Short version: some links on this site are partner links. If you click one and later buy from that provider, we may earn a commission. You do not pay more because of it, and it does not change how we score or rank anyone.
The rest of this page explains the details.
How we make money
Best Data Room is free to read. There is no subscription, no paywall and no sponsored content. To cover the cost of testing and keeping pages current, we join partner or referral programmes run by some data room providers.
Under those programmes, a provider pays us a commission when someone who arrived through our link signs up for a paid account, or in some cases when they start a free trial or book a demo. The amount and terms vary by programme.
How to spot a partner link
Partner links are the “Visit” buttons that send you to a provider’s website from our rankings, comparison tables and reviews. They carry a sponsored link attribute for search engines, and every page repeats this disclosure in the footer.
Behind the scenes, these links pass through a short redirect on our own domain so we can count clicks, and they carry the rel="sponsored" attribute, which tells search engines that the link is commercial.
Not every provider we cover has a partner programme with us, and not every link to a provider is a partner link. Links inside our articles and guides point to other pages on this site, not to providers. If a link is commercial, it is labelled.
What a commission never changes
This is the part that matters most, so we will be specific. Being a partner, or not being one, has no effect on:
- Scores. Every provider is scored on the same five weighted checks set out on how we rate. Commission is not one of them.
- Ranking order. The overall ranking is sorted by score. Nothing else moves a provider up or down.
- Use-case shortlists. Providers make a use-case shortlist because they fit the scenario, not because of any commercial relationship.
- Reviews. The verdict, the reasons to choose a provider and the reasons to skip it are written the same way for everyone.
- Coverage. We review providers with no partner programme alongside those with one, and we do not drop a provider for refusing to join.
If a provider offered us more money for a better position, the answer would be no. Our editorial policy sets out the wider rules that keep commercial and editorial decisions apart.
Does it cost you anything?
No. Prices are set by the provider and are the same whether you arrive through our link, a search engine or the provider’s home page. Occasionally a partner programme comes with a discount or a longer free trial for our readers; when it does, we say so next to the link.
Prices we show are indicative and in USD. Always confirm the current price and terms with the provider before you sign.
Why we tell you
Partly because it is the right thing to do, and partly because the law in many places requires it. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission expects publishers to clearly disclose material connections with the businesses they write about. Similar rules apply in the UK, the EU and elsewhere. We aim to meet the strictest of them: clear labels, placed before the click, in plain language.
Your choice, always
You are never obliged to use our links. If you would rather go to a provider directly, search for them by name and you will get the same product at the same price. Our rankings are just as useful either way.
Questions
If anything about how we earn money is unclear, or you think a commercial link has not been labelled, please tell us through the contact page. We will look into it and fix any missing label promptly.