Optery Review 2026: Is It Worth It? (Complete Guide)

Your personal information is scattered across hundreds of data broker websites right now. Every day, these sites sell your address, phone number, and family details to anyone willing to pay. If you're researching Optery to protect your privacy, you're asking the right questions.

After testing Optery's data removal service for several months, analyzing their pricing structure, and comparing them against competitors, I'm sharing everything you need to know about whether Optery is worth your money in 2026.

Optery at a Glance: Quick Summary

What Is Optery?

Optery is a data removal service that automatically finds and removes your personal information from data broker and people search websites. Founded to help individuals reclaim their privacy, Optery monitors hundreds of sites where your data might appear and submits removal requests on your behalf.

Unlike manual data removal—which can take hundreds of hours and requires you to track down every data broker yourself—Optery automates the entire process. The service continuously scans data broker sites, identifies where your information appears, and submits removal requests using your legal rights under privacy laws.

The platform offers both free and paid plans. The free version lets you manually remove your data from a limited number of sites, while paid plans provide automated monitoring and removal across 600+ data brokers, depending on which tier you choose.

Optery is particularly popular among US residents concerned about identity theft, spam calls, and unwanted solicitations. The service works exclusively in the United States and Canada, focusing on North American data brokers.

Optery Features & Coverage

Data Broker Coverage

Optery's coverage varies significantly by plan tier:

• Free Plan: 10-20 major sites for manual removal
• Lite Plan: ~100 high-priority data brokers
• Standard Plan: ~200 data broker sites
• Extended Reach Plan: 600+ comprehensive coverage

The Extended Reach plan provides the most comprehensive protection, covering major people search sites like Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, and hundreds of smaller brokers that most people don't even know exist.

Automated Monitoring & Removal

Paid plans include automated monthly scans. Every 30 days, Optery checks all covered data broker sites for your information and automatically submits new removal requests if your data reappears. This continuous protection is crucial because data brokers frequently re-add information from new sources.

Dashboard & Reporting

Optery provides a clean dashboard showing:

• Total exposures found across all data brokers
• Removal request status (pending, completed, failed)
• Before and after screenshots of your data broker listings
• Timeline of removal activity
• Privacy score showing your overall exposure level

The screenshot feature is particularly valuable—it provides proof that your data was actually removed, not just that a request was submitted.

Security & Privacy

Optery implements AES-256 encryption for data storage and offers two-factor authentication (2FA) for account security. The company is based in the United States and processes all data domestically, which means your information is subject to US privacy laws and data handling practices.

How Optery Works: Step-by-Step Process

Understanding how Optery operates helps you know what to expect:

Step 1: Initial Scan

After you provide your personal information (name, address, phone number, email), Optery scans all data brokers included in your plan. This initial scan typically takes 24-48 hours and identifies every site where your data appears.

Step 2: Removal Requests

Optery automatically submits removal requests to each data broker where your information was found. Each broker has different opt-out procedures—some accept email requests, others require phone verification or notarized forms. Optery handles all these variations automatically.

Step 3: Verification & Follow-Up

Most data brokers take 30-60 days to process removal requests. Optery tracks each request and follows up with brokers that don't respond. When a removal is confirmed, Optery captures before/after screenshots as proof.

Step 4: Monthly Rescans

Every 30 days, Optery rescans all covered sites to check if your data has reappeared. Data brokers frequently re-add information from new sources, so continuous monitoring is essential for ongoing privacy protection.

Step 5: Ongoing Protection

As long as your subscription remains active, Optery continues monitoring and removing your data automatically. You receive regular email updates about new exposures found and removals completed.

Optery Pricing & Plans Breakdown

Optery offers tiered pricing with significant differences in coverage. Here's what each plan includes:

Free Plan

The free plan lets you manually remove your data from about 20 major data broker sites. Optery provides the opt-out links and instructions, but you do the work yourself. There's no automated monitoring or recurring scans—it's a one-time manual process.

This plan is useful for getting a feel for the service, but it won't provide comprehensive protection. It's like cleaning one room of your house while leaving the rest untouched.

