Legal
Affiliate Disclosure
Last updated: April 2026
The short version
Some links on SmartStack Guide earn us a commission when you buy — at no extra cost to you. This never changes our review scores, rankings, or recommendations. A tool we earn from can score last. A tool with no affiliate program can be our top pick. The same methodology applies to every tool regardless of monetisation.
How affiliate links work
When you click certain links on SmartStack Guide and go on to make a purchase or sign up for a paid plan, we may receive a commission from the software vendor. This commission comes from the vendor — not from you. You pay the same price whether you use our link or navigate to the product directly.
Affiliate links are routed through our tracking system so we can count clicks and attribute commissions. We do not use this data to identify individual users. See our Privacy Policy for details on what we collect.
Affiliate networks and programs we participate in
SmartStack Guide participates in affiliate programs through the following networks and direct vendor partnerships:
| Network / Program | Type |
|---|---|
| Impact.com | Affiliate network |
| PartnerStack | Affiliate network |
| ShareASale | Affiliate network |
| CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction) | Affiliate network |
| Awin | Affiliate network |
| Direct vendor programs | Individual SaaS company programs |
Not every tool we review has an affiliate relationship. Many reviewed tools have no affiliate program at all. A tool's presence or absence in an affiliate network has no bearing on whether we review it or how we score it.
What affiliate relationships do not change
Affiliate commissions are how we fund the research. They do not buy influence over results. Specifically:
- Review scores are determined solely by our methodology — not by commission rates
- A tool we earn a commission from can receive our lowest score
- A tool with no affiliate program can receive our highest recommendation
- Cons and limitations are included in every review, including for affiliate partners
- Rankings reflect real-world fit for small businesses, not revenue potential for us
- We do not accept payment to improve a score, remove a negative finding, or add a positive claim
FTC compliance
SmartStack Guide complies with the Federal Trade Commission's guidelines on endorsements and testimonials, including FTC 16 CFR Part 255. These guidelines require that material connections between endorsers and the brands they discuss — including affiliate commissions — be clearly disclosed.
In accordance with these guidelines, we disclose affiliate relationships on pages that contain affiliate links. This disclosure page serves as the primary disclosure document for the site. Page-level disclosures appear in the footer of any page containing affiliate links.
How to identify affiliate links
Affiliate links on SmartStack Guide route through /api/go/[tool-slug] before redirecting to the vendor's website. This is our click-tracking layer.
Pages containing affiliate links carry a disclosure notice. If you are unsure whether a link is an affiliate link, you can check the URL — links that pass through /api/go/ are affiliate-tracked.
Questions about this disclosure
If you have questions about our affiliate relationships or disclosure practices, email legal@smartstackguide.com. We will respond within 2 business days.