Affiliate Disclosure

Last Updated: October 7, 2025

Website: websiterating.com Operator: Search Ventures Pty Ltd (ACN 639906353) Jurisdiction: Australia Contact: [email protected]

The Brutally Honest Version

I make money when you buy products through my affiliate links. This creates an inherent conflict of interest.

Unlike most review sites that hide this or pretend it doesn’t affect their recommendations, I’m going to be explicit about how it works and how I deal with the bias.

How Affiliate Marketing Works

The Basic Mechanic

  1. You click a link on this site to a product (VPN, web host, software, etc.)
  2. A tracking cookie is placed on your browser
  3. If you buy within the cookie window (usually 30-90 days), I get a commission
  4. You pay the same price whether you use my link or not

What I Earn

Different products pay different commissions. Here are real examples:

VPN Commissions (per sale):

  • ExpressVPN: ~$95 (I don’t recommend them despite high payout)
  • NordVPN: ~$40 (I recommend only for streaming)
  • ProtonVPN: ~$25 (I recommend as #2 overall)
  • Mullvad: $0 (I recommend as #1 overall)

Web Hosting Commissions (per sale):

  • Bluehost: ~$100 (I actively tell you to avoid them)
  • GoDaddy: ~$50-75 (I actively tell you to avoid them)
  • Scala Hosting: $100+ (I recommend them)
  • Hetzner: $0 (I recommend them)

The Pattern: Often the products that pay the most are the ones I recommend the least. This is intentional.

My Affiliate Policy

What I DO

  • Rank by quality first, commission second: I recommend Mullvad (#1 VPN, $0 commission) over ExpressVPN (~$95 commission)
  • Disclose commission rates: I tell you exactly what I make from each product
  • Test products when possible: I use or have used most products I recommend
  • Admit bias: I’m honest that affiliate relationships create conflicts
  • Reject high-paying garbage: I turn down higher commissions for products I don’t trust

What I DON’T Do

  • Rank solely by commission: Products are ranked by quality, not payout
  • Hide conflicts of interest: I’m transparent about what I earn
  • Fake testing: If I haven’t tested something, I’ll tell you
  • Recommend products I wouldn’t use: I use or would use what I recommend
  • Accept payment for rankings: Companies cannot pay to be ranked higher

The Compromise and the Bias

Let me be clear: I am still biased, even with this policy.

Why I’m Still Biased

  1. Products with affiliate programs get more coverage than those without
  2. Higher commissions influence exposure (even if not rankings)
  3. I need to eat – I can’t recommend exclusively $0 commission products
  4. Affiliate relationships create subconscious bias I can’t fully eliminate

How I Manage the Bias

  1. Transparent disclosure: You know what I make
  2. Quality-first rankings: Best products ranked first, even at lower commission
  3. Reject harmful products: High commissions don’t override ethics
  4. Regular re-evaluation: I revisit recommendations as products change
  5. Comparison transparency: I show you the higher-paying alternatives I rejected

Specific Affiliate Relationships

Affiliate Networks

I participate in these affiliate programs:

  • Impact Radius (NordVPN, Surfshark, and others)
  • CJ Affiliate (various hosting companies)
  • Direct affiliate programs with VPN and hosting companies

Product Categories

VPNs

Recommended (in order):

  1. Mullvad – $0/sale – Best privacy, accepts cash, proven by police raid
  2. ProtonVPN – ~$25/sale – Swiss privacy laws, transparent company
  3. NordVPN – ~$40/sale – Only for streaming (they hid 2018 breach for 18 months)

Rejected Despite Higher Commissions:

  • ExpressVPN – ~$95/sale – Owned by Kape (formerly Crossrider, allegedly ex-malware company)
  • CyberGhost – ~$60/sale – Also owned by Kape
  • Private Internet Access – ~$50/sale – Also owned by Kape

Why I reject them: Ownership concerns override higher payouts.

Web Hosting

Recommended:

  • Hetzner – $0/sale – Best performance, transparent pricing, no affiliate program
  • Scala Hosting – +$100/sale – Strong performance, transparent company
  • ChemiCloud – ~$35/sale – Good support, no hidden price hikes

Rejected Despite Higher Commissions:

  • Bluehost – ~$100/sale – Newfold Digital (EIG), poor performance, misleading pricing
  • HostGator – ~$80/sale – Same ownership as Bluehost, same problems
  • GoDaddy – ~$50-75/sale – Predatory renewal pricing, aggressive upsells

Why I reject them: They screw customers with bait-and-switch pricing and degraded performance.

