Last updated: September 5, 2026.
What we collect — and what we don't
toolbout does not require an account, does not set cookies, and does not run advertising or analytics trackers. Reading our comparisons leaves no profile behind.
We do collect a small amount of technical data, in two places:
Newsletter
If you subscribe to our newsletter, we store your email address solely to send the weekly issue. Every issue carries a one-click unsubscribe link that removes you immediately. We never share or sell subscriber emails.
- Server logs. Like every web server, ours records standard technical entries: your IP address, browser type (user agent), the page requested, and the time. We use these only for security and abuse prevention (for example, blocking attacks). They are stored on our server at Hetzner, in the EU, and are rotated — kept only as long as needed for those purposes.
- Affiliate click redirects. Some links to tools are affiliate links. When you click one, your browser passes through a short redirect on our server (
/r/) that records the time, your IP address, your browser type, and the page you came from. That record exists so we can count clicks and attribute commissions. It never includes your name or email, because we never ask for them.
What happens when you click an affiliate link
The redirect sends you to the tool's own website. From that moment, the tool's privacy policy applies to you, not ours. We recommend reading it — we link the vendor's own pages throughout our comparisons, and a vendor's policy is always the authoritative one for their site.
Search data
We use Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools to see aggregate, anonymized search performance (how often pages appear in search results). Those services report statistics about searches, not personal data about you, and their handling is covered by Google's and Microsoft's own policies.
Offline reading (service worker)
If you install toolbout as a home-screen app, your browser may cache parts of the site on your own device so pages open faster and work offline. That cache lives on your device only; it is never transmitted to us.
Emails you send us
If you write to toolbout@toolbout.com, we use your message only to answer you. We process it under legitimate interest, keep it until the matter is resolved, and do not share it with anyone.
Sharing
We do not sell, rent, or share personal data. The only data that leaves our server in connection with a visit is the affiliate redirect itself: clicking such a link takes you to the merchant's site.
Your rights
If you are in the EEA, the UK, or similar jurisdictions, you have rights including access to your personal data, correction, and erasure. Because we hold no account data and set no cookies, the only personal data we could hold about you is a server-log entry, a click-redirect entry, or an email you sent us. To exercise any of these rights, write to toolbout@toolbout.com.
Changes
If our data practices change, this page changes first. Substantial changes will be dated here.