Affiliate Disclosure

What Are Affiliate Links?

An affiliate link is a special URL that contains a unique tracking code assigned to us as a publisher. When you click on one of these links and make a purchase or sign up for a service, the company knows that we referred you, and we may earn a commission from that transaction.

Here's the important part: affiliate links do not cost you anything extra. The price you pay for a product or service is the same whether you use our affiliate link or go directly to the vendor's website. The commission comes from the vendor's marketing budget — not from your pocket.

Affiliate links are a standard practice in online media and are used by major publications, review sites, and content creators worldwide.

Our Affiliate Relationships

StackHK participates in several affiliate marketing programs, including but not limited to:

• PartnerStack: We are a verified partner on the PartnerStack affiliate platform, which manages affiliate programs for many B2B SaaS companies
• Direct Affiliate Programs: We maintain direct affiliate relationships with individual AI tool vendors
• Other Affiliate Networks: We may participate in additional affiliate networks and programs as our platform grows

We are selective about our affiliate partnerships. We only partner with tools and services that we have genuinely tested and would recommend based on merit. We decline affiliate offers from tools that do not meet our quality standards.

How We Earn Commissions

The process is straightforward:

• You visit StackHK and read one of our reviews, comparisons, or recommendation articles
• You click a link on our Site — typically a "Get [Tool]" button, a "Visit Site" link, or a text link within our content
• You make a purchase or sign up for a paid plan on the vendor's website
• We earn a commission from the vendor, at no additional cost to you

The commission we receive varies by program and product. Some programs pay a one-time commission, while others pay recurring commissions for as long as you remain a subscriber. Commission rates are set by the vendors, not by us.

Our Editorial Independence

This is not just a policy — it is the foundation of our publication. Here is what editorial independence means in practice:

• No pay-for-play: We do not accept payment, gifts, or any form of compensation in exchange for positive reviews or higher rankings
• No vendor influence: No tool vendor has any say in our review content, scores, or editorial opinions
• Honest criticism: We publish negative reviews and point out flaws in tools, including tools with which we have affiliate relationships
• Merit-based rankings: Our "Best Of" lists and rankings are determined by our testing methodology, not by commission rates
• Independent testing: We purchase or sign up for tools independently, using our own accounts, just like any regular user

Our Review Process

Every AI tool that appears on StackHK goes through a rigorous review process designed to ensure accuracy, fairness, and independence:

Minimum 2 Weeks of Testing

We spend at least two full weeks using each tool for real-world work tasks before publishing a review. This is not a quick hands-on or first-impression piece — it is sustained, practical experience with the tool in daily use.

Structured Scoring System

Our scores are based on five standardized dimensions, each rated on a scale of 1 to 10:

Real-World Task Testing

We test tools with actual work scenarios — writing blog posts, coding projects, analyzing data, creating images, managing workflows — not synthetic benchmarks or scripted demos.

Regular Updates

AI tools evolve rapidly. We update our reviews when significant changes occur and revisit top picks on a quarterly basis to ensure our recommendations remain current.

No Payment for Reviews

This policy applies universally:

• We do not accept "review fees" or "sponsored review" payments from tool vendors
• We do not offer paid placement in our "Best Of" lists or comparison tables
• We do not accept gifts, free premium accounts, or other incentives that could compromise our objectivity
• When we receive free trial access from a vendor, we disclose this fact in the review and also test with paid accounts to ensure accurate reporting of the full user experience

Occasionally, we publish clearly labeled sponsored content. This content is always identified as "Sponsored" or "Paid Partnership" and is distinct from our independent editorial reviews. Sponsored content never influences our review scores or editorial opinions.

Identifying Affiliate Links

We believe in full transparency. Here is how you can identify affiliate links on our Site:

• Disclosure Notices: Each review page and comparison page includes a disclosure notice at the top or bottom of the article, informing you that the page contains affiliate links
• Call-to-Action Buttons: Links to tools are typically presented as clearly labeled buttons (e.g., "Get [Tool Name]," "Try [Tool Name] Free," "Visit [Tool Name]")
• Site-Wide Disclosure: A disclosure notice appears in the footer of every page on our Site
• This Page: This Affiliate Disclosure page serves as our comprehensive disclosure of all affiliate relationships

If you are ever unsure whether a specific link is an affiliate link, you can assume that any link leading to a tool vendor's website may be an affiliate link.

Why We Use Affiliate Links

Affiliate revenue allows us to keep our content free and maintain our editorial independence. Here is why affiliate links are important to our mission:

• Free Content: All of our reviews, comparisons, recommendations, and newsletter content are available to readers at no cost. Affiliate commissions help fund this.
• Independent Testing: We purchase subscriptions to the tools we review, which requires significant investment. Affiliate revenue helps offset these costs.
• No Vendor Dependency: Because we earn revenue through affiliate commissions rather than through direct payments from tool vendors, we maintain our ability to write honest, critical reviews without fear of losing a sponsor.
• Quality Investment: Revenue allows us to invest in better testing infrastructure, spend more time on each review, and cover a wider range of tools.

Our alternative would be to charge readers for access or to accept payment from vendors for reviews — both of which would compromise our mission. Affiliate links allow us to serve our readers while sustaining our operations.

Our Commitment to You

Our reputation is our most valuable asset. We understand that the trust of our readers is earned through consistent honesty and transparency, and we are committed to maintaining that trust in every piece of content we publish.

PartnerStack Verified Partner

StackHK is a verified partner on the PartnerStack platform, one of the leading affiliate management platforms for B2B SaaS companies. As a verified PartnerStack partner:

• We adhere to PartnerStack's partner code of conduct and compliance requirements
• We maintain transparent affiliate tracking and reporting
• We follow best practices for affiliate disclosure as required by PartnerStack's terms of service
• We are subject to regular compliance reviews to ensure we meet PartnerStack's standards

Our verified PartnerStack partnership status reflects our commitment to operating as a transparent, compliant, and trustworthy affiliate publisher.

Questions?

If you have any questions about our affiliate relationships, this disclosure, or how we make money, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are committed to full transparency and are happy to discuss any aspect of our business model with you.