PrivacyTestLab is committed to full transparency about how we earn revenue. This page explains our affiliate relationships, how compensation may influence the content you read, and how we ensure our reviews and recommendations remain honest and independent.
Some links on PrivacyTestLab are affiliate links. If you click one and purchase a product or service, we may earn a commission — at no extra cost to you. This helps fund the free tools and articles we provide.
All affiliate relationships are disclosed clearly on the relevant pages.
Sponsored links are marked with rel="sponsored" in the HTML
and are visually identified where applicable.
An affiliate link is a specially tracked URL that lets a company know a visitor came from our website. When you click an affiliate link and complete a qualifying purchase, PrivacyTestLab receives a commission from the company — not from you.
The price you pay is identical whether you use our affiliate link or visit the company's website directly. In some cases, our affiliate arrangements may unlock exclusive discounts or deals that are only available through partner links.
PrivacyTestLab currently maintains affiliate relationships with the following VPN providers. These are the only companies from which we actively earn affiliate commissions at this time.
We participate in the ProtonVPN affiliate program. When visitors click
our ProtonVPN links and purchase a plan, PrivacyTestLab may receive a
commission. ProtonVPN affiliate links on this site carry the
rel="sponsored" attribute in compliance with Google's
webmaster guidelines.
ProtonVPN is recommended based on its independently audited no-logs policy, open-source client code, and strong privacy track record — not solely because of our affiliate arrangement.
NordVPN is listed on PrivacyTestLab as a recommended VPN service. Links to NordVPN point directly to their official website and are not currently tracked affiliate links. NordVPN is recommended based on independent testing and its reputation for no-logs compliance, server count, and connection speed.
Surfshark is listed on PrivacyTestLab as a budget-friendly VPN option. Links to Surfshark point directly to their official website and are not currently tracked affiliate links. Surfshark is recommended based on its unlimited device policy and competitive pricing.
rel attribute
on any outbound link — if it contains sponsored, it is an
active affiliate link.
PrivacyTestLab displays advertisements served by Google AdSense (publisher ID: ca-pub-2835282326763517). Google AdSense is an advertising program operated by Google LLC that displays contextual or interest-based advertisements to visitors.
Google may use cookies and similar technologies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or other websites. You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google's Ads Settings .
Advertisements displayed by Google AdSense are clearly separated from editorial content. PrivacyTestLab does not control which specific advertisements appear and does not endorse the products or services advertised through this program.
Affiliate relationships and advertising revenue do not influence PrivacyTestLab's editorial decisions, privacy test results, product rankings, or written recommendations in any way.
Our privacy tool results — including IP leak tests, DNS leak tests, WebRTC analysis, and browser fingerprint scoring — are generated automatically by technical tests running in your browser. They are not influenced by business relationships with any company.
Our written articles and VPN comparisons reflect the genuine findings of our testing process. If a VPN we have an affiliate relationship with performs poorly in testing, that result will be reported honestly.
PrivacyTestLab applies the following criteria before entering an affiliate relationship with any product or service:
We do not accept payment to create positive reviews, inflate star ratings, or suppress negative findings. Affiliate commissions are earned only on legitimate purchases made through disclosed links.
Affiliate commissions vary by partner and are determined by the terms of each individual affiliate program. Commission rates and structures are set entirely by the partner company and may change over time without notice on this page.
PrivacyTestLab does not receive fixed fees, guaranteed minimums, or retainer payments from any VPN company in exchange for recommendations or placement on this website.
The content hierarchy of our VPN recommendations — including which VPN appears first in a comparison — reflects our assessment of product quality and value, not the commission rate offered.
In accordance with the United States Federal Trade Commission's guidelines on endorsements and testimonials (16 CFR Part 255), PrivacyTestLab discloses material connections between this website and any product or service promoted herein.
We disclose affiliate relationships at the point of use — on the pages where affiliate links appear — in addition to this central disclosure page. This is consistent with FTC guidance that disclosures must be clear, conspicuous, and proximate to the relevant link or recommendation.
This disclosure applies to visitors from all countries. Visitors located in the European Union should also refer to our Privacy Policy for information about data processing under the GDPR.
If you have questions about our affiliate relationships, advertising practices, or the content of this disclosure, please contact us through our contact page.
We aim to respond to all enquiries within 3 business days.