Optery alternatives: 3 free & open-source picks
Curated, verified, and actually free. No trials, no crippled tiers. Star counts and last-activity dates checked by hand, not scraped and forgotten.
California residents get one government request to 600-plus brokers; everyone else gets a geography lesson.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installGovernment-hosted browser signup followed by one deletion request
dataPersonal identifiers encrypted before storage in CalPrivacy's DROP system and matched by registered data brokers
the catch vs OpteryIt covers only eligible California residents and registered brokers, without Optery's discovery screenshots and individualized exposure tracking.
setupOnly California residents are eligible, and the request requires personal identifiers for broker matching
facts verified 2026-08-11
Finds the profiles and hands you the opt-out links; your unpaid labor is the business model.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup followed by identity and profile intake
dataPersonal profile data, exposure findings and screenshots in Optery's AWS-hosted cloud account, encrypted in transit and at rest
the catch vs OpteryThe free tier scans periodically and provides self-service links but does not run Optery's automated removals.
setupProviding enough sensitive identity and address history for accurate broker matching
facts verified 2026-08-11
A phone app that sends individual privacy requests and tracks them; bulk broker removal is the paid part.
last updated 2026-08-11 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Mozilla MonitorEveryone still links it; Mozilla shut the broker-removal product down and deleted its scan data.
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California DROP | proprietary, free | they host it | web | — | — |
| Optery Free Basic | proprietary, free | they host it | web | — | — |
| Permission Slip by DeleteMe | free (closed) | they host it | ios, android | — | — |
People still pay for Optery because security products are paid for because expert review, infrastructure, and accountability matter more than recreating screens. The recurring cost buys cryptography, secure updates, key recovery, threat intelligence, relay capacity, abuse response, audits, and incident handling, not just the visible interface. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $179.88 a year.
Is there a free alternative to Optery?
Yes: California DROP, Optery Free Basic, Permission Slip by DeleteMe. Every tool on this page is either open source or genuinely free to use long-term: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Should I just build my own Optery?
Our verdict is NO TANTO. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Optery, record discovered public-profile pages and guide the user through legitimate opt-outs. The hard boundary is proprietary scanning coverage, screenshots, automated removals, human review, and monitoring, plus security assurance, infrastructure, and trust. If you'd rather build, the exact one-shot prompt is free at puedovibecodearlo.app/optery.
