{
  "schema_version": 1,
  "reviewed_on": "2026-11-06",
  "scope": "Five selected products with publicly available paid affiliate programs; enrollment has begun. No approved tracking links are active.",
  "categories": [
    {
      "id": "dns",
      "name": "DNS filtering",
      "icon": "network",
      "question": "Who handles your lookups?",
      "summary": "Choose a resolver and decide whether its query dashboard is useful enough to retain logs.",
      "interaction": "Custom DNS may override a VPN’s resolver. Check app and browser settings rather than assuming all lookups follow the same path."
    },
    {
      "id": "blocking",
      "name": "Tracker blocking",
      "icon": "shield",
      "question": "Which requests reach a tracker?",
      "summary": "Filter requests or page content before selected advertising and tracking systems can load.",
      "interaction": "Filtering is a different job from changing your exit IP. Inspect permissions, HTTPS filtering and compatibility on the actual platform."
    },
    {
      "id": "passwords",
      "name": "Credentials & aliases",
      "icon": "key",
      "question": "What connects your accounts?",
      "summary": "Use unique credentials, supported passkeys and email aliases to reduce reused identifiers.",
      "interaction": "Consider recovery and sharing before moving your vault. Bundled features can save a duplicate subscription, but also concentrate trust."
    },
    {
      "id": "removal",
      "name": "Personal-data removal",
      "icon": "fingerprint",
      "question": "What can someone find about you?",
      "summary": "Request deletion from supported brokers and monitor whether records reappear.",
      "interaction": "A VPN does not remove an address already in a broker’s database. Removal services need identifying information and authorization to act."
    }
  ],
  "products": [
    {
      "id": "adguard-ad-blocker",
      "name": "AdGuard Ad Blocker",
      "category": "blocking",
      "icon": "shield",
      "summary": "Filters advertising and tracking requests, with content filtering that depends on your operating system and app.",
      "fit": "Reduce ads and tracking requests in supported browsers and applications.",
      "limits": "Does not hide your public IP or make an account login anonymous. Coverage depends on platform, filter rules and exclusions.",
      "free_option": "A free browser extension is a separate product from the paid cross-platform license.",
      "coverage": "Observed Personal license: up to 3 devices. Family is a separate 9-device license.",
      "operator": "Adguard Software Limited · Cyprus",
      "operator_source_ids": [
        "adguard-policy"
      ],
      "pricing_url": "https://adguard.com/en/license.html",
      "offers": [
        {
          "plan": "Personal · lifetime",
          "currency": "USD",
          "upfront": "79.99",
          "months": null,
          "bonus_months": 0,
          "kind": "one_time",
          "renewal": null,
          "source_id": "adguard-price",
          "observed_at": "2026-11-06T15:22:30.821154+00:00",
          "method": "manual_official_page",
          "note": "Explicit lifetime alternative displayed in the official purchase flow for the 3-device Personal license. The annual page advertises $2.49/mo, but its explicit annual first bill was not captured; no total is inferred."
        }
      ],
      "price_gap": "Annual first bill and renewal amount were not captured. The lifetime license is a different purchase option, not a subscription monthly equivalent.",
      "refund": "Provider advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee; read purchase-channel terms.",
      "privacy": [
        {
          "title": "HTTPS filtering adds a trust decision",
          "text": "On supported platforms, HTTPS filtering installs a local root certificate and lets the filtering application inspect content inside TLS connections. AdGuard describes exclusions for sensitive sites. This is different from DNS-only blocking.",
          "source_ids": [
            "adguard-https"
          ],
          "kind": "provider"
        },
        {
          "title": "Read the notice for your actual app",
          "text": "The general policy links separate app privacy notices. Permissions and filtering paths differ between the desktop app, mobile app and browser extension; do not assume one platform’s behavior applies everywhere.",
          "source_ids": [
            "adguard-policy"
          ],
          "kind": "provider"
        }
      ],
      "gaps": [
        "No StealthVPN blocking, leak or certificate-validation tests have been performed.",
        "A current independent assessment of the exact app build and your configuration has not been completed here."
