Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 18, 2026

Hostly LLC ("we," "our," or "us") operates the Hostly party planning application. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we handle your information. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your choices.

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly:

• Account information: Your name (as entered when creating or joining a party)
• Party details: Party names, dates, times, locations, descriptions, menu selections, and guest lists that you create or contribute to
• Photos: Images you upload to shared party photo galleries

Information collected automatically:

• Device information: Device type, operating system, and browser type
• Usage data: Features used, pages visited, and general interaction patterns
• Local storage: We store party data and preferences locally on your device to enable offline functionality

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve the Hostly app and its features
• Enable real-time collaboration between party hosts and guests
• Generate and display personalized shopping lists based on your menu selections
• Sync party data across devices for all participants
• Send you notifications related to your parties (if enabled)
• Analyze usage patterns to improve the app experience

3. Third-Party Services

Hostly integrates with the following third-party services:

• Google Firebase: We use Firebase for real-time data synchronization, cloud storage (for photos), and analytics. Firebase's privacy policy is available at firebase.google.com/support/privacy.
• Grocery delivery links: Our shopping list feature includes links to Instacart, Amazon Fresh, and Walmart. When you tap these links, you leave the Hostly app and are subject to those services' respective privacy policies. We may participate in affiliate programs with these services, meaning we may earn a commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

4. Data Storage and Security

Party data is stored using Google Firebase Cloud Firestore, hosted on servers in the United States. Photos are stored in Firebase Cloud Storage. We also store some data locally on your device using browser local storage to enable offline functionality.

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your information, but no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

5. Data Sharing

When you create or join a party, the party details (menu, guest list, photos) are shared with all participants of that party. This is core to Hostly's collaborative functionality.

We do not share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. We may share information if required by law or to protect our rights.

6. Your Choices

• Delete a party: You can delete any party you created, which removes it from our servers
• Clear local data: You can clear your browser's local storage or the app's data to remove locally stored information
• Photos: You can choose not to upload photos to party galleries
• Affiliate links: Using grocery delivery links is entirely optional — you can manually shop for ingredients instead

7. Children's Privacy

Hostly is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected such information, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy within the app or on our website. Your continued use of Hostly after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

9. California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to request deletion, and the right to opt out of the sale of your data. As noted above, we do not sell personal information.

10. Contact Us