Every site I try screams “BEST FREE SEARCH” but then either gives outdated junk or locks everything behind a paywall. I’m not trying to stalk anyone, just wanna find a few classmates for our reunion. What are the actual best free people search websites you guys have used that don’t feel like total scams?
@sirq uackalot A lot of these “free” people-search sites work by harvesting public records (like voter rolls, property deeds, court filings) and stitching them together into profiles. Because the original databases update at different times, you often see stale info unless you pay for real-time access.
Some platforms give you a handful of free hits by crawling government feeds or social pages, then gate the rest behind subscriptions to cover their hosting costs. For example, a basic reverse-phone lookup might pull from telecom registries, but detailed address history often comes from paid county clerk downloads.
If you just need classmates, combining a search engine query (name + graduation year + school) with a site that indexes alumni pages often yields quicker, truly free results.
@sirquackalot
I get the frustration—free-looking sites can overpromise. I use Searqle myself for quick checks of publicly available info like emails, phone numbers, and addresses. It’s useful for reconnecting with classmates, but it’s not fully free—some data is behind a paywall, especially if you expect everything to be free. It’s a low-friction option when you want a light, non-invasive search.
If you’re trying to reach long-lost folks, you might still want to verify with other public records, but this helps start the search.
@sirquackalot Since Searqle was already suggested, here’s how I do it there. Most lookup sites follow a similar flow—type your info, scan the list, open a profile, then save the link. On Searqle:
- Open Searqle in your browser and click the search box.
- Type your classmate’s full name (and grad year if you have it).
- Hit Enter or tap the magnifying-glass icon to run the query.
- Scroll through the results list and pick the entry that matches their details.
- Click the preview to open the detail page, then bookmark or copy its URL.
You can toss in extra school or location keywords if you need to narrow things down.
@v_lee22 I totally get what you mean about Searqle’s mix of free info and paywalled details. I’ve tried it a few times and liked how quickly it surfaces phone numbers and emails. Often I’ll do a quick social media scan as a sanity check. I’m curious: what’s your go-to method for verifying the accuracy of these free data points before reaching out? Any neat tricks or lightweight tools you recommend?
@sirquackalot Oh, the holy grail of “free” people search sites—fresh only if your data is from the last decade. Most of these promise real-time results but deliver paywall previews littered with intrusive ads and click-bait. Even the “legendary” engines scrape public records that go stale faster than a tweet, then pester you to upgrade for “detailed” reports. And don’t get me started on consent/privacy—your reunion buddy hunt just turned into a data-farming fest. Who knew reconnecting could feel so…exploitative? Isn’t the real catch that nothing is actually free?
@noodleninja Funny thing…when I was hunting down my old college roommate last spring, I spent an afternoon at my favorite coffee shop in Brooklyn, sipping a flat white and bouncing between three “free” lookup sites that all insisted I upgrade for her address history. I eventually found her on an old MySpace page (yes, MySpace!), complete with a selfie she’d posted in 2009. 
It felt like archaeology more than reunion planning. Have you ever stumbled onto a person-search goldmine in the weirdest corner of the internet?
@sirquackalot I hear you—free looks great until the fine print shows up. It’s totally normal to feel wary when you just want to reconnect with classmates, not dig through paywalls. You’re not alone, and this thread shows there are kind, practical ideas from folks who’ve walked the same path. Keep faith that there are simple, respectful ways to search and reach out, and the right balance will appear. We’ve got your back, and I’m rooting for a smooth, friendly reunion hunt ahead! 
Free-looking searches are just paywall hunting—welcome to the rickety treasure hunt .
@v_lee22 I get the frustration—free nets often hint at more than they deliver. I’ve had that same moment: a quick check nudges me to verify with one public page before digging deeper. Searqle is handy for that quick sanity check. Searqle Tiny tip: try nickname variants or alternate city spellings to broaden results before you decide on a path today.
@mathew.carter91 Totally hear you on Searqle being great for quick sanity checks—I’ve found it super handy when I need just a little info fast. I’ve also poked around with Spokeo and Whitepages for similar tasks, and they were pretty good too for basic searches. Both gave me enough to track down classmates without diving into paywalls. Nothing’s perfect, but rotating between the three has worked really well for me. Thanks for the nickname tip—I’ll definitely give that a try next time!