      ],
      "affiliate": {
        "status": "researched",
        "source_id": "adguard-affiliate",
        "checked_on": "2026-11-06",
        "enrollment": "blocked_manual_hcaptcha",
        "tracking_url": null
      },
      "related_vpns": []
    },
    {
      "id": "adguard-dns",
      "name": "AdGuard DNS",
      "category": "dns",
      "icon": "network",
      "summary": "A configurable DNS resolver that can block selected advertising, tracking and malicious domains.",
      "fit": "Apply domain-level filtering to supported devices or a network.",
      "limits": "DNS encryption protects lookups in transit to the resolver. It does not tunnel all traffic, conceal your public IP from websites, or block every tracker.",
      "free_option": "Public DNS and an account-based Starter tier are available; paid Personal limits are separate.",
      "coverage": "Observed Personal plan: 20 devices, 5 servers and 10 million monthly requests.",
      "operator": "Adguard Software Limited · Cyprus",
      "operator_source_ids": [
        "adguard-dns-policy"
      ],
      "pricing_url": "https://adguard-dns.io/en/license.html",
      "offers": [
        {
          "plan": "Personal · annual",
          "currency": "USD",
          "upfront": "19.99",
          "months": 12,
          "bonus_months": 0,
          "kind": "subscription",
          "renewal": null,
          "source_id": "adguard-dns-price",
          "observed_at": "2026-11-06T15:22:30.821154+00:00",
          "method": "manual_official_page",
          "note": "USD annual offer, plus VAT. The crossed-out $29.88 is not treated as proof of the later renewal bill."
        }
      ],
      "price_gap": "Renewal amount not confirmed. Check whether an existing bundle already includes DNS before buying separately.",
      "refund": "Annual subscriptions: 30-day guarantee. Monthly subscriptions are non-refundable according to the pricing FAQ.",
      "privacy": [
        {
          "title": "Private DNS has configurable query logs",
          "text": "The policy says private DNS stores query contents, status, device names and dates for its dashboard. Logging can be disabled and retention configured. Subnet-limited client IP logging is an additional option. Public DNS has a different stated data policy.",
          "source_ids": [
            "adguard-dns-policy"
          ],
          "kind": "provider"
        },
        {
          "title": "The resolver still handles the lookup",
          "text": "AdGuard documents DNS-over-HTTPS, TLS, QUIC and DNSCrypt. Encryption changes who can read the lookup in transit; the selected resolver must still process it. A browser’s custom DNS can also change which resolver a VPN setup uses.",
          "source_ids": [
            "adguard-dns-method"
          ],
          "kind": "provider"
        }
      ],
      "gaps": [
        "Dashboard logging defaults and effective retention were not tested in a user account.",
        "No independent resolver-retention or blocking audit has been performed by StealthVPN."
      ],
      "affiliate": {
        "status": "researched",
        "source_id": "adguard-affiliate",
        "checked_on": "2026-11-06",
        "enrollment": "blocked_manual_hcaptcha",
        "tracking_url": null
      },
      "related_vpns": []
    },
    {
      "id": "incogni",
      "name": "Incogni",
      "category": "removal",
      "icon": "fingerprint",
      "summary": "Submits personal-data removal requests to supported brokers, with additional custom-removal features on higher plans.",
      "fit": "Reduce discoverability through supported data-broker and people-search services.",
      "limits": "Does not conceal live browsing or guarantee removal from the entire internet. Broker coverage, region, verification and reappearance affect the outcome.",
      "free_option": "The removal plans listed here are paid subscriptions. A scanner is not the same as an ongoing removal service.",
      "coverage": "Standard handles supported broker requests. Unlimited adds custom removals; confirm geographic eligibility before purchase.",
      "operator": "Incogni Inc. · United States",
      "operator_source_ids": [
        "incogni-policy"
      ],
      "pricing_url": "https://incogni.com/pricing",
      "offers": [
        {
          "plan": "Standard · annual",
          "currency": "USD",
          "upfront": "95.88",
          "months": 12,
          "bonus_months": 0,
          "kind": "subscription",
          "renewal": null,
          "source_id": "incogni-price",
          "observed_at": "2026-11-06T15:22:30.821154+00:00",
          "method": "manual_official_page",
          "note": "The annual pricing page explicitly bills $95.88; VAT or sales tax may apply. The crossed-out comparison price is not assumed to be the renewal amount."
