Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-10-14. Operator: Free Instead Of (https://freeinsteadof.com).

1. Scope

This policy describes how Free Instead Of ("we", "the site") handles information from visitors. Free Instead Of is an editorial site comparing free and paid software alternatives. We do not offer user accounts or partner portals on this site.

2. What we collect

  • Essential cookies. A first-party cookie stores your analytics/advertising consent choice so we remember Accept or Reject. The site works without signing in.
  • Usage analytics (Google Analytics 4). When you accept analytics cookies, we load Google Analytics 4 (GA4) with a Measurement ID configured by the site operator. GA4 uses cookies and similar identifiers to measure page views, referrers, and coarse geography. It is not cookieless. If you reject analytics, GA4 does not load.
  • Advertising (Google AdSense or similar). When advertising is enabled and you accept advertising cookies, third-party ad scripts may set cookies to deliver and measure ads. Until an AdSense publisher ID is configured, ad slots on the page remain empty placeholders and do not load ad scripts.
  • Server logs. Our hosting provider (Vercel) may retain standard request logs (IP address, user agent, URL, timestamp) for security and reliability.

3. Why we collect it

  • Consent — analytics and advertising cookies run only after you choose Accept in the cookie banner (or equivalent CMP).
  • Legitimate interest — essential consent storage and security logs keep the site working and safe.

4. Who we share data with

  • Subprocessors: Vercel (hosting/CDN), Google (GA4; AdSense when enabled).

We do not sell personal information. We do not operate provider lead forms on this site.

5. Retention

Consent cookies are retained for up to 180 days (or until you clear them). GA4 retention follows Google's product settings. Hosting logs follow Vercel's retention policy.

6. Your choices

Use the cookie banner (or "Analytics settings" / cookie controls, when shown) to accept or reject analytics and advertising cookies. You can also clear cookies in your browser. For other requests, email hello@freeinsteadof.com.

7. Contact

Questions: hello@freeinsteadof.com.