Industry Conflicts of Interest (That I Don’t Participate In)

Many “review sites” have deeper conflicts than just affiliate commissions:

Conflicts I DON’T Have

  • We don’t own VPN or hosting companies we review
  • Parent companies don’t own products we review
  • We don’t accept payment for positive reviews
  • We don’t accept payment for rankings
  • We don’t sell “editorial content” (paid reviews disguised as articles)

Conflicts Others Have (For Your Awareness)

  • Kape Technologies owns ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, PIA, ZenMate, AND vpnMentor (a “review site”)
  • Ziff Davis owns IPVanish, StrongVPN, AND PCMag, Mashable, CNET (who review VPNs)
  • Surfshark and NordVPN are owned by the same parent company but pretend to compete

I expose these conflicts. I don’t participate in them.

How to Use This Information

What This Means for You

  1. I benefit when you buy through my links – This is a conflict of interest
  2. I prioritize quality over commission – But I’m still biased toward affiliate products
  3. Verify my recommendations – Don’t trust me blindly, research products yourself
  4. Higher rankings aren’t bought – Companies can’t pay for better rankings
  5. I’m swimming in the affiliate cesspool – Just more honestly than others

Questions to Ask About Any Review Site

  • Do they disclose affiliate relationships?
  • Do they show commission rates?
  • Do they recommend products with $0 commission?
  • Do they reject high-paying products with quality issues?
  • Do they or their parent company own products they review?

Most sites fail all five questions. I pass the first four. The fifth isn’t applicable.

FTC and Australian Compliance

FTC Guidelines (US)

Even though I’m in Australia, many readers are in the US. Under FTC guidelines:

  • Affiliate relationships must be disclosed ✓ I disclose clearly
  • Disclosures must be prominent ✓ This page, plus article disclosures
  • Endorsements must reflect honest opinions ✓ I only endorse what I genuinely believe

Australian Consumer Law (ACL)

Under Australian law:

  • Misleading or deceptive conduct is prohibited ✓ I’m transparent about relationships
  • Affiliate relationships must be disclosed ✓ Clearly disclosed
  • Paid endorsements must be identified ✓ All affiliate content is marked

Changes to Affiliate Relationships

When Relationships Change

  • New affiliates: I’ll add them to this disclosure
  • Terminated relationships: I’ll remove them but note the change
  • Commission changes: I’ll update disclosed rates periodically
  • Policy changes: I’ll update this page with “Last Updated” date

Notification

For major policy changes, I’ll notify newsletter subscribers.

Specific Disclosures

Affiliate cookies typically last:

  • VPNs: 30-90 days (varies by program)
  • Web Hosting: 60-90 days
  • Software: 30-90 days
  • Amazon: 24 hours

This means if you click my link and buy within that window, I earn commission even if you don’t buy immediately.

Recurring Commissions

Some affiliate programs pay recurring commissions:

  • Some VPNs: I may earn monthly commissions if you maintain subscription
  • Some hosting: I may earn monthly for active subscriptions

I’ll disclose this in specific reviews where applicable.

Free Products

Occasionally, I receive free access to products for review purposes. When this happens:

  • I’ll disclose it in the review
  • Free access doesn’t guarantee positive review
  • I maintain editorial independence

My Commitment to You

What I Promise

  1. Transparency: I’ll tell you what I make from products
  2. Quality first: I won’t recommend garbage for higher commissions
  3. Honest testing: I’ll test products when possible and admit when I haven’t
  4. Clear disclosures: You’ll know what’s an affiliate link
  5. Regular updates: I’ll update reviews when products or policies change
  6. Admit mistakes: If I’m wrong about a product, I’ll correct it publicly

What I DON’T Promise

  1. Perfect objectivity: I’m human and financially incentivized
  2. Zero bias: Affiliate relationships create inherent bias
  3. Universal suitability: What works for me may not work for you
  4. Third-party behavior: I can’t control what companies do after you sign up

This disclosure is part of our Terms of Service. By using this site, you acknowledge:

  • You understand I earn affiliate commissions
  • You understand this creates potential bias
  • You’ll make independent purchasing decisions
  • You won’t hold me liable for third-party product failures
  • You’ve read and understood this disclosure

For full legal terms, see our Terms of Service. For privacy information, see our Privacy Policy.

Contact Information

Questions about affiliate relationships or this disclosure?

Search Ventures Pty Ltd Email: [email protected] Website: websiterating.com

The Bottom Line (In Plain English, One More Time)

I make money from affiliate links. This creates bias. I manage it by ranking quality over commission, disclosing what I earn, and rejecting high-paying products that screw customers.

I’m still biased. I need to eat. But I’m the only one being this honest about the bias.

Don’t trust me blindly. Verify my recommendations. I’m providing informed opinions with disclosed conflicts, not objective truth.

Questions? Email [email protected]