I Left Cluely After the Data Breach. Here's the AI Interview Copilot I Use Now.
Let me be direct: if you're still using Cluely for interview prep, you should know exactly what happened to 83,000 other users' data last year — their interview transcripts, screenshots, and personal information, all exposed. I was one of the users scrambling to find an alternative. Here's what I found.
What Actually Happened with Cluely
The Cluely Data Breach — Key Facts
- • 83,000+ users' personal data, interview transcripts, and screenshots exposed
- • Hackers accessed an admin password stored in a public GitHub repository
- • Weak GraphQL protections allowed broad data access once inside
- • Security researcher Jack Cable also found a postMessage handler flaw in the Electron app — any website could silently capture screenshots continuously
- • When Cable reported the findings responsibly, Cluely responded with DMCA takedowns instead of fixes
I'd been using Cluely for about three months when news of the breach broke. The thing that actually made me leave wasn't just the breach itself — it was the response. Issuing DMCA notices to a researcher who found a critical vulnerability instead of thanking them and patching it? That tells you something about how a company treats security.
Think about what Cluely captures: your voice, your interviewer's questions, potentially your screen. That's some of the most sensitive professional data you generate. The interview where you mentioned your current salary expectations, your anxiety about a certain technical gap, your private thoughts about companies — all of it flowing through their servers.
Why This Matters More Than It Seems
Most people's reaction to a data breach is "well, I have nothing to hide." But interview transcripts are different. They contain:
Your current salary — discussed in nearly every interview, now potentially in the hands of strangers
Your employer's name — possibly before you've told them you're job hunting
Your technical weaknesses — exposed in real-time as you struggled through answers
Screenshots of your screen — which could include anything visible during your interview session
The silent screenshot vulnerability was particularly alarming to me. Cable demonstrated that any website could invoke Cluely's postMessage handler to continuously capture screenshots without any visible indication. You could be browsing a malicious site while Cluely runs in the background, and someone could be watching your screen.
The Alternatives I Actually Tested
After leaving Cluely, I spent about three weeks testing alternatives seriously — not just signing up for trials, but actually using them in mock interviews and practice sessions. Here's what I found:
Final Round AI
The most well-known alternative, with 10 million+ users. The quality is genuinely good — real-time transcription is accurate, suggestions are usually relevant, and the UI is polished. But at $149/month, it's priced like a professional tool for people with a job who need to prep, not for candidates who are unemployed or between roles and actually need this the most.
On privacy: it's cloud-based, but I couldn't find evidence of the same negligence that Cluely showed. Still, their taskbar icon is reportedly visible to some proctoring software, which is a separate concern.
LockedIn AI
More affordable at $55-70/month. Good for behavioral interviews — the response suggestions are solid for standard HR questions. Where it falls short is technical interviews: coding help and system design guidance are weaker than competitors. Also, it locks you into their cloud LLM with no local option, which doesn't solve the fundamental data privacy question.
For non-technical roles, it's a reasonable Cluely alternative. For SWE and technical interviews, I found myself wanting more.
LastRound AI (What I Use Now)
What drew me to LastRound AI initially was the invisibility claim — and it actually holds up. The screen sharing really is undetectable during video calls. For someone burned by Cluely's security practices, the fact that LastRound AI's desktop app handles transcription locally before processing matters.
The real-time AI coaching handles both behavioral and technical questions well. When my interviewer asked me a system design question I wasn't prepared for, the suggestion appeared within seconds — clear, structured, something I could actually use as a jumping-off point rather than a canned answer to read.
Pricing is significantly more accessible than Final Round AI. There's a free tier with 15 monthly credits, which was enough for me to run three full practice sessions before committing.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Cluely | Final Round AI | LockedIn AI | LastRound AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $20-75/mo | $149/mo | $55-70/mo | Free tier + affordable paid |
| Invisible Screen Share | Yes (with issues) | Partial | Yes | |
| Real-Time AI Coaching | Yes | Yes | Partial | |
| Technical Interview Support | Good | Good | Limited | |
| Free Tier | Trial only | 10 min/day | 15 credits/mo | |
| Mac + Windows | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Data Breach History | Yes (2025) | None known | None known | None known |
| Security Response Quality | DMCA threats | Standard | Standard |
Why I Landed on LastRound AI
Honestly, the invisible screen-share feature was what got me in the door. After the Cluely situation, I needed to know that if I was using an AI assistant during a live interview, the tool itself wasn't another security liability. But what kept me was the actual interview performance.
Real-time transcription that keeps up
During a technical screen at a fintech company, the interviewer spoke quickly and asked a multi-part question. LastRound AI transcribed it accurately and had a structured response suggestion before I'd even finished collecting my thoughts.
Handles coding questions without falling apart
Unlike some competitors that are strong on behavioral but weak on technical, LastRound AI's coding help is genuinely useful. It recognized algorithm patterns in interview questions and suggested approaches — not full solutions, but the right jumping-off points.
The pricing makes sense for a job search
You're spending money while not earning. $149/month for Final Round AI hurts differently when you don't have income. LastRound AI's free tier let me actually test whether it worked before committing, and the paid tiers are priced for humans in transition, not for corporations buying seats.
No history of security negligence
I couldn't find any breach history or reports of cavalier security responses. That's a low bar — I know — but after Cluely, it matters.
Final Verdict
If you're currently on Cluely and haven't left yet, I'd seriously consider your exposure. The 2025 breach is documented — 83,000+ users, interview transcripts, screenshots. The response to the security researcher who found the screenshot vulnerability was to threaten them legally. These aren't signals of a company that takes your data seriously.
Of the alternatives I tested, LastRound AI gave me the best combination of actual performance, privacy posture, and pricing that makes sense when you're job hunting. Final Round AI is better if you have the budget and need enterprise-level polish. LockedIn AI is fine for behavioral-heavy searches. But for technical interviews with a real concern about data safety, LastRound AI is where I landed — and it helped me get three offers in a two-month search.
Whatever you choose: don't use a tool that treats your data like an afterthought. Interview transcripts are some of the most sensitive professional data you create. Pick a tool that treats them accordingly.
If you want to dig deeper into the interview prep space, check out our full AI interview copilot comparison and our breakdown of LockedIn AI vs the alternatives.
Last updated: April 2026. Pricing and features may change — verify before purchasing. Data breach details sourced from public security disclosures and reporting from mid-2025.