How we make money
Disclosure
Spiral is free to read. Here's exactly how it pays for itself, and how we keep that money away from our opinions.
01The short version
Spiral Gadgets is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
That's it. Nobody can pay to get a product onto Spiral or to get a better write-up. If we recommend something, it's because we think it's worth your money.
02How affiliate links work
Some links on Spiral are affiliate links. If you click one and buy something, the store may pay us a small commission. You pay the same price you'd pay anyway. That money helps cover the gear we buy, the website, and the time it takes to research things properly.
We may take part in affiliate programs such as Amazon Associates and the eBay Partner Network, as well as programs run by individual stores and brands.
03How to spot them
- Store buttons like “Check price on Amazon” and “See it on eBay” are affiliate links.
- Every article that can contain affiliate links says so near the top, before the first one.
- Behind the scenes, we mark these links as sponsored (
rel="sponsored") so search engines know too. - We never list prices on the site, because they change constantly. Always check the current price on the store's page.
04Our picks aren’t for sale
- Brands can't pay to be included, ranked higher, or reviewed more kindly.
- Commission doesn't decide our picks. If a cheaper product is the better buy, we say so, even when that means we earn less or nothing.
- If a company gives or lends us a product for free, we say so clearly in that article. Getting something free never guarantees a good review, or any review.
- We don't publish fake reviews, made-up test results, or star ratings for things we haven't used.
- If we ever publish something a brand paid for, it will be labeled Sponsored at the very top.
05Ads on Spiral
Each page has at most one ad spot, and it's always labeled “Advertisement” so it can't be mistaken for our own recommendations.
Right now that spot only shows our own promos (like our newsletter). If we turn on an ad network such as Google AdSense later, we'll update this page and our privacy policy first.
Advertisers never see articles before they're published and have no say in what we write.
06Emails
Our newsletter can include affiliate links too, and the same rules apply. Deals and promotional emails only go to people who ticked the box asking for them when they signed up.
07Questions
Wondering whether a specific link is an affiliate link, or how we got a product? Just ask: hello@spiralgadgets.com.