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Is Cluely Legit? Company, Billing, Refunds and Reviews (Nov 2026)

Cluely is a real, venture-funded company, Cluely, Inc. of San Francisco, which TechCrunch reported raised $5.3 million in April 2025 and a $15 million Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz in June 2025.

Cluely is a real, venture-funded company, Cluely, Inc. of San Francisco, which TechCrunch reported raised $5.3 million in April 2025 and a $15 million Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz in June 2025. Whether it is safe to buy from is a separate question. On November 13, 2026 its Trustpilot score was 1.6 from 23 reviews, the BBB rated it F, mainly for not responding to complaints, its refund rules differ between pages, and in March 2026 its CEO publicly retracted a revenue figure he had given the press. It now markets itself as an AI meeting note-taker rather than an interview tool. This page covers the company, plans, billing, reviews, data, and the alternative. We make CoPilot Interview, a competing product, so read our view with that in mind.

Who runs Cluely

Cluely
Legal entityCluely, Inc. (terms updated June 10, 2025)
Address and law520 Bryant St, San Francisco, CA 94107; Delaware law, binding arbitration in Delaware, a class-action waiver and a 30-day opt-out
Founded2025, by Roy Lee (CEO) and Neel Shanmugam
Funding$5.3 million from Abstract Ventures and Susa Ventures (April 2025) and a $15 million Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz (June 2025), per TechCrunch
2026 newsOn March 5, 2026 TechCrunch reported that Lee retracted the $7 million annual recurring revenue figure he gave it in 2025; the Stripe figures he posted showed about $5.2 million
SecurityA bug bounty and status page; no SOC 2 claim on its site

What Cluely actually does

Cluely is a desktop overlay for Windows 11 and macOS that listens to call audio and reads your screen, answers when you press a shortcut, and writes notes and a transcript afterward; it does not join meetings as a bot. Its download page says macOS 10.15 or later while its help center says 13 or later, and Windows 10 is not supported. There is an iPhone app, but no Android or web app. Its homepage now pitches it for meetings in general and markets it for use without other participants knowing. Its help center points interview users to Interview Coder, which it calls a standalone product.

Price, billing and refunds

Prices as listed on Cluely's own site on November 13, 2026. They change often, so check the checkout total before you pay.

PlanPriceWhat it includes
StarterFreeLimited AI responses and note-taking, up to 3 files; limits reset every 24 hours
Pro$19.99 a monthBilled monthly
Top tier$149.99 a monthBilled monthly; adds a feature marketed for use without others knowing
iPhone app$7.99 a week or $139.99 a yearIn the US App Store; its help center lists $8 a week or $144 a year billed through Stripe

An annual toggle exists and the page title says Pro from $11.99 a month, but no annual prices appeared on the page we read.

Renewal and cancelling: Its terms say subscriptions are automatically renewed, require written notice of non-renewal 30 days before renewal, and allow price increases at renewal. Its help center says to cancel in the desktop app under Settings, Billing, Manage; one help article says Pro access ends immediately while its cancellation policy says access lasts to the end of the billing cycle. There are no pro-rata refunds.

Refunds: Its terms say fees are non-refundable. Its refund policy page (April 2025) allows 24 hours, only with video evidence that the app does not work on your computer; slowness does not qualify. A March 2026 help article allows 24 hours for system-level restrictions and rules out forgetting to cancel, changing plans and interview-related use. Our Cluely pricing guide covers the plans, and refund policies compared sets them against rivals.

What reviewers say

SiteRatingReviews and notes
Trustpilot1.6 / 523 reviews, 96% one-star; unclaimed profile, no company replies
BBBFNot accredited; 2 complaints in the past 12 months, both unanswered; file opened April 16, 2026
App Store (US)4.7 / 5584 ratings for Cluely: AI Notetaker (iPhone)
G2, Google PlayNoneNo listing found
Product HuntNot CluelyThe listing named Cluely links to a different site that Cluely's help center calls an impersonator

All read on November 13, 2026. The BBB says its F rating reflects the two unanswered complaints and the short time the business has been operating.

What Trustpilot reviewers report, paraphrased:

The App Store app's higher rating suggests the note-taker works for many users. Our Cluely review covers the product itself.

