How we test

Privacy Stronghold is an independent privacy tool review site. We sign up for every product, test it for 30–90 days, and publish our findings with real screenshots. No vendor pays for placement.

Our testing process

1. Sign up — We purchase a real subscription to every product we review. No vendor-provided accounts.
2. Test for 30–90 days — Duration depends on category. Data removal services get 90 days (to measure actual removals). VPNs get 30 days. Password managers get 60 days.
3. Document everything — Screenshots, speed tests, removal confirmations, error messages. All stored and referenced in reviews.
4. Score and publish — Each product is scored on category-specific criteria (detailed below per category).
5. Refresh quarterly — Every review is re-tested and updated at least every 90 days.

Category-specific criteria

Data broker removal

• Services tested for 90 days from signup
• We monitor 50 known broker sites for our test profiles
• Removal rate = (brokers removed / brokers found) after 90 days
• Screenshots of removal confirmations published where possible

VPN

• Speed tests on standardized hardware (MacBook Air M3, 1 Gbps fiber)
• Privacy audit: DNS leak test, WebRTC leak test, kill switch verification
• Jurisdiction and audit history documented for every provider
• We recommend non-affiliate VPNs (Mullvad, IVPN) alongside affiliate partners

Password managers

• 60-day usage test across macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, browser extension
• Autofill accuracy tested on 50 common sites
• Encryption standard and audit history documented
• Passkey support tested on supported platforms

Disclosure

We earn affiliate commissions when you purchase through links on this site. This does not affect our rankings. We openly recommend products that pay us no commission (e.g., Mullvad VPN, Bitwarden free tier) when they are the best choice for a given use case. See our About page for our full editorial independence policy.