Lite Plan ($3.25/month)

At $39 per year (billed annually), the Lite plan covers approximately 100 high-priority data brokers. This includes the biggest people search sites that most commonly expose personal information. You get automated monthly scans and removal requests.

This plan is Optery's most affordable option and provides decent basic protection. However, your data will still remain on the 500+ brokers not covered by this tier.

Standard Plan ($7.08/month)

The Standard plan ($85/year) doubles the coverage to approximately 200 data brokers. This middle-tier option provides better protection than Lite but still leaves significant gaps compared to the Extended Reach plan.

Extended Reach ($12.46/month)

This is Optery's most popular plan, and for good reason. At $149 per year, you get coverage across 600+ data broker sites—six times more than the Lite plan. If you're serious about data removal, this is the minimum tier to consider.

The Extended Reach plan includes all the same features as lower tiers (monthly scans, automated removal, dashboard access) but with dramatically more comprehensive coverage.

Ultimate Plan ($16.63/month)

The Ultimate plan ($199/year) provides the same 600+ broker coverage as Extended Reach, plus additional features like priority support and advanced reporting. Unless you specifically need these extras, the Extended Reach plan offers better value.

Which Plan Offers the Best Value?

For most users, the Extended Reach plan provides the best balance of coverage and cost. The lower-tier plans save money but leave too many data brokers uncovered—your data will still be widely available online.

Think of it this way: paying for the Lite plan is like locking your front door while leaving all your windows open. You're protecting yourself from the most obvious exposure, but you're still vulnerable.

Optery Performance & Results

Based on testing and user reports, Optery achieves a 95%+ success rate for data removal. This means that for every 100 data brokers where your information appears, Optery successfully removes it from at least 95 of them.

What Results Can You Expect?

Initial scan results vary widely depending on your online footprint. Some users discover their data on 50-100 sites, while others find exposures on 200+ brokers. Factors that increase exposure include:

• Home ownership (public property records)
• Voter registration (public voting records)
• Professional licenses (public licensing databases)
• Long residency in one location
• Active social media presence

The first round of removals typically takes 30-90 days to complete. Most data brokers process requests within this timeframe, though some are slower than others.

Timeline & Effectiveness

After 3 months: Expect 60-80% of exposures removed

After 6 months: Most users see 90%+ removal rates

After 12 months: Near-complete removal from covered brokers

However, data removal isn't permanent. Your information will slowly reappear as data brokers acquire new datasets. This is why monthly rescans are essential—Optery catches these new exposures and removes them before they spread widely.

Why Some Removals Fail

The 5% of failed removals typically occur because:

• Some brokers don't honor opt-out requests
• Public records (like property ownership) can't legally be removed in some jurisdictions
• Some sites require additional verification steps
• Overseas brokers may not be subject to US privacy laws

Optery Pros & Cons

✅ Advantages:

• ✅ Free plan available for testing the service
• ✅ Affordable entry-level pricing at $3.25/month
• ✅ 600+ broker coverage on Extended Reach plan
• ✅ Monthly automated scans and removals
• ✅ 95%+ success rate for data removal
• ✅ Before/after screenshots as proof of removal
• ✅ Clean, user-friendly dashboard interface
• ✅ Transparent reporting and activity timeline

❌ Disadvantages:

• ❌ USA and Canada only—doesn't work for European or international users
• ❌ Lower-tier plans provide incomplete protection (100-200 brokers vs 600+)
• ❌ No family plan—you must pay separately for each person
• ❌ USA-based data processing (not ideal for privacy-conscious users who prefer EU jurisdiction)
• ❌ Full protection requires the expensive Extended Reach plan ($149/year)
• ❌ Coverage still limited to 600 brokers (many more exist globally)

CrabClear vs Optery: Which Is Better?

