Transparency · Updated November 2026
How Kurums makes money
Kurums is free to read, and it stays free because a handful of businesses pay us in clearly defined ways. This page lists every one of them — advertising, paid inclusion in comparison articles, sponsored articles, affiliate links, our Shop and course listings — and tells you plainly what that money can and cannot change on the page you are reading.The short version
- Display ads from Google AdSense fund most of the site. Advertisers never see or influence our content.
- Companies can pay to be included in some comparison and "best of" articles. Payment can decide whether a product is listed and where it appears — including at the top.
- Trust Program badges cannot be bought. Verified, Recommends and Top Pick are decided by reviewers against published criteria.
- We also earn from sponsored articles, affiliate links, digital products in our Shop and course listings.
- Listing in the Solutions Directory is free.
Every revenue stream at a glance
Who pays us, what they get, and where the line sits.| Revenue stream | Who pays | What it can affect | What it cannot affect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display advertising | Advertisers, through Google AdSense | Which ads appear around our content | Any article, list, review or badge |
| Paid inclusion in comparisons | Software and service vendors | Whether a product is listed in a comparison article and its position | Trust Program badges and tiers |
| Sponsored & contributed articles | Companies commissioning or contributing a piece | The topic and the company featured in that article | Our other editorial guides and hubs |
| Affiliate links | Brands, when a reader signs up via our link | Nothing on the page — the link earns a commission only | Badges, rankings, review text |
| Kurums Shop | Readers buying e-books and digital products | Nothing — a direct sale to you | Any editorial content |
| Course listings | Educators and course providers | Inclusion in the Courses & Certifications directory | Our editorial articles |
Advertisement
The firewall
What money cannot buy: a Trust Program badge
Our Trust Program awards three badge tiers — Verified, Recommends and Top Pick — through editorial review against published criteria, and every Recommends and Top Pick decision is confirmed by a second reviewer before it goes live. No brand can pay to earn a badge, move up a tier or keep a badge it no longer qualifies for.A brand that pays us nothing can be a Top Pick. A brand that pays us for something else — an ad, a listing, an article — earns its badge, or doesn't, through the same review as everyone else.
Where our revenue comes from, in detail
01 · ADVERTISING
Display ads (Google AdSense)
Ads on Kurums are served by Google AdSense. We choose where ad slots sit on a page; Google chooses which ads fill them, based on the page's topic and, where you allow it, cookies. We don't pick individual advertisers and they have no say in what we write.Ads are marked "Advertisement". Cookie and data details are in our privacy policy.
02 · PAID INCLUSION
Partner Inclusion in comparison articles
Vendors can pay a one-time fee to have their product added to a relevant comparison or "best of" article — usually as a table row and a product card with a link to their site. The paid entry can be placed at the top of the list and mentioned in the summary.Paid entries may use copy and figures supplied by the vendor; where we can, we check pricing against the vendor's own pricing page.
03 · SPONSORED CONTENT
Sponsored & contributed articles
Some articles are commissioned by a company or contributed by one. We decide whether a piece fits Kurums, and we review and edit it before it goes live.We don't sell links inside our existing editorial guides, and we decline reciprocal link-exchange offers.
04 · AFFILIATE
Referral links
Some outbound links to brands are affiliate links: if you sign up or buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.Whether a brand has an affiliate programme has no bearing on its Trust Program badge or tier.
05 · SHOP
E-books and digital products
The Kurums Shop sells our own products — including the Expat HR country guide series and the Founder Exit Playbook — and a growing range of business-themed digital products.When you buy from the Shop, you pay us directly. No third party is involved in the content.
06 · COURSE LISTINGS
Courses & Certifications directory
Educators and course providers can pay a one-time fee to list a course in our Courses & Certifications directory, alongside courses we list from major platforms.Free alternative: the Solutions Directory lists companies at no cost.
Reading a Kurums comparison article? Read this first
Our comparison and "best of" articles mix two kinds of entries: products we chose to cover, and products whose makers paid for inclusion. Paid entries are not always labelled one by one, and a paid entry can appear first. So treat the order of any list as a starting point, not as a quality ranking.If a ranking matters to your decision, use the steps below — and look for a Trust Program badge, which is the one signal on Kurums that money cannot buy.
Advertisement
How to use our comparisons wisely
- Check the "Last updated" date. Software pricing changes often; an older article may show old plans.
- Confirm the price on the vendor's own pricing page before you buy — especially minimum seat counts, annual-only billing and add-on fees.
- Look for a Trust Program badge on the brand's profile. Badges are awarded by reviewers and cannot be paid for.
- Shortlist two or three tools, not one. Use free trials or demos to test them on your own workflow.
- Read the "who it's for" notes on each card — the best tool for a 10-person startup is rarely the best for a 500-person company.
Latest comparison guides
New and updated software comparisons across all ten Kurums departments.
How to Choose a CRM for Your Business (2026)
A four-step framework for choosing a CRM your team will actually adopt.
Pipedrive vs HubSpot (2026): Which CRM Fits Your Sales Team?
Pipedrive’s focused pipeline against HubSpot’s all-in-one platform, compared for 2026.
HubSpot vs Salesforce (2026): Which CRM Should You Choose?
HubSpot’s easy on-ramp against Salesforce’s enterprise depth, compared for 2026.
Best Consent Management Platform Software in 2026: Pricing & Comparison
Buyer's guide · Technology Best Consent Management Platform Software in 2026: Pricing & Comparison We...
Best Cloud Backup Software in 2026: Pricing & Comparison
Buyer's guide · Technology Best Cloud Backup Software in 2026: Pricing & Comparison We compared four...
Best Unified Endpoint Management Software in 2026: Pricing & Comparison
Buyer's guide · Technology Best Unified Endpoint Management Software in 2026: Pricing & Comparison We...
Advertisement
For companies
Working with Kurums
Kurums reaches finance, HR, sales, marketing, procurement and technology buyers researching business software and services. If you'd like to be seen by them, these are the ways to work with us.Partner Inclusion
A permanent product entry in a relevant comparison article — table row, product card and link.Ask for a quote →Sponsored article
A commissioned or contributed piece on a topic that fits our audience, edited by our team.Pitch a topic →Solutions Directory
Free company listing in our worldwide products & services directory. Apply by email.See the directory →Course listing
List a course or certification in the Courses & Certifications directory.Explore courses →Frequently asked questions
Is Kurums free to use?
Yes. Every article, guide, tool and directory page on Kurums is free to read. We are funded by advertising, paid listings, sponsored articles, affiliate commissions and sales in our Shop.Can a company pay to appear in a Kurums comparison article?
Yes. Through our Partner Inclusion programme, vendors can pay a one-time fee to be added to a relevant comparison or "best of" article. A paid entry can be placed at the top of the list, so treat list order as a starting point rather than a quality ranking.Can a company pay for a Trust Program badge?
No. Verified, Recommends and Top Pick badges are awarded by reviewers against published criteria, and Recommends and Top Pick decisions are confirmed by a second reviewer. Paying for an ad, a listing or an article has no effect on a badge.Do advertisers influence what Kurums writes?
No. Display ads are served by Google AdSense. We don't choose individual advertisers, and advertisers have no input into our articles, lists or badges.Does clicking a link on Kurums cost me anything extra?
No. Some outbound links are affiliate links that may pay us a commission if you sign up, but the price you pay is the same as going to the vendor directly.Is listing in the Kurums Solutions Directory paid?
No. Listing in the Solutions Directory is free. Companies apply by emailing [email protected].This page is reviewed whenever our business model changes. Last updated 2 November 2026.