Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains what personal data BestHosting.reviews ("we", "us", "our") collects when you use this website, how we use it, who we share it with, and what rights you have in relation to it. We are committed to handling your data transparently and in accordance with applicable privacy law, including the UK GDPR and EU GDPR where applicable.

By using this site you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy.

1. Who We Are

BestHosting.reviews is an independent web hosting review and comparison site. This site is operated by a sole proprietor. For data-related enquiries, please use the contact form linked at the bottom of this page.

2. What Data We Collect and Why

2.1 Analytics Data

We collect anonymised analytics data to understand how visitors use the site — which pages are visited, how long people stay, geographic region, device type, and which links are clicked. This data is aggregated. We cannot identify individual visitors from analytics data, and we do not attempt to do so.

Legal basis: Legitimate interest (improving the quality and relevance of our content).

2.2 Affiliate Click Tracking

When you click a "Visit site" button, we record the click event in our own database. The record contains:

  • A one-way hashed version of your IP address (the original IP is never stored)
  • The hosting provider you clicked through to
  • A timestamp
  • The page you were on when you clicked
  • A partial, anonymised user-agent string

We use this data to track referral attribution for commission purposes and to audit the integrity of our affiliate relationships. This data is not used for advertising or profiling.

Legal basis: Legitimate interest (tracking commissions earned and auditing affiliate relationships).

2.3 Cookies

We use the following categories of cookies:

  • Strictly necessary cookies: Session cookies required for the site to function. These cannot be declined as they are essential to core functionality. They expire when you close your browser.
  • Analytics cookies: Set by our analytics provider to measure aggregate usage patterns. You can decline these via the cookie consent banner shown on your first visit, or by adjusting your browser settings at any time.
  • Third-party affiliate cookies: When you click through to a hosting provider, that provider may set their own tracking cookies. We have no control over these cookies. Please refer to the privacy policy of the relevant provider for details.

2.4 Contact Form Submissions

If you submit a message via our contact form, we collect your name and email address solely to respond to your enquiry. This data is not added to any marketing list, not shared with third parties, and not used for any purpose other than replying to you.

Legal basis: Performance of a contract / legitimate interest (responding to your enquiry).

3. How We Use Your Data

  • To measure site traffic and improve the quality and accuracy of our content
  • To attribute affiliate commissions correctly and audit our affiliate relationships
  • To respond to contact form enquiries
  • To detect and prevent fraud or misuse of our affiliate links

We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party.

4. Who We Share Data With

We share data only where strictly necessary:

  • Analytics provider: We share aggregated, anonymised usage data with our analytics provider. This data cannot be used to identify individuals.
  • Affiliate networks: When you click an affiliate link, we pass attribution data (click ID, timestamp, anonymised identifier) to the relevant affiliate network or hosting provider to enable commission tracking. This is a standard industry practice and does not include your name or contact details.
  • Legal obligations: We may disclose data if required to do so by law or in response to a valid legal request from a competent authority.

We do not share your data with advertisers, data brokers, or any other third parties beyond those listed above.

5. Data Retention

  • Affiliate click records: Retained for 24 months from the date of the click, then permanently deleted.
  • Contact form submissions: Retained for 12 months from the date of submission, or until the matter is resolved, whichever is sooner.
  • Analytics data: Retained according to our analytics provider's default retention policy (typically 14–26 months). Aggregated, anonymised data may be retained indefinitely.

6. Cookies and Your Consent

On your first visit to this site, a cookie consent banner is shown. You can accept or decline analytics cookies at that point. If you decline, only strictly necessary session cookies will be set. You can change your preference at any time by clearing your browser cookies (which resets the banner) or by adjusting your browser's cookie settings.

Please note that declining analytics cookies does not affect your ability to use any feature of this site.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Right of access: You can request a copy of any personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate data.
  • Right to erasure: You can ask us to delete your personal data where we have no legitimate reason to continue holding it.
  • Right to object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interest.
  • Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent (analytics cookies), you can withdraw that consent at any time.
  • Right to lodge a complaint: If you are in the UK, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk. If you are in the EU, you may contact your local supervisory authority.

To exercise any of these rights, please use our contact form. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. Our site is served over HTTPS. IP addresses stored in relation to affiliate clicks are hashed using a one-way algorithm before storage — the original IP address is never retained.

No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. While we take data security seriously, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Links to Third-Party Sites

This site contains links to external websites, including hosting providers. Once you leave this site, this Privacy Policy no longer applies. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit.

10. Children's Privacy

This site is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has submitted personal data to us, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. The date shown at the bottom of this page reflects the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the site after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact

For any privacy-related queries, requests to exercise your rights, or concerns about how we handle your data, please use our contact form.

Last updated: June 2026