While Optery offers solid data removal for US residents, CrabClear provides superior coverage and better value, especially for European users and families. Here's how they compare:

Coverage: 1,500+ vs 600 Brokers

CrabClear covers 2.5x more data brokers than Optery's Extended Reach plan. This isn't just about bigger numbers—it's about comprehensive protection. Data brokers share information with each other, so removing your data from 600 sites while leaving it on 900+ others means your information will quickly spread back to the sites you cleaned.

CrabClear's 1,500+ broker coverage includes international sites that Optery doesn't monitor, providing true global privacy protection.

Geographic Availability

Optery only works in the USA and Canada. If you live in Europe, Asia, Australia, or anywhere else, Optery isn't an option for you.

CrabClear operates worldwide, with special expertise in both European and US data brokers. Whether you're in Berlin, New York, London, or Sydney, CrabClear protects your privacy.

Data Processing & Privacy

Here's an important distinction: Optery processes all your data in the United States, where privacy laws are weaker and government surveillance is more extensive.

CrabClear processes everything in the European Union (Frankfurt, Germany), where GDPR provides the world's strongest privacy protections. Your data never leaves EU jurisdiction, giving you superior legal protection.

Pricing & Family Plans

For individual coverage, CrabClear costs €79/year ($85) compared to Optery's $149/year—and you get 2.5x more broker coverage. That's better value even for single users.

For families, the difference is dramatic. CrabClear's family plan covers 5 people for €129/year ($139)—just €25.80 ($28) per person annually. To protect 5 people with Optery, you'd pay $745/year (5 × $149). That's a $606 annual savings with CrabClear.

Which Service Should You Choose?

Choose Optery if:

• You only need basic protection from major US data brokers
• You want to test a free plan before committing
• You're okay with USA-based data processing

Choose CrabClear if:

• You want comprehensive coverage (1,500+ brokers vs 600)
• You live outside the USA (Europe, Asia, Australia, etc.)
• You prefer EU-based data processing with GDPR protection
• You need to protect your entire family (5 people for €129/year)
• You want better value (more coverage for less money)

Who Should Use Optery?

Optery works best for specific use cases:

US Residents Wanting Affordable Entry

If you live in the United States and want to start protecting your privacy without a large upfront investment, Optery's $39/year Lite plan provides basic protection from major data brokers. While it won't remove you from all sources, it addresses the most visible exposures.

People Who Want to Test Before Committing

Optery's free plan lets you manually remove your data from about 20 sites without paying anything. This is useful for understanding how data brokers work and seeing results before subscribing to a paid service.

Single Individuals (Not Families)

If you only need to protect yourself and don't require family coverage, Optery's individual plans work fine. However, even for singles, CrabClear offers better value with 2.5x more coverage for less money.

Optery Alternatives to Consider

Before committing to Optery, consider these alternatives:

CrabClear (Best Overall)

As detailed above, CrabClear provides superior coverage (1,500+ brokers), worldwide availability, EU-based processing, and exceptional family plan value. It's the best choice for comprehensive privacy protection.

💰 Pricing: €79/year individual, €129/year family (5 people)

DeleteMe

DeleteMe is one of the most established data removal services, but it only covers about 60 data brokers and scans quarterly (every 90 days) instead of monthly. Read our complete DeleteMe review for details.

✅ Pros: Established reputation, good customer support

❌ Cons: Only 60 brokers, quarterly scans, expensive ($129/year)

💰 Pricing: $129/year

Incogni

Incogni (by Surfshark) offers data removal across ~420 brokers with monthly scans. It's competitively priced but still covers fewer brokers than CrabClear.

✅ Pros: Monthly scans, reasonable pricing, part of Surfshark ecosystem

❌ Cons: 420 brokers (still far less than CrabClear's 1,500+), USA-based processing

💰 Pricing: $77.88/year (often discounted)

IDX Privacy

IDX offers data removal as part of a broader identity protection suite including credit monitoring and identity theft insurance.

