Last updated: April 26, 2026
Affiliate Disclosure
Last Updated: January 15, 2025
At HomeNode, we believe in complete transparency with our readers. This page explains how our website earns revenue, which affiliate programs we participate in, and – most importantly – how our compensation arrangements are structured to protect the integrity of the reviews, guides, and recommendations we publish. Please read this disclosure carefully before using any links or making any purchasing decisions based on content found on this website.
Our Commitment to Transparency
HomeNode is a Canadian content website dedicated to homelab enthusiasts, self-hosting hobbyists, and everyday Canadians looking for trustworthy tech buying guides. We cover everything from network-attached storage (NAS) devices and mini PCs to home servers, single-board computers, networking hardware, and the software that powers self-hosted infrastructure. Because we regularly recommend specific products and services, we want you to understand exactly how our business model works so you can evaluate our content with full knowledge of any financial relationships we maintain.
FTC Compliance Statement
HomeNode complies with the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines on endorsements and testimonials, as outlined in 16 CFR Part 255. Although HomeNode is a Canadian publication, a significant portion of our audience includes readers from the United States, and we take our disclosure obligations to all readers seriously regardless of jurisdiction. In accordance with FTC guidelines, we disclose any material connection between HomeNode and any brand, company, or affiliate program that could influence the content you read on this site. This means that when a hyperlink on our website could result in us earning a commission, we will either include an inline disclosure near that link or clearly state it at the top of the article containing affiliate links. This Affiliate Disclosure page serves as the comprehensive master disclosure for all such relationships.
We also adhere to the guidelines issued by Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) and the Competition Bureau of Canada, which similarly require clear and conspicuous disclosure of sponsored content and commercial relationships. Our goal is to meet or exceed the disclosure standards of both jurisdictions at all times.
What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based advertising model in which a content publisher – in this case, HomeNode – earns a commission when a reader clicks on a specially tracked link and completes a qualifying action, such as purchasing a product or signing up for a service. The price you pay as a consumer is never increased because of an affiliate link. In most cases, you pay exactly the same price you would pay by navigating directly to the retailer’s website. The commission we earn is paid by the merchant or affiliate network, not by you.
Affiliate Programs We Participate In
HomeNode currently participates in the following affiliate programs. Links to merchants within these networks may appear throughout our articles, product reviews, comparison guides, and resource pages.
Amazon Associates Canada (amazon.ca) – HomeNode is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, specifically the Canadian storefront at amazon.ca. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This means that when we link to a product on Amazon.ca – such as a Synology DS923+ NAS enclosure, a Raspberry Pi 5 starter kit, a Beelink Mini PC, or a Cat6A Ethernet cable – and you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. Amazon Associates Canada is one of our most frequently used affiliate programs because many of the products we review are most conveniently purchased by Canadians through Amazon.ca, often with Prime shipping.
Impact (impact.com) – HomeNode works with several technology brands and software companies through the Impact affiliate network. Impact powers affiliate programs for a wide variety of companies relevant to the homelab and self-hosting niche. Through Impact, we may earn commissions on referrals to companies offering cloud services, VPN providers popular among self-hosters, cybersecurity tools, and hardware brands that run their own affiliate programs within the Impact marketplace.
CJ Affiliate (Commission Junction) – HomeNode participates in affiliate programs administered through CJ Affiliate, one of the largest affiliate marketing networks in the world. Through CJ Affiliate, we may earn referral commissions from technology retailers, software vendors, and Canadian e-commerce merchants whose products and services align with our homelab and self-hosting content. This may include links to retailers selling networking hardware, server components, hard drives, and related accessories.
ShareASale – HomeNode is enrolled in affiliate programs through the ShareASale network. ShareASale hosts affiliate programs for a diverse range of merchants, including technology brands, hosting providers, and software developers whose offerings are relevant to Canadians building and managing homelabs or self-hosted services. We may earn commissions when readers click our ShareASale-tracked links and complete qualifying purchases or sign-ups.
PartnerStack – HomeNode uses PartnerStack to participate in affiliate and referral programs offered by software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies and open-source adjacent businesses. Given our focus on self-hosting, many of our software recommendations – such as tools for remote access, password management, container management platforms, or cloud-alternative subscriptions – are part of programs administered through PartnerStack. We may earn recurring or one-time commissions when readers sign up for these services through our tracked links.