        },
        {
          "plan": "Unlimited · annual",
          "currency": "USD",
          "upfront": "179.88",
          "months": 12,
          "bonus_months": 0,
          "kind": "subscription",
          "renewal": null,
          "source_id": "incogni-price",
          "observed_at": "2026-11-06T15:22:30.821154+00:00",
          "method": "manual_official_page",
          "note": "Higher tier with custom-removal features; not the Standard plan."
        }
      ],
      "price_gap": "The exact later renewal amount was not captured. Auto-renewal terms allow price changes; confirm the amount and cancellation deadline.",
      "refund": "Provider advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee; check the service terms.",
      "privacy": [
        {
          "title": "Removal requires identity information",
          "text": "The policy requires name, address, birth date and authorization to act for you. It describes sending necessary identifiers to covered brokers and designated website owners. Additional verification may be required.",
          "source_ids": [
            "incogni-policy"
          ],
          "kind": "provider"
        },
        {
          "title": "Follow the corporate relationship",
          "text": "Incogni describes its origins with Surfshark’s team. Its current privacy policy names the US entity. That is a company relationship to consider alongside the identity data entrusted to the service, not proof of misuse.",
          "source_ids": [
            "incogni-about",
            "incogni-policy"
          ],
          "kind": "provider"
        }
      ],
      "gaps": [
        "No before/after removal campaign or independent coverage test has been performed by StealthVPN.",
        "Broker counts are provider claims, not a count of confirmed removals for a particular person."
      ],
      "affiliate": {
        "status": "researched",
        "source_id": "incogni-affiliate",
        "checked_on": "2026-11-06",
        "enrollment": "held_terms_conflict",
        "tracking_url": null
      },
      "related_vpns": [
        "surfshark"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "nordpass",
      "name": "NordPass",
      "category": "passwords",
      "icon": "key",
      "summary": "A password and passkey manager with encrypted vaults and different personal, family and business feature sets.",
      "fit": "Create unique credentials and manage supported passkey sign-ins.",
      "limits": "Does not hide network traffic or prevent every phishing attempt. Recovery, sharing, autofill permissions and device security remain important.",
      "free_option": "A free tier is available; paid Premium and Family have different features.",
      "coverage": "Observed Premium plan: 1 user. Family and business subscriptions are separate products.",
      "operator": "Nord Account controller: nordvpn S.A. · Panama",
      "operator_source_ids": [
        "nord-general-policy",
        "nordpass-policy"
      ],
      "pricing_url": "https://nordpass.com/plans/",
      "offers": [
        {
          "plan": "Premium · 2 years + 3 months",
          "currency": "USD",
          "upfront": "37.53",
          "months": 27,
          "bonus_months": 3,
          "kind": "subscription",
          "renewal": {
            "amount": "35.88",
            "months": 12
          },
          "source_id": "nordpass-checkout",
          "observed_at": "2026-11-06T15:22:30.821154+00:00",
          "method": "manual_official_page",
          "note": "Order summary shows 27 included months. Checkout states a subsequent annual renewal; tax may apply. Optional VPN/removal add-ons are excluded."