Privacy and data

Its privacy policy (June 10, 2025) covers audio recordings, transcriptions and screenshots plus account, technical and cookie data, including the Facebook Pixel, kept while your account exists. It says Cluely does not sell your data or train on it, lists processors by category only, and says data may be processed in any country. Deletion is by email or from your account. Claims of a large Cluely data breach circulate on competitor blogs, but we found no credible news report confirming one.

Red flags and reassurances

Reasons for caution

Reasons for confidence

Before you pay: five checks

  1. Read Cluely's refund policy and the FAQ on its pricing page on the same day, and keep a screenshot of both. Where they differ, assume the narrower rule unless support confirms otherwise in writing.
  2. Check what the plan actually bills today. A 'per month' price on a quarterly or yearly plan is normally charged up front in one payment.
  3. Put the renewal date in your calendar, cancel a few days before it, and keep the cancellation confirmation email.
  4. If you buy, set a reminder well before renewal: its terms ask for written notice 30 days before renewal, so cancel in the app and also email support to be safe.
  5. Read your interview invitation. Proctored tests, online assessments and AI-led rounds forbid outside help, so practice for those instead, and in any live round follow your employer's rules.

Where CoPilot Interview fits

CluelyCoPilot Interview (ours) ★ Best choice
Free planStarter: limited AI responses and notes15 minutes a day, sessions up to 15 minutes, live help and mock interviews, no card
Paid$19.99/mo Pro; $149.99/mo top tierStandard $24.99/mo, Pro $39.99/mo; hour packs $9.99, $29.99, $49.99
Refunds24 hours, narrow conditions; terms say non-refundable14 days on the first payment of a new subscription, if under 30 minutes of live session time were used
PlatformsWindows 11, macOS, iPhoneWindows 10/11 and macOS 12+ app; browser demo; iPhone (TestFlight) and Android (APK) betas

Where Cluely is stronger: a general note-taker for every kind of meeting, a low Pro price, and a stated policy of not training on your data.

★ Best choice for most people choosing an interview assistant they can trust: CoPilot Interview. CoPilot Interview is an interview copilot built as a native desktop app for Windows 10 and 11 and macOS 12 or later. It listens to the call and your microphone and shows a structured answer in about two seconds, and its free AI mock interviews let you rehearse first. The free plan gives 15 minutes a day of live help in sessions of up to 15 minutes, with AI mock interviews included. Paid plans are Standard at $24.99 a month and Pro at $39.99 a month, or hour packs at $9.99, $29.99 and $49.99. The first payment of a new subscription carries a 14-day money-back guarantee if you used under 30 minutes of live session time, as our refund policy sets out, and we answer the questions on this page about ourselves in is CoPilot Interview legit. Whatever tool you use, follow your employer's rules; online assessments and AI-led interviews forbid outside help.

For a direct comparison, see CoPilot Interview vs Cluely; for the wider field, see our comparison of AI interview assistants.

Disclosure: CoPilot Interview is our product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.

Frequently asked questions

Is Cluely a scam?

No. It is a funded company, Cluely, Inc., with a working product and a 4.7-rated iPhone app. The cautions are billing and support: a 1.6 Trustpilot score, an F at the BBB for unanswered complaints, and refund rules that conflict.

Was Cluely hacked?

Claims of a large Cluely data breach appear on competitor blogs, but we found no credible news report confirming one as of November 13, 2026. Its privacy policy says it stores audio, transcripts and screenshots while your account exists.

Can I get a refund from Cluely?

Rarely. Its terms say fees are non-refundable; its refund pages allow 24 hours for a technical failure on your computer, with evidence, and exclude forgetting to cancel and interview-related use.

Is Cluely made for job interviews?

Not any more. It now markets itself as an AI meeting note-taker, and its help center points interview users to Interview Coder, a separately branded product.

Can I use Cluely in an online assessment?

Online assessments, proctored tests and AI-led screening interviews forbid outside help, and their proctoring can flag other apps. Use any assistant to practice beforehand, and follow your employer's rules.

Practice this interview before the real one

The AI mock interview builds questions from your resume and the job description, reads them aloud and scores each spoken answer out of 10. Included on the free plan.

Start a mock interview