How We Earn and How It Works
When you click an affiliate link on HomeNode, a small tracking cookie is placed in your browser. If you complete a qualifying purchase or sign-up within the cookie window (which varies by program, typically ranging from 24 hours to 90 days), the affiliate network attributes that conversion to HomeNode and credits our account with a commission. Commission rates vary significantly by program, product category, and merchant – they may range from approximately 1% for some consumer electronics to 30% or more for certain software subscriptions.
These commissions are our primary source of revenue. They allow us to cover the costs of running HomeNode, including web hosting (yes, we practice what we preach – our site runs on self-hosted infrastructure), domain registration, testing hardware, purchasing software licenses for hands-on reviews, and investing time in research and writing. Without affiliate revenue, independent content of this nature would not be financially sustainable.
Editorial Independence Statement
The existence of affiliate relationships does not influence our editorial decisions, product rankings, review scores, or written opinions. HomeNode operates under a strict editorial independence policy. This means:
We do not accept payment from brands or merchants in exchange for positive reviews. We do not adjust our star ratings, recommendation rankings, or “best pick” designations based on commission rates. A product that pays us a higher commission does not receive a better score than a product that pays less or nothing at all. We do not allow affiliate partners to review, approve, or alter our content before or after publication. If a product or service performs poorly in our testing – for example, a NAS device with unreliable firmware, a mini PC with poor Linux compatibility, or a self-hosting SaaS platform with deceptive pricing – we will say so clearly, regardless of whether we have an affiliate relationship with that brand. We regularly recommend free and open-source software solutions (such as Proxmox, TrueNAS, Home Assistant, or Nextcloud) for which we earn no affiliate commission at all, because these tools genuinely serve our readers’ needs. Where affiliate links exist alongside non-affiliate links within the same article, the presence of an affiliate link is based on availability and reader convenience, not on a desire to maximize commission earnings at the expense of accuracy.
Our readers’ trust is worth more to us than any individual commission. We have built HomeNode as a resource we would want to use ourselves, and that commitment to honest, practical guidance is non-negotiable.
Sponsored Content and Free Products
Occasionally, HomeNode may receive review units of hardware – such as a NAS enclosure, a network switch, or a single-board computer – provided at no cost by a manufacturer or distributor for evaluation purposes. When this occurs, we disclose it prominently at the top of the relevant review article. Receipt of a free product does not guarantee a positive review, a recommendation, or continued coverage. We return, donate, or retain review units at our discretion, and our assessment of any product is based solely on real-world performance, value, and fit for our Canadian homelab audience.
HomeNode does not currently publish traditional sponsored posts in exchange for payment. If this policy changes in the future, all sponsored content will be clearly and unambiguously labeled as such in accordance with applicable advertising standards.
Specific Examples Relevant to HomeNode Content
To make this disclosure as concrete as possible, here are examples of how affiliate links appear in our content: In our “Best NAS Devices for Canadians in 2025” guide, product links pointing to Amazon.ca for Synology, QNAP, or Western Digital NAS drives are Amazon Associates affiliate links. In our “Top VPNs for Self-Hosters” article, links to VPN service sign-up pages may be tracked through Impact or PartnerStack. In our “Cheapest Home Server Builds Under $500 CAD” guide, component links to retailers may route through CJ Affiliate or ShareASale partner merchants. In our “Best Proxmox-Compatible Mini PCs” roundup, Amazon.ca links for Beelink, Minisforum, or Intel NUC-style devices are Amazon Associates links. In software recommendation posts covering tools like Tailscale, Bitwarden, or Plex Pass, links to paid tiers or sign-up pages may be PartnerStack affiliate links.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this affiliate disclosure, want to know whether a specific link on our website is an affiliate link, or have concerns about a perceived conflict of interest in any of our content, please do not hesitate to reach out. You can contact the HomeNode editorial team by email at info@homenode.ca. We are committed to responding to all good-faith inquiries regarding our editorial practices and financial relationships in a timely and transparent manner.
– Auburn AI editorial, Calgary AB