Termly Review

In this article, we will be reviewing Termly—a data privacy and consent management platform. We hope this will help you select the right consent management solution for your organization.

Review Methodology

The methodology used for this Termly review involves a combination of the following factors:  

• Consent and Compliance Solution Evaluation: Assessing Termly’s consent management features and services, and how it assists businesses in achieving compliance with both the GDPR and the CCPA.
• Policy Generators: Reviewing Termly Policy Generator tools to understand how the generated policies accurately reflect customers  data handling practices. 
• Pricing Model: Analyzing the pricing structure, including the availability of a free tier, the range of paid plans with their corresponding features, and the transparency of pricing information.
• Customer Support: Analyzing the quality of customer support services provided based on publicly available user feedback data. 
• User Reviews and Feedback: Factoring in insights from existing user reviews and feedback to understand real-world experiences with Termly, including both positive and negative aspects.

What is Termly?

Termly is a platform that provides data privacy compliance tools. These suites of tools are designed to help businesses of all sizes, especially SMBs, comply with major global data privacy laws. Termly initially began by providing businesses a simple and easy method to meet data compliance rules through policy creation. Over time, it has evolved into an all-in-one solution by broadening its range of policies and adding consent management features.

Termly offers customizable templates that businesses can use to create legally compliant documents tailored to their specific needs and the requirements of various privacy regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA. It aims to simplify the process of creating these policies by guiding users through a series of questions and generating the necessary legal text based on their responses. 

Termly key data privacy compliance tools is broken down as follows:  

• Policy Generators: These tools help businesses create customized terms and conditions, return policy, disclaimer, cookie banner, and privacy policy that outlines how they collect, use, and disclose user data. 
• Consent Management Solution: This allows businesses to manage consent for cookies and  data collection, obtain consent and manage cookie preferences, scan and classify your cookies, and create a compliant cookie banner. 

Now let’s go deeper into analyzing some key aspects of Termly offerings: 

Consent Management

Termly's Consent Management Solution (CMS) is designed to enable businesses to manage and comply with cookie consent requirements for data processing activities. Their cookie consent manager simplifies the process of collecting user consent and adhering to regulations like the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive. With customizable cookie consent banners and preference centers, businesses can seamlessly integrate these elements into their websites to match their branding and language preferences.

Key Features of Termly CMS include:

• Cookie Consent Manager: Ensures compliance with regulations like GDPR and ePrivacy Directive by managing user consent for cookies.
• Customizable Banners: Allows customization of cookie consent banners and preference centers to match website aesthetics and language preferences.
• Global Consent Management: Provides support for obtaining and managing consent from over 25 regions worldwide, with banners available in 10+ languages.
• Cookie Scanner: Automatically scans websites to discover and classify cookies, providing a detailed list for review and compliance.
• Automatic Blocking: Blocks third-party cookies and scripts until user consent is obtained, ensuring compliance with regulations.
• Automatic Policy Generation: Automatically generates comprehensive cookie policies based on scanned cookies, simplifying compliance documentation.
• Consent Logs: Stores consent logs for compliance documentation, aiding in audits and regulatory compliance.
• DSAR Support: Offers options for Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs) and includes "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" links for user control and compliance.

Termly's CMS supports compliance with data privacy regulations worldwide by offering consent management features tailored to different regions and languages. Businesses can obtain and manage consent from multiple jurisdictions, ensuring alignment with various data regulation requirements and other applicable laws.

Termly's CMS streamlines the consent management process through automation features that allow businesses to set up and customize consent banners and policies with ease. The platform offers flexibility in configuring consent settings, enabling businesses to adapt to evolving regulatory requirements and user preferences.

While Termly aims to simplify the consent management process, some users have found the initial setup and configuration of the platform to be complex or time-consuming. Businesses with limited technical expertise or resources may require additional support or guidance to effectively implement Termly's CMS. Some users have also reported limitations in integrating Termly's CMS with other third-party systems, which may restrict interoperability and data sharing capabilities. 

Termly's autoblocker feature, designed to block certain cookies until user consent is obtained, has been criticized for being overly aggressive and blocking essential website functionalities. Some users have reported issues with popular website elements such as chat services, site search, and reviews being blocked by the autoblocker, affecting user experience and functionality. Some users also express frustration with the process of adding a new website to Termly, describing it as difficult or even impossible to accomplish smoothly. 

Despite these drawbacks, many users acknowledge Termly's overall effectiveness in simplifying compliance efforts. Nonetheless, addressing these areas of improvement could further enhance its effectiveness and boost UX.. 

GDPR and CCPA Compliance Solutions

Termly offers several features and services to assist businesses in achieving compliance with both the GDPR and the CCPA. Termly provides customizable templates and generators for privacy policies, cookie policies, and terms of service, helping businesses create legally compliant documents tailored to their specific needs. This streamlines the process of drafting comprehensive policies required by both GDPR and CCPA.

