Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

We aim to collect as little personal information as possible. Specifically:

• Browsing data: When you visit FreeToolAlt.dev, our servers and third-party analytics providers may automatically log standard request information such as your IP address, browser type, referring URL, pages viewed, and timestamps. This data is used in aggregate to understand traffic patterns and improve the Service.
• Tool submissions:If you use our "Suggest a Tool" form, the information you provide (tool name, URL, description, optional notes) is forwarded to GitHub Issues on our public repository and becomes public. We do not ask for your name or email on the form.
• Reviews and ratings: If you submit a review for a tool alternative, your rating, comment, and the optional author name you enter are stored in our database and displayed publicly on the relevant tool page. We do not collect email addresses or account information with reviews.
• Bookmarks:The "My Favorites" bookmark feature stores your bookmarked tools in your browser's localStorage. This data never leaves your device and is not sent to our servers.
• AI Chat & Smart Search:When you use the AI assistant (the floating "Ask AI" button) or the "Ask AI for better matches" feature in the search bar, your message is sent to our server and then forwarded to our AI provider (Groq) for processing. The message is used solely to generate a response and tool recommendations. We do NOT store your messages on our servers, do NOT log them, and do NOT use them for training. The AI provider (Groq) may retain messages briefly for safety review per their own policies — see Groq's Privacy Policy. Chat is rate-limited to 10 messages per hour per IP address to prevent abuse.

2. Cookies and Similar Technologies

FreeToolAlt.dev uses cookies and similar storage technologies for the following purposes:

• Essential cookies: Used to remember your language preference and bookmark selections. These are required for the Service to function and cannot be disabled.
• Advertising cookies:We use Google AdSense to display ads. Google and its partners use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the Internet.
• Analytics cookies: We may use anonymous analytics services (such as Google Analytics or Plausible) to understand how visitors interact with the site. These services use cookies to gather usage data in aggregate.

You may disable cookies in your browser settings, but this may affect the functionality of the Service. You can also opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google's Ads Settings page at google.com/settings/ads, or learn more about how Google uses data from sites that use its services at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

3. Google AdSense and Third-Party Advertising

We participate in Google AdSense, which displays advertisements on the Service. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to this and other websites. The following third parties may collect data through the Service for ad personalization and measurement purposes:

• Google AdSense — uses the DoubleClick DART cookie to serve ads. Learn more.
• Google — uses cookies for ad personalization. You can opt out at adssettings.google.com.

We do not control the cookies set by third-party advertisers and recommend reviewing their respective privacy policies for more information. The Network Advertising Initiative maintains a list of opt-out links at optout.networkadvertising.org.

4. How We Use Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate, maintain, and improve the Service;
• Display and personalize advertisements via Google AdSense;
• Analyze traffic patterns and understand which content is most popular;
• Detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, or abuse;
• Comply with our legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

5. Data Sharing

We do not share personal information with third parties except in the following circumstances: (a) with our advertising and analytics partners as described above; (b) when required by law, court order, or government regulation; (c) to protect the rights, property, or safety of FreeToolAlt.dev, our users, or others; or (d) in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our assets, in which case the information will be subject to the privacy policy of the acquiring entity.

6. Data Retention

Browsing and analytics data is retained for a maximum of 26 months. Reviews and tool submissions remain on the Service for as long as the relevant content is published, unless you request removal. If you wish to have a review you submitted removed, contact us at the email listed in the Contact section.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location (e.g., residents of the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, California, or other jurisdictions with privacy laws), you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Erasure: Request deletion of your personal information.
• Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Opt-out of personalized ads: Visit Google's Ads Settings or the NAI opt-out page.
• Do Not Sell: We do not sell personal information as defined under CCPA.

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@freetoolalt.dev.

8. Children's Privacy

FreeToolAlt.dev is not directed to children under 13 (or the applicable age in your jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

9. Security

We take reasonable measures to protect information we collect, including HTTPS encryption in transit, access controls on administrative endpoints, and rate limiting on public APIs. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Third-Party Links

The Service contains links to external websites (the tools and alternatives we list, plus social share buttons). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Material changes will be announced on the homepage. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at privacy@freetoolalt.dev. For general inquiries, see our Contact page.