Privacy Policy

Who we are

Free Alternatives To (“we”, “us”) operates the website at freealternativesto.com (the “site”), a public directory of free and open-source alternatives to popular paid products. This policy explains how we handle information when you visit the site. We aim to be transparent for visitors worldwide, including in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.

What we collect and why

• Browsing and analytics. We use web analytics to understand aggregate traffic (for example pages viewed, approximate location, device and browser type, and how you arrived). Analytics may use cookies or similar technologies. We do not use analytics to sell personal data, and we do not run advertising or affiliate tracking on the site at this time.
• Hosting and security. Our hosting and infrastructure providers process technical data automatically when you use the site (for example IP address, timestamps, and request logs) to deliver pages and protect against abuse.
• Email you send us. We do not operate a contact form that stores your email address or message on our own servers. If you choose to email us (for example via a mailto: link on our Contact or Submit pages), your email provider and ours will process the address and contents of your message so we can read and reply. We use that information only to handle your request, not for unsolicited marketing, unless you ask us to stay in touch.
• Directory content. The site displays information about products and alternatives that we curate. That content is not collected from a server-side form that saves visitor emails into our database; when we add a listing, we publish factual details about the tool (name, links, descriptions). If you suggest a listing by email, we may keep your message only as long as needed to review and respond, consistent with our mail retention practices.

Legal bases (EEA, UK, and similar laws)

Where the GDPR or similar laws apply, we rely on legitimate interests to run the site, keep it secure, and measure aggregate usage, and on consent where required for non-essential cookies or similar technologies, depending on how our analytics are configured in your region. When you email us, we process your message on the basis of legitimate interests (responding to you) and/or contract steps at your request.

Processors and transfers

We use service providers (for example website hosting and analytics) who process data on our behalf. They may be located outside your country, including in the United States. Where required, we use appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

Retention

We keep information only as long as needed for the purposes above. Server and analytics retention periods depend on our providers’ settings and policies. Email correspondence is kept only as long as necessary to complete the conversation and meet any legal obligations.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of your personal data, to data portability, and to object to certain processing. You may also lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. To exercise rights or ask questions, contact us at legal@freealternativesto.com.

Children

The site is not directed at children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children for marketing purposes.

Changes

We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top will change when we do. Continued use of the site after changes means you acknowledge the updated policy.

Contact

For privacy questions: legal@freealternativesto.com. For general enquiries, see our Contact page.