Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

RankLLMs ("we", "our", or "us"), accessible from https://rankllms.com, is dedicated to delivering independent, high-performance AI benchmark intelligence and LLM comparisons for developers and researchers, with a primary focus on the United States audience. This Privacy Policy outlines our strict privacy protections, minimal data practices, and compliance with applicable US Federal and State privacy laws.

2. Information We Collect

RankLLMs operates as a static website (Astro SSG hosted on Cloudflare Pages). We do NOT sell, rent, or monetize personal user profiles or browsing records. The minimal technical data processed includes:

• Anonymized Usage Analytics: We use Google Analytics offloaded to background web workers via @astrojs/partytown to measure aggregate pageviews, referral paths, and device types without blocking browser execution threads or collecting personally identifiable information (PII).
• Local Storage Theme Preferences: We store a lightweight key (theme: dark/light) in your browser's local storage to preserve your dark mode background preference across sessions.
• Media Upload Gatekeepers: Accessing administrative endpoints (such as media upload managers) requires passcode verification, which processes session authorization strictly on Cloudflare Edge Functions.

3. Third-Party Links & Embeds

RankLLMs contains links to third-party AI provider platforms (e.g. OpenRouter, DeepSeek, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI Studio) and embeds content like YouTube demonstration videos. Clicking third-party links or interacting with embedded media subjects your session to the respective privacy policies of those external domains.

4. United States Privacy Rights (CCPA, CPRA, VCDPA, CPA)

Residents of California (under CCPA/CPRA), Virginia (VCDPA), Colorado (CPA), Connecticut (CTDPA), and Utah (UCPA) maintain specific privacy protections regarding personal data:

• Right to Know & Access: You may request confirmation of what personal information is retained and request access to it.
• Right to Delete: You may request deletion of personal information you have provided to us (for example, a newsletter subscription or feedback record).
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale / Sharing: RankLLMs does NOT sell, share, or monetize consumer personal data with data brokers or third-party advertisers.
• Non-Discrimination: We provide equal access, benchmark tools, and leaderboard data regardless of your privacy preferences or location.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us through the channels listed in the final section. We respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

5. GDPR & International Compliance

For visitors from the European Union, United Kingdom, and elsewhere, RankLLMs processes personal data only where a lawful basis applies: consent (newsletter subscriptions, optional advertising cookies), legitimate interests (aggregate, non-identifying analytics to operate and improve the Site), and legal obligation (where applicable). Under GDPR you have the rights to access, rectify, erase, restrict or object to processing, and data portability for personal data we hold. Because our analytics run in aggregate and our feedback features store only the content you submit voluntarily, we typically hold no personal data about EU visitors unless you have contacted or subscribed to us directly.

6. Cookies and Advertising

We use a minimal set of cookies and browser storage: a theme preference key in local storage, and analytics/advertising cookies described below. Full details, including a category-by-category breakdown, are in our Cookie Policy.

• Analytics: Google Analytics (offloaded to background web workers via @astrojs/partytown) measures aggregate pageviews, referral paths, and device types. IP addresses are anonymized and we do not build individual profiles.
• Advertising: RankLLMs displays advertising served by Google AdSense. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies (including the DoubleClick DART cookie) to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visits to this Site and/or other sites on the Internet. You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or www.aboutads.info.

7. Newsletter and Feedback Features

• Newsletter: Email subscriptions are processed by the Web3Forms service, which forwards your email address to us solely to deliver the updates you requested. Unsubscribe instructions are included in every message; request removal at any time and your address will be deleted.
• Article feedback and votes: When you rate an article or vote, the submission (article identifier, vote value, and a non-identifying request record) is stored in a Cloudflare D1 database used solely to aggregate reader sentiment. We do not store names, email addresses, or IP addresses alongside feedback.

8. Data Retention and Security

Aggregate analytics data is retained by Google Analytics per its standard retention settings. Newsletter records are kept until you unsubscribe or request deletion. Feedback records are kept only as long as they remain useful for aggregating reader sentiment. The Site is served over HTTPS through Cloudflare's network, and no payment or sensitive identity data is ever collected or stored by RankLLMs.

9. Children's Privacy

RankLLMs is a technical publication intended for developers and researchers. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as the Site's features or providers change. The "Last Updated" date above reflects the current version. Material changes will be summarized on this page.

11. Contact Us Regarding Privacy

If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy or data handling on RankLLMs, please contact founder Lucky Yaduvanshi at luckyyaduvanshi.in or visit our Contact Page. See also our Cookie Policy and Terms & Conditions.