Worldwide, people are feeling more uncertain about the safety of their personal information online. A 2023 survey found that 68% of respondents felt more at risk of identity theft than in past years.
As a business owner, you’re responsible for keeping user data safe from prying third-party brokers, and failure to do so can open you up to legal issues—not to mention damaged consumer trust. You can avoid these outcomes by investing in privacy and security protocols that protect your business and provide transparency to your customers.
Here are some of the best privacy apps you can start using today to help boost your ecommerce security.
Table of contents
What are privacy apps?
In the context of ecommerce, privacy apps are security solutions that protect your customer’s personal data and ensure your company meets all data privacy regulations. Having control over what data your website collects is key to avoiding a data breach that can negatively impact consumer sentiment.
Data brokers are entities that sell personal information to third parties. They’re diligently on the lookout for financial details, personal information, browsing habits, and transaction records other companies can leverage for monetization.
Privacy tools mitigate leaks of private data. In addition, these apps can generate privacy policies and consent agreements to clearly define how your business will use and collect cookies. This gives your customers the ability to opt in or out of certain data collection.
Top privacy apps
As an ecommerce business owner, you need reliable privacy tools to manage consumer data, comply with ecommerce laws, and build trust with customers. All compatible with Shopify stores, these are the best privacy tools available to install within minutes:
Consentmo
Consentmo complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a European Union data protection law. As such, the application offers cookie consent banners, transparent user agreements, opt-out verbiage, and a cookie scanner to identify all data that internal and external sources collect.
The cookie banners are customizable to match your brand’s color scheme and design, avoiding pop-ups that detract from your aesthetic. Plus, you can change all information about data collection and content into different languages to ensure global inclusivity.
Pricing: The free version provides a basic cookie banner, compliance pages, mobile device compatibility, and chat support. For more advanced customization and AI assistance, you can upgrade to Standard ($7 per month), Plus ($19 per month), or Enterprise ($31 per month).
TinyCookie
Designed with EU merchants in mind, TinyCookie is a GDPR app that prioritizes clear communication regarding tracking cookies. The one-click, customizable cookie bar installation makes integration with websites and mobile applications a cinch.
The app offers preferences and rejection information with a redirect to your full terms and conditions pages that TinyCookie also generates. The application stores all consent forms that your customers agree to, compliant with the European ePrivacy directive, Meta pixel, and Google Consent Mode V2.
Pricing: The free plan will get you started with the fully customizable cookie bar, content translation, and a preferences pop-up. If you want Google Consent V2 compliance, Shopify privacy API integration, live chat support, or the cookie scanner function, you’ll need to upgrade to the Basic version for $7 a month, or the Advanced option for $12 a month.
NoSpy
Specializing in spy extensions including AliHunter and Shopify Raise, NoSpy keeps data safe from prying eyes. Whether it’s product pictures, web copy, or customer information, NoSpy disables right-click and copy functions to keep third-party entities from reusing and selling customer data.
Pricing: NoSpy provides a three-day free trial to become familiar with its product. For $14.99 per month, the paid services allow you to block spy extensions, disable keyboard shortcuts, and safeguard images.
Pandectes
Pandectes boasts a robust, fully customizable cookie bar. It also sends email messages to inform your customers of user privacy updates. The auto-blocker function automatically scans for third-party entities. Plus, this application is compatible with Shopify, Google, Facebook, and mobile devices.
Pricing: The Basic plan is free. For Google compatibility and advanced blocking technology, you will need a paid plan. Plus is $9 a month, Premium is $25 per month, and Enterprise level is $35 a month.
Avada
A versatile tool for building websites, ecommerce shops, and compliance resources, Avada is a go-to application for data security. Third-party embeds such as YouTube videos, Google fonts, and Soundcloud links all collected data about your users. Avada takes action against this cross-platform data collection by prompting your visitors to consent to all cookies before seeing these various links or videos. Its Privacy Element tool clearly defines what data your website will collect and creates check boxes for users to easily grant access to various features.
Pricing: Avada’s free version offers a cookie banner, data-sales opt-out, and auto-scanner. The Professional ($9.95 a month), Advanced ($23.95 a month), and Enterprise ($34 a month) tiers are compatible with Meta and TikTok compliance, cookie management, and an auto-fit theme function if you need more powerful tools.
Nova
Known for ease of use and excellent customer service, Nova offers software tools to create cookie banners and GDPR compliance documents with customization options. You can choose to cater cookie banners to EU clients only or align your settings to a global audience depending on compliance laws in your specific location. Plus, customization does not require editing code within your website, allowing you to easily edit styles in a few clicks.
Pricing: Nova is free for Shopify users.
GDPR Legal Cookie
GDPR Legal Cookie, is a privacy service provider designed for both app platforms and websites, catering to a wide array of merchants. A one-stop shop for legal compliance, GDPR Legal Cookie generates cookie and privacy policies, cookie and consent banners, and terms and conditions pages. Additional features include a whistleblower management tool to report data leaks, a consent database to store and review consent records, and a register that clearly defines how you collect and store customer data.
Pricing: A free version is available for development stores. For more functionality, you can opt for plans ranging from $2.99 to $14.99 per month, each with a seven-day free trial.
Privacy apps FAQ
Who should use privacy apps?
Both consumers and businesses should use privacy apps to gain insight into how companies use, collect, and store data. Giving unnecessary permissions to websites can release browsing history, personal information, and purchase records that nefarious third-party sites can take, leading to spam calls and identity theft.
Are there privacy apps that integrate with Shopify?
Several privacy apps integrate with Shopify, such as Avada and NoSpy.
Is there a difference between privacy and security apps?
Privacy apps manage how websites collect, store, and share personal information, giving consumers autonomy over their data and how it is used. Conversely, security apps focus on mitigating unauthorized access to personal data and preventing cyber threats and data breaches.
