Legal
Privacy Policy
Last updated: January 15, 2026
1. Overview
CostBench ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website costbench.com (the "Site") or use our services.
We take privacy seriously. Unlike many software comparison sites, we do not sell your data to vendors or use affiliate tracking to monitor your purchasing decisions. We collect only what we need to provide our services and improve your experience.
2. Information We Collect
Information You Provide
We collect information you voluntarily provide, including:
- Email address: When you subscribe to our Trends Report
- Role and interests: Optional information you provide about your role and areas of interest
- Contact information: Name and email when you contact us through our contact form
- Quote data: If you submit a software quote for review, we collect the information contained in that quote
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our Site, we automatically collect:
- Device information: Browser type, operating system, device type
- Usage data: Pages viewed, time spent on pages, click patterns
- Location data: Country and city based on IP address (not precise location)
- Referral information: How you arrived at our Site
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Send the Trends Report and other updates you've subscribed to
- Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
- Analyze Site usage to improve our content and user experience
- Detect and prevent fraud or abuse
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not use your information to:
- Sell your data to software vendors or third parties
- Track your purchasing decisions through affiliate links
- Build advertising profiles about you
- Send marketing emails unless you've explicitly opted in
5. Analytics
We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how visitors interact with our Site. GA4 collects:
- Pages visited and time spent on each page
- Browser and device information
- Geographic location (country/city level)
- Referral sources
Google Analytics uses cookies and may transfer data to servers in the United States. We have configured GA4 with the following privacy measures:
- IP anonymization enabled
- Data retention set to 14 months
- Advertising features disabled
- Data sharing with Google disabled
You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
6. Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal information. We may share data with:
- Service providers: Companies that help us operate our Site (e.g., email delivery services, hosting providers). These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data.
- Legal requirements: When required by law, court order, or government request.
- Business transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, with notice to you.
We specifically do not share your data with software vendors whose products we cover, nor do we share browsing behavior with advertising networks.
7. Data Retention
We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our services:
| Data Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Email subscriptions | Until you unsubscribe, then deleted within 30 days |
| Contact form submissions | 2 years after resolution |
| Quote reviews | 1 year after submission, then anonymized |
| Analytics data | 14 months |
| Server logs | 90 days |
8. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
- Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
- Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
- Portability: Request your data in a machine-readable format
- Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time
To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@costbench.com. We will respond within 30 days.
California Residents
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), California residents have additional rights including the right to know what personal information is collected and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information.
European Residents
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), European residents have rights including the right to access, rectification, erasure, restriction, and data portability. Our legal basis for processing is consent (for email subscriptions) and legitimate interests (for analytics).
9. Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:
- HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
- Encrypted storage for sensitive data
- Regular security audits and updates
- Limited employee access to personal data
No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting a notice on our Site or sending an email to subscribers. The "Last updated" date at the top indicates when the policy was last revised.
Your continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
11. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
Email: privacy@costbench.com
General inquiries: Contact form