Termly's Cookie Consent Manager allows businesses to collect and manage user consent for cookies, ensuring compliance with GDPR and CCPA requirements regarding consent for data processing activities. It also provides customization options for cookie consent banners and preference centers, enhancing user transparency and control over data collection practices. 

Termly's cookie scanner and compliance monitoring tools help businesses track and manage their cookie usage and data processing activities, ensuring ongoing compliance with GDPR and CCPA regulations. These features enable businesses to stay informed about changes in data practices and take necessary actions to maintain compliance.

However, some users have reported limitations in customization options for Termly's policy templates and consent management tools, particularly regarding the design and layout of cookie consent banners. This may restrict businesses' ability to fully align these components with their brand identity or user experience preferences. 

While Termely boasts a range of GDPR/CCPA compliance features, it does not adequately address all aspects of it. Important areas like data breach response plans, or data security assessments are not fully covered. Businesses need to consider these additional measures for full compliance. Some users have also encountered challenges in achieving full compliance, particularly in multi-region scenarios. 

Notwithstanding, Termly remains a simple and easy way to comply with data compliance regulations for SMBs around the globe. With continued innovation and refinement, Termly is poised to solidify its position as a leading provider of legal compliance solutions in the digital age.

Policy Generation 

Termly offers a suite of policy generation tools designed to help businesses create legally compliant documents and policies for their websites and applications. These ‘attorney-crafted’ policy generators according to Termly cover a range of essential policies to address various legal and regulatory requirements. 

Here's a brief overview of Termly's policy generation tools:

• Privacy Policy Generator: This tool assists businesses in creating comprehensive privacy policies that outline how personal data is collected, used, and protected on their websites or applications. The generated privacy policies are tailored to comply with regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and others.
• Terms and Conditions Generator: Businesses can use this tool to generate terms and conditions agreements that govern the use of their websites or services. These agreements outline the terms of use, responsibilities of users, and limitations of liability, helping to mitigate legal risks.
• Cookie Policy Generator: Termly's cookie policy generator helps businesses create transparent and informative policies regarding the use of cookies and similar tracking technologies on their websites. These policies ensure compliance with cookie consent requirements and provide users with clear information about their rights and choices regarding cookies.
• EULA Generator: The end-user license agreement (EULA) generator enables businesses to create agreements that govern the use of their software or digital products. These agreements establish the terms of licensing, usage restrictions, and intellectual property rights.
• Acceptable Use Policy Generator: This tool helps businesses establish guidelines for acceptable use of their websites or services by users. Acceptable use policies outline prohibited activities, content restrictions, and consequences for violations, promoting a safe and respectful online environment.
• Disclaimer Generator: Termly's disclaimer generator allows businesses to create disclaimers that limit their liability for certain types of content or activities on their websites. These disclaimers help to clarify the scope of responsibility and protect businesses from legal claims.
• Return Policy Generator: Businesses can use this tool to generate return policies that outline the procedures and conditions for returning purchased products or services. Return policies provide clarity to customers regarding their rights and obligations in the event of a return.
• Shipping Policy Generator: This tool assists businesses in creating shipping policies that detail the shipping methods, delivery times, and shipping costs associated with orders. Shipping policies help to manage customer expectations and provide transparency in the shipping process.

One significant advantage of these policy generation tools is the convenience it offers in managing legal policies for websites. Users appreciate the ease with which they can embed terms of service and privacy policies directly onto their websites, eliminating the need for manual updates across multiple pages. 

Termly's proactive approach to compliance stands out, as it automatically updates policies to reflect changes in laws or regulations. This feature ensures that users remain compliant without the need for continuous monitoring or manual updates, alleviating the burden of legal compliance for website owners.  

However, some users have reported limitations in customizing the generated policies to suit their specific unique circumstances. Others have pointed out specific functionality gaps, such as the absence of a plug-in for Terms of Service acknowledgment banners within iOS apps, which can hinder user experience and compliance efforts.

While the templates provided by Termly offer a good starting point, some find it challenging to modify it extensively to reflect their organization's practices accurately. Additionally, some users have highlighted difficulties or limitations in adding new languages to the generated policies. This could be problematic for businesses operating in multilingual environments or jurisdictions requiring policies in languages other than those supported by Termly's tools.

While these tools assist in generating policies, users must ensure that the generated policies accurately reflect their data handling practices to maintain legal compliance. Termly policy generator tools can be a good starting point; however, they should not be viewed as a replacement for a policy crafted by a legal expert. Only a lawyer-drafted policy guarantees accurate reflection of your  specific data handling practices. If you operate in regions with strict data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, consider tools like Enzuzo that offer stronger legal expertise integration.

Pricing Model

Termly's pricing model accommodates businesses of various sizes and compliance needs. Their free plan provides basic compliance features suitable for minimal requirements, with no charge attached. For those needing essential protection, the Starter plan, priced at $10 per website per month, offers two legal policies, 10 policy edits, and up to 100,000 banner views per month.