        }
      ],
      "price_gap": "First-term duration and annual renewal duration differ. Renewal prices can change with notice.",
      "refund": "30-day guarantee on the initial purchase according to the checkout terms.",
      "privacy": [
        {
          "title": "Encrypted vaults and telemetry are different",
          "text": "The October 14, 2026 notice says NordPass cannot access encrypted vault contents. It separately describes device, account, usage and diagnostic data, with optional analytics and advertising controls. Autofill diagnostics are described as aggregated and anonymized.",
          "source_ids": [
            "nordpass-policy"
          ],
          "kind": "provider"
        },
        {
          "title": "Check feature-specific data sharing",
          "text": "The notice describes third-party processing for breach checks and email masking, including hashed assets for monitoring. The general Nord policy identifies its Panamanian controller. Vault encryption does not imply an absence of account or feature metadata.",
          "source_ids": [
            "nordpass-policy",
            "nord-general-policy"
          ],
          "kind": "provider"
        }
      ],
      "gaps": [
        "The security page describes audits; a current audit of the exact consumer release and all optional features has not been assessed here.",
        "No StealthVPN recovery, autofill, passkey or encryption implementation tests have been performed."
      ],
      "affiliate": {
        "status": "researched",
        "source_id": "nordpass-affiliate",
        "checked_on": "2026-11-06",
        "enrollment": "submitted_pending_review",
        "tracking_url": null
      },
      "related_vpns": [
        "nordvpn"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "proton-pass",
      "name": "Proton Pass",
      "category": "passwords",
      "icon": "lock",
      "summary": "An open-source password and passkey manager with hide-my-email aliases and separate free, Plus and Family plans.",
      "fit": "Manage credentials and use different email aliases for different services.",
      "limits": "A vault and an email alias do not hide browsing traffic. Signing into an identified account still identifies you to that service.",
      "free_option": "Free tier includes 10 hide-my-email aliases; Plus lists unlimited aliases. Check current plan limits.",
      "coverage": "Observed Pass Plus plan: 1 user. Proton Unlimited is a separate bundle; check existing entitlements.",
      "operator": "Proton AG · Switzerland",
      "operator_source_ids": [
        "proton-pass-policy"
      ],
      "pricing_url": "https://proton.me/pass/pricing",
      "offers": [
        {
          "plan": "Pass Plus · annual",
          "currency": "USD",
          "upfront": "35.88",
          "months": 12,
          "bonus_months": 0,
          "kind": "subscription",
          "renewal": {
            "amount": "35.88",
            "months": 12
          },
          "source_id": "proton-pass-price",
          "observed_at": "2026-11-06T15:22:30.821154+00:00",
          "method": "manual_official_page",
          "note": "Pricing page explicitly states $35.88 billed every 12 months; annual rate, not a month-to-month purchase. Prices may change."
        }
      ],
      "price_gap": "This is the standalone Plus plan, not Proton Unlimited or Family. Confirm current checkout and tax treatment.",
      "refund": "Pricing page advertises a 30-day money-back guarantee; purchase terms apply.",
      "privacy": [
        {
          "title": "Alias addresses are an encryption exception",
          "text": "The policy says stored vault items and their metadata are end-to-end encrypted. Alias addresses are not encrypted because forwarding requires them. It describes retained aliases, encrypted backups for up to 30 days, and separate SimpleLogin infrastructure for some alias functions.",
          "source_ids": [
            "proton-pass-policy"
          ],
          "kind": "provider"
        },
        {
          "title": "Code and a dated audit trail are available",
          "text": "Proton links open-source apps and a July 2023 Cure53 audit announcement. The announcement links the report and describes an Android platform limitation remaining at publication. That historical assessment is not a finding about every current 2026 app build.",
          "source_ids": [
            "proton-pass-security",
            "proton-pass-audit"
          ],
          "kind": "provider"
        }
      ],
      "gaps": [
        "The historical audit’s findings have not been reconciled against all current app versions in this profile.",
        "No StealthVPN vault recovery, alias-delivery or app security tests have been performed."
