Writing about software pricing, privacy or the creator economy? Here are the most citable, sourced numbers from our 2026 studies, in one place. Each links to the full study with methodology and a verification note.
For journalists & researchers. Free to quote with a link to the relevant study. Each figure is sourced; confirm against the named primary source before publishing. Need the underlying data? 19 open CSV datasets are linked from our studies index.
Pricing & hidden costs
Web hosts renew 3–4× the intro price in year 2 (e.g. HostGator ~$2.29 → ~$10.99/mo); some domain renewals are reported at +340% (GoDaddy) and hosting up to ~900% (IONOS). Hosting Renewal Shock
Course platforms take 0% to 10%+ per sale — Thinkific/Systeme.io 0%, Teachable Starter 7.5%, Skool Hobby and Gumroad 10%+. Course Platform Transaction Fees
Mandatory onboarding fees reach ~$1,500 (HubSpot Professional) and ~$500+ (Keap) — often more than the first months of subscription. CRM Real Entry Cost
Free form plans range 100× in capacity — Typeform 10 responses/month vs Tally effectively unlimited. Form Builder Free Plans
Multiple tools cut or removed free plans in 2025–2026 — Mailchimp (to 250 contacts), Asana (new accounts capped at 2 users), Dashlane and 1Password (free tier discontinued). Price Hikes & Free-Tier Cuts
Privacy & security
A no-logs VPN claim is strongest when it produces nothing under legal pressure — PIA returned no data to an FBI subpoena; Windscribe's 2025 Greek court case was dismissed for lack of logs. When Privacy Marketing Was Tested
Three major VPNs share one owner — Kape Technologies owns ExpressVPN, CyberGhost and Private Internet Access; Norton, Avast and AVG are all Gen Digital. SaaS Ownership Map
Avast was fined $16.5M by the FTC over its Jumpshot subsidiary selling browsing data; Kaspersky has been banned from US sales/updates since Sept 30, 2024. Privacy Claims Tested
NordVPN passed a 6th consecutive Deloitte no-logs audit (window Nov 10–Dec 12, 2025); ExpressVPN has KPMG audits across 2019–2025. VPN No-Log Audits
Affiliate & creator economy
The highest-paying SaaS affiliate programs are managed hosting MRR multiples — Nexcess ~400% of MRR, Liquid Web ~300%; vs lifetime recurring like Systeme.io 60% and Skool 40%. SaaS Affiliate Programs · 282-program dataset
"Lifetime" is frequently a misnomer — ThriveCart's license is one-time but its add-ons renew ~$295/yr from year 2. Lifetime SaaS Deals
Compliance & jurisdiction
FedRAMP is a rare, market-narrowing certification — among popular tools, Box, Qualtrics (Government) and Keeper list it. Compliance Certifications Map
Switzerland is the recurring privacy jurisdiction — Proton, Tresorit and Kaspersky's relocated data infrastructure all sit there, outside the 5/9/14 Eyes alliances. Data Residency Map
Editorial note (verification): Every figure here is sourced from a full study with its own verification note. Pricing, certifications and ownership change; confirm against the named primary source (vendor pricing/trust page, lab report, court/regulator record, press release) before publishing. Compiled 2026-06-27.
About / contact for press
ToolsRanks publishes sourced software comparison studies. Journalists can request the underlying spreadsheets for any study. See all 30+ studies and 19 open datasets on the studies index.