Transparency
How Vendors.ie actually works
We believe software comparison sites should be upfront about how they make money, how data is collected, and where AI is used. Here's how Vendors.ie operates.
How we make money
Vendors.ie is free for users. Here's how we sustain the platform.
- 1
Referral links
When you click through to a vendor website from Vendors.ie and sign up, we may earn a referral fee. These links are clearly marked. The fee does not affect the data we display, the order vendors appear, or our editorial verdicts.
- 2
Featured placements
Vendors can pay for featured placement on category pages. Featured placements are always labelled "Featured" or "Sponsored" so you know what is paid and what is editorial.
- 3
What we do NOT do
We do not accept payment to change vendor compliance data, suppress negative findings, alter editorial verdicts, or prioritise vendors in AI recommendations. Vendor data is maintained independently of commercial relationships.
AI disclosure
How AI is used
When you use "Find My Stack", your business details are sent to Claude (by Anthropic) along with our verified vendor database. The AI recommends 3 options from our data only — it cannot search the internet or invent compliance status for vendors not in our system.
Each month, AI reviews every vendor's changelog and compliance pages against our stored data. Discrepancies are flagged for human review — AI never updates vendor data automatically.
All AI tools operate in Strict Mode: they can only reference vendors in our verified database. If a tool is asked about software we haven't reviewed, it says so and suggests the closest verified alternative.
AI does not search the internet for answers. It does not invent Irish compliance status. It does not factor referral relationships into recommendations. It does not store your data beyond your browser session.
Common concerns
Frequently asked questions
Can vendors pay to change their compliance data?
No. Vendor data (Revenue integration, PAYE Modernisation, GDPR residency, pricing, bank feeds) is maintained independently. Vendors cannot pay to alter any data fields.
How often is vendor data updated?
Monthly. Our automated verification system checks each vendor's public pages against our stored data. Changes are flagged for human review and published with an updated verification date.
Does Vendors.ie store my data when I use the AI tools?
No. Your form inputs are sent to the AI provider to generate results and are not stored after your session ends. We do not build user profiles or track individual tool usage.
Are the editorial verdicts independent?
Yes. Editorial verdicts are written by Bryan Collins and reflect genuine assessment of each vendor's suitability for Irish SMEs. Vendors cannot pay to influence or remove verdicts.
Why should I trust Vendors.ie over G2 or Capterra?
G2 and Capterra rely on user-generated reviews and don't verify Irish-specific compliance. Vendors.ie verifies Revenue integration, PAYE Modernisation, Irish bank feed support, GDPR data residency, and euro pricing for every vendor — and shows you when it was last checked.