.
- Don't call a support number found in a social media comment.
- Check that the address in your browser is the one you meant to visit.
- Use the help section on the official site for support.
My verdict on Optery
From what its own pages say, Optery is a real, named company with a free plan, a refund window and a clear explanation of what it does. It isn't a scam. But it's a subscription service, its coverage figure is its own claim and it can't guarantee your information stays gone. Start with the free exposure report, read the plan limits, and decide whether paying to save yourself the form-filling is worth it for your situation.
Frequently asked questions
Is Optery a real company?
Yes. Optery's about page names its co-founders as Lawrence Gentilello, Chen Atlas and Dekel Barzilay, says it was founded in 2020 and says it's backed by Y Combinator.
Does Optery have a free plan?
Yes. Its pricing page says the Free Basic plan costs nothing, needs no credit card and includes an exposure report, a Google and Bing scan and self-service removal tools.
Can I get a refund from Optery?
Optery's pricing page says Core, Extended and Ultimate include a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee, and that you can cancel any time. Check the full terms for how to claim it.
Will Optery remove everything about me online?
No service can promise that. Optery submits opt-out requests to data brokers and people-search sites, but your details can reappear, so results depend on each broker and on re-checking.
Is Optery SOC 2 certified?
Optery's site says it's SOC 2 Type II certified and shows a SOC 2 Type 2 badge in its footer. That's the company's own statement, so ask for the report if it matters to you.
