We do not track your browsing across other sites, sell personal data, or run third-party advertising networks. We only hold data you explicitly provide when contacting us or subscribing to our weekly guides.
1. Overview & Principles
SourceSwap was built to help people find transparent, open-source alternatives to proprietary software. Because our entire purpose is advocating for privacy and data ownership, we apply the exact same standards to our own website.
This policy explains what little information is processed when you visit sourceswap.org, how it is handled, and how your rights are protected.
2. What We Collect
We believe in strict data minimization. We only collect information in two specific situations:
- Newsletter Subscriptions: If you voluntarily join our Thursday newsletter, we store your email address solely to deliver our latest guides. You can unsubscribe at any point with a single click.
- Contact Form Messages: If you submit a tool suggestion or editorial correction, we receive your name, email, topic, and message to respond to you.
We do not collect behavioral tracking profiles, install invasive tracking scripts, or sell contact records to advertising syndicates.
3. Cookies & Local Storage
SourceSwap does not use tracking cookies or cross-site identifier tags.
We use standard browser localStorage solely for one client-side function:
-
sourceswap_theme: Saves your preferred visual mode (Dark Mode or Light Mode) on your device so pages render smoothly without flashing.
This data stays entirely within your browser and is never transmitted to our backend servers.
4. External Software Links
Our guides, comparisons, and directory listings link directly to third-party open-source projects, developer repositories (like GitHub, GitLab, or Codeberg), and official software documentation.
When you follow a link to an external project site, their respective privacy policies apply. We recommend reviewing the license and documentation of any self-hosted tool before deploying it.
5. Your Data Rights
Under global data protection standards (including GDPR and CCPA), you have full control over your information:
- Access & Erasure: You can request a complete copy or immediate deletion of any email address associated with our newsletter or contact submissions.
- Correction: You can request corrections to any information you have submitted to us.
- Unconditional Opt-out: All articles, guides, and directories on SourceSwap are fully accessible without requiring an account or email subscription.
6. Questions & Contact
If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or wish to request data removal, please reach out through our Contact Page or email us directly at andy@sourceswap.org.