The most popular option, the Pro+ plan, priced at $15 per website per month (billed annually), provides unlimited legal policies, policy edits, and banner views, catering to businesses seeking complete compliance solutions. For large portfolios of websites or resellers, Termly offers an Agency plan with custom pricing, providing bulk pricing discounts, multi-domain management, and multi-user permissions.

While the pricing structure is generally transparent and accessible, the lower-tier plans lack flexibility. For example, the Starter plan, priced at $10 per website per month, has limitations on the number of policy edits and banner views, which may not be sufficient for businesses with growing compliance needs. 

Customer Support

Termly offers customer support to assist users with various inquiries and issues related to their services. The effectiveness of Termly's customer support is essential for ensuring that users can navigate the platform, address technical challenges, and receive timely assistance in customizing legal documents to suit their specific needs.

Termly provides multiple channels for users to reach their customer support team, including email, live chat, support articles and FAQs for tackling common questions and concerns. This accessibility ensures that users can quickly seek assistance whenever they encounter difficulties or have questions about the platform's features and functionalities.

Termly's customer support team provides expert guidance and advice to users, helping them navigate complex legal concepts and customize policies. They offer assistance with customizing legal documents, such as Privacy Policies and Terms and Conditions, to align with users' specific business practices and compliance needs. In many cases, users have reported prompt responses from Termly's support team, indicating a commitment to addressing user inquiries in a timely manner. 

However, some have noted that Termly's customer support is not usually available around the clock, which could pose challenges for users in different time zones or those with urgent inquiries outside of regular business hours. Expanding support hours could enhance accessibility and accommodate users' diverse needs. While Termly's customer support team is generally knowledgeable and responsive, there have been instances where users have experienced inconsistencies in the quality of support received.

One recurring issue is the perceived inadequacy of the support team, with users reporting poor responsiveness and limited helpfulness in resolving queries, particularly concerning technical issues or customization requests. Although Termly's customer support team are believed to be knowledgeable professionals, addressing these identified gaps in support could greatly enhance the overall customer experience. 

If your priority is a top-notch customer experience, it's worth exploring alternative providers like Enzuzo, known for delivering exceptional customer support services.

Pros of Termly

• Professionally Crafted Documents: Termly provides professionally crafted legal documents and policies, including Privacy Policies, Terms and Conditions, Cookie Policies, and more, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and laws.
• Convenience: The platform offers a user-friendly interface and easy-to-use tools for generating policies, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes, especially those without legal expertise.
• Automatic Updates: Termly's policies are regularly updated to reflect changes in regulations, helping businesses stay compliant with evolving legal requirements without manual intervention.
• Customization Options: While somewhat limited, Termly allows for basic customization of generated policies, enabling businesses to tailor them to their specific needs and branding.
• Multiple Policy Types: Termly offers a range of policy generators beyond just Privacy Policies, including Terms and Conditions, Cookie Policies, EULAs, and more, providing comprehensive coverage for legal compliance needs.

Cons of Termly

• Limited Feature Set: One of the biggest issues about Termly is its limited feature set (compared to other players) which are mostly tailored to SMBs. Larger businesses looking to implement advanced consent management features including data security practices and data breach assessments may have to look elsewhere.
• Limited Customization: Users have reported limitations in fully customizing the generated policies to suit their unique business requirements, potentially resulting in policies that do not accurately reflect their practices.
• Language Support Issues: Adding new languages to the generated policies can be challenging or limited, which may pose difficulties for businesses operating in multilingual environments or jurisdictions requiring policies in languages not supported by Termly.
• Perceived Customer Support Gaps: Some users have expressed dissatisfaction with the level of support provided by Termly, citing issues with responsiveness, helpfulness, and timeliness in addressing technical or customization queries.

Termly Alternatives

Here are some competitors of Termly that offer similar tools, including but not limited to cookie consent management, privacy policies, DSARs, and more:

1. Enzuzo: An ideal data privacy partner for companies looking to outsource their compliance requirements. It is a Google-certified CMP with support for Consent Mode v2. Helps you build consent management software, shipping and returns policies, DSAR forms, and more.

2. Termsfeed: Offers legal pages and disclaimer agreements similar to Termly. Cheap, inexpensive option without the bells and whistles of the larger companies in this space.

3. Termageddon: Focuses on privacy policies and other legal documents for small businesses and startups.

Read our detailed review of Termly competitors and alternatives.  

Final Remark

Termly offers a suite of compliance solutions tailored to meet the needs of SMBs navigating the complexities of data privacy regulations. Through its user-friendly interface and intuitive policy generation tools, Termly empowers users to easily create legal documents, ensuring alignment with specific compliance needs. The platform's emphasis on automation and regular updates further enhances its value proposition, enabling businesses to stay abreast of evolving legal requirements without manual intervention.

Termly's biggest area of competence lies in its ability to provide user-friendly policy generation tools for data privacy compliance. While it excels in these areas, its consent management features might be less comprehensive compared to others. There are areas for improvement such as the quality of customer support. and expanding and refining certain features to enhance user experience.  Despite these considerations, Termly remains a valuable resource for SMBs seeking compliance.