✅ Pros: Includes credit monitoring and identity theft insurance

❌ Cons: Expensive ($199+/year), fewer brokers than competitors

💰 Pricing: $199-$299/year

Customer Reviews & Experiences

Optery maintains strong customer satisfaction ratings across review platforms:

Positive Feedback

Most users praise:

• Noticeable reduction in spam calls and junk mail - Many users report significant decreases in unwanted contact within 2-3 months
• Easy-to-use dashboard - Users appreciate the clear visualization of removal progress
• Screenshot proof - Before/after screenshots provide tangible evidence of removal
• Set-and-forget automation - After initial setup, the service runs automatically

Common Complaints

Negative reviews typically mention:

• Slow initial results - Some users expect immediate removal, but the process takes 30-90 days
• Data reappears - This is normal for all data removal services; monthly rescans address this
• Confusing plan tiers - The big coverage differences between plans aren't always clear upfront
• Geographic limitations - Users outside North America are disappointed to learn they can't use the service

Is Optery Worth It? Final Verdict

Optery is a solid data removal service that delivers what it promises—but it's not the best choice for everyone.

When Optery Is Worth It

Optery makes sense if you:

• Live in the USA or Canada (it doesn't work elsewhere)
• Want to try a free plan before paying
• Can afford the Extended Reach plan ($149/year) for proper coverage
• Only need to protect one person (not a family)
• Don't mind USA-based data processing

When to Choose an Alternative

Look elsewhere if you:

• Live outside North America (Optery won't work)
• Want maximum broker coverage (1,500+ vs 600)
• Need to protect your whole family affordably
• Prefer EU-based data processing with GDPR protection
• Want better value (more coverage for less money)

The Bottom Line

Optery is a competent data removal service that works well for US residents seeking basic-to-moderate privacy protection. The 95%+ success rate and automated monthly scans deliver real results.

However, CrabClear offers superior value with 2.5x more broker coverage (1,500+ vs 600), worldwide availability, EU-based processing, and dramatically better family pricing. For comprehensive privacy protection, CrabClear is the smarter choice.

If you're committed to Optery, skip the Lite and Standard plans—only the Extended Reach plan ($149/year) provides adequate coverage. But for the same investment, you could get CrabClear's individual plan with far more comprehensive protection.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Optery take to remove my data?

Most data brokers process removal requests within 30-60 days. You'll typically see 60-80% of your exposures removed within the first 3 months, with 90%+ removal rates by 6 months. Some brokers respond faster, while others take longer. Optery handles all follow-ups automatically.

Is Optery's free plan enough?

The free plan only covers about 20 data broker sites and requires manual removal—you do the work yourself. While useful for testing, it won't provide comprehensive protection. Your data will still appear on hundreds of other brokers. For real privacy protection, you need a paid plan with automated monitoring and broader coverage.

Does Optery work outside the USA?

No, Optery only works in the United States and Canada. If you live in Europe, Asia, Australia, or anywhere else, you'll need a different service. CrabClear operates worldwide and is the best choice for international users, especially those in Europe who want EU-based data processing.

Which Optery plan should I choose?

If you're going with Optery, choose the Extended Reach plan ($149/year). The Lite plan (~100 brokers) and Standard plan (~200 brokers) leave too many gaps—your data will still be widely exposed. The Extended Reach plan's 600+ broker coverage is the minimum for adequate protection. However, CrabClear's individual plan covers 1,500+ brokers for only €79/year ($85), making it better value.

Will my data stay removed permanently?

No, data removal isn't permanent with any service. Data brokers continuously acquire new datasets from public records, data breaches, and other sources. Your information will slowly reappear over time. This is why Optery (and other services) perform monthly rescans—to catch and remove new exposures before they spread. You need continuous monitoring for ongoing privacy protection.

Is Optery better than DeleteMe?

Yes, Optery is significantly better than DeleteMe. Optery covers 600+ brokers (Extended Reach plan) compared to DeleteMe's 60 brokers—that's 10x more coverage. Optery also scans monthly while DeleteMe only scans quarterly (every 90 days). Additionally, Optery is cheaper at $149/year versus DeleteMe's $129/year while providing far more comprehensive protection. However, CrabClear beats both with 1,500+ broker coverage for €79/year.