      ],
      "affiliate": {
        "status": "researched",
        "source_id": "proton-affiliate",
        "checked_on": "2026-11-06",
        "enrollment": "not_separately_requested",
        "tracking_url": null
      },
      "related_vpns": [
        "protonvpn"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "adguard-dns-price",
      "title": "AdGuard DNS: plans, limits and refund terms",
      "url": "https://adguard-dns.io/en/license.html",
      "kind": "Official pricing",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "adguard-dns-policy",
      "title": "AdGuard DNS: private query logs and controller",
      "url": "https://adguard-dns.io/en/privacy.html",
      "kind": "Provider privacy policy",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "adguard-dns-method",
      "title": "AdGuard DNS: encrypted DNS protocols",
      "url": "https://adguard-dns.io/en/welcome.html",
      "kind": "Provider documentation",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "adguard-price",
      "title": "AdGuard Ad Blocker: license and device options",
      "url": "https://adguard.com/en/license.html",
      "kind": "Official pricing",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "adguard-policy",
      "title": "AdGuard: privacy policy and app-specific notices",
      "url": "https://adguard.com/en/privacy.html",
      "kind": "Provider privacy policy",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "adguard-https",
      "title": "AdGuard: HTTPS filtering and root certificates",
      "url": "https://adguard.com/kb/general/https-filtering/what-is-https-filtering/",
      "kind": "Provider documentation",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "adguard-affiliate",
      "title": "AdGuard: paid affiliate program",
      "url": "https://adguardpartner.com/en/welcome.html",
      "kind": "Official affiliate program",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "proton-pass-price",
      "title": "Proton Pass: pricing and free/paid limits",
      "url": "https://proton.me/pass/pricing",
      "kind": "Official pricing",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "proton-pass-policy",
      "title": "Proton Pass: vault encryption, alias exceptions and storage",
      "url": "https://proton.me/pass/privacy-policy",
      "kind": "Provider privacy policy",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "proton-pass-security",
      "title": "Proton Pass: published security model",
      "url": "https://proton.me/pass/security",
      "kind": "Provider documentation",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "proton-pass-audit",
      "title": "Proton: July 2023 audit announcement and report link",
      "url": "https://proton.me/blog/pass-open-source-security-audit",
      "kind": "Provider audit announcement",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "proton-affiliate",
      "title": "Proton: paid affiliate program and product coverage",
      "url": "https://proton.me/partners/affiliates",
      "kind": "Official affiliate program",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "nordpass-price",
      "title": "NordPass: Premium plans and upfront offer",
      "url": "https://nordpass.com/plans/",
      "kind": "Official pricing",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "nordpass-checkout",
      "title": "NordPass: public 27-month offer and annual renewal terms",
      "url": "https://order.nordpass.com/payment/?product_group=nordpass&product_filters%5Bsubgroup%5D=individual&product_period=2_year",
      "kind": "Official checkout observation",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "nordpass-policy",
      "title": "NordPass: October 14, 2026 service-specific privacy notice",
      "url": "https://my.nordaccount.com/legal/privacy-policy/nordpass/",
      "kind": "Provider privacy policy",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "nord-general-policy",
      "title": "Nord Account: controller and account data",
      "url": "https://my.nordaccount.com/legal/privacy-policy/",
      "kind": "Provider privacy policy",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "nordpass-security",
      "title": "NordPass: encryption and security descriptions",
      "url": "https://nordpass.com/security/",
      "kind": "Provider documentation",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "nordpass-affiliate",
      "title": "NordPass: consumer affiliate program",
      "url": "https://nordpass.com/affiliate/",
      "kind": "Official affiliate program",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "incogni-price",
      "title": "Incogni: Standard and Unlimited subscription bills",
      "url": "https://incogni.com/pricing",
      "kind": "Official pricing",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "incogni-policy",
      "title": "Incogni: identity information, authorization and broker disclosures",
      "url": "https://incogni.com/legal/privacy-policy",
      "kind": "Provider privacy policy",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "incogni-about",
      "title": "Incogni: origins with the Surfshark team",
      "url": "https://incogni.com/about-us",
      "kind": "Company statement",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    },
    {
      "id": "incogni-affiliate",
      "title": "Incogni: publisher affiliate program",
      "url": "https://incogni.com/affiliate",
      "kind": "Official affiliate program",
      "checked_on": "2026-11-06"
    }
  ]
}