It's happened to the best of us, time and time again – right after clicking into an interesting-looking website, you're immediately prompted with a pop-up banner to accept site cookies and agree with their privacy policy.
More often than not, we would just simply hit accept and go off on our merry way – after all, who has the time to go through a long-winded, text-heavy page every time we visit a new site?
However, there are many reasons why privacy policies are indispensable to every company.
Which brings us to the question – how do you create a privacy policy? Well, the good news is that you don't necessarily need to write the long-winded piece of text out on your own. We've compiled a list of privacy policy generators that can do that job for you for free!
1. TermsFeed Privacy Policy Generator
First on the list is TermsFeed, a website that hosts a wide range of compliance solutions generators, entirely for free.
Why TermsFeed?
TermsFeed would be a great place to start if you're looking for a general policy covering the basics. Featuring a simple, four-step process where you would be able to key in business specifics, your policy will be ready for download in a blink of an eye.
However, for those looking for a more comprehensive policy, TermsFeed offers premium agreements with more clauses – for a price. Depending on your needs and requirements, Terms Feed's pricing model is flexible and follows a “pay-for-what-you-need” practice.
In addition to generating privacy policies, TermsFeed provides End User License Agreements (EULA), terms and conditions, cookie policies, and much more.
2. Shopify Privacy Policy Generator
Many of you might already have heard of Shopify. This eCommerce platform helps businesses set up online stores – but did you know that they also provide many business-related tools and widgets that could aid in setting up a website?
Is Shopify Privacy Policy Generator Free To Use?
That's right! Amongst these tools is a free privacy policy generator that allows users to choose from different policy templates before delivering the final choice to your email for use. It's worth noting that the template will contain sections that users will have to fill in themselves to ensure it can adequately protect your business and clients.
Suppose you're considering using Shopify's Privacy Policy Generator. In that case, it’s best to be aware that the templates are not fully comprehensive, so if you need something more detailed, it might be worth checking out some of the other generators on this list.
3. Zyro Privacy Policy Generator
Like Shopify, Zyro is another eCommerce and artificial intelligence solutions provider allowing users to build their websites. Their privacy policy generator is also free to use and readies your policy in moments of you filling out your data.
Is Zyro Privacy Policy Generator Easy to Use?
To get started on Zyro's privacy policy generator, you'll have to fill out your company name, website or application name, email address, and hey presto! Your custom policy would be instantly finished and can be copied and pasted into your website or application to be tweaked and used however you like.
Before you start using Zyro's generator, however, business owners need to notice several potential flaws. The first of these is that while Zyro's generator does make custom policies, these policies are only very minimally personalized to your business, meaning that there might be some points that do not apply to your company.
Secondly, the policies created by Zyro tend to be very general, so if you're looking for something that will better protect you and your customers, you might have to look elsewhere.
4. Termify
Specializing in creating privacy policies, Termify offers business operators a wide range of policies suited for many needs. From privacy policies made for websites, Android and iOS applications, and even policies for specific platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, Shopify, and more, Termify cover almost everything you could want in a policy.
Is Termify Worth A Try?
There is a catch, though — users that sign up for a free plan will not be able to access the full range of functions that Termify offers and will only have limited downloads and a free preview of their privacy policy.
However, if you like what you see, you can upgrade to Termify's paid plans, starting from $2.95. This price would include several other features, such as a free Terms of Service text, your privacy policy in various downloadable file formats, and more.
5. FreePrivacyPolicy
FreePrivacyPolicy is another website offering a range of free generators that help business owners, including cookie consent messages, return and refunds policies, and privacy policies.
How Safe is FreePrivacyPolicy?
Creating a privacy policy is simple: just answer a quick, one-minute questionnaire about your business needs, and they'll instantly send it to your email address.
However, it's worth noting that FreePrivacyPolicy isn't exactly entirely “free.”
While they offer a free, general policy, this would not include many additional clauses that business owners will view as mandatory, such as being compliant with laws such as the CCPA or GDPR.
These clauses would require an additional fee each, and depending on your needs, it could add up to a hefty total.
6. Privacy Policy Generator
Like some other privacy policy generators listed here, Privacy Policy Generator operates on a very simplistic model and can generate a privacy policy based on fundamental company information for free.
Why Privacy Policy Generator?
The only information they require is your company's name, website or application name, and URL; the policy will be ready immediately. This site is perfect for those looking for a straightforward privacy policy that doesn't collect too much user information.
However, do keep in mind that more comprehensive policies would be able to keep your business safer and that Privacy Policy Generator's policies may need amending to ensure your company and clients are fully covered.
7. PrivacyPolicies
Last but not least, PrivacyPolicies is another free privacy policy generator that provides free and also paid premium policies.
Why PrivacyPolicies?
As usual, the free option has a limited range of clauses, including a free, hosted privacy policy, any subsequent revisions, and clauses for specific analytics tools and advertising agencies.
Some premium features PrivacyPolicies offers include downloading your policy in several different document formats, additional clauses for payment processors, compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and more.
What is a Privacy Policy, and Why Do You Need One?
Before we dive into the privacy policy generators, it's worth going through what it is exactly and why every business needs one. Privacy policies explicitly state what happens to the information you collect from your visitors.
That doesn't just mean their information, but everything that pertains to it. You would include the methods you use to collect data, the type of information collected, why you collect the data, and more.
While this might sound trivial or uninteresting, privacy policies are essential to keeping everything on your site or application legal. Different countries have different sets of laws you would need to abide by, so it's best to look up the privacy laws in the country you're operating out of to avoid breaking them.
As a quick example, countries in the European Union are notorious for implementing stringent laws surrounding the digital space, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
What to Include in Your Privacy Policy
With so many privacy policy generators, choosing one that fully suits your needs might be difficult. If you're unsure which would be the perfect selection for your company, it's best first to list what kinds of clauses you would require in your privacy policy.
As a general rule of thumb, your privacy policy should include:
- The Date During Which the Policy is Effective.
- The Information You Collect from Your Visitors: This will include if you collect names, email addresses, phone numbers, IP addresses, and other personal details.
- How You Collect the Information: Some of the methods used would include the visitors filling out registration forms, creating user profiles, through cookies, and others.
- How You Will Use the Information: This is where you detail how the information is processed and why you need the data – for marketing purposes or data analysis.
Of course, depending on the country your business operates from, you will also need clauses that comply with any laws concerning data protection.
Conclusion
Even though creating a privacy policy might seem daunting, it's relatively simple with the help of these free policy generators. More importantly, you'll be able to guarantee the protection of your client's privacy and keep your company safe from legal repercussions.
