Which Wedding Apps Sell Your Data? Zola, The Knot, Joy, and Altessa Compared

Joy's privacy policy says in plain words that it sells certain personal data as California law defines the term, The Knot's and Zola's say their sharing with advertisers may count as a sale, and Altessa's says it doesn't sell wedding planning data or share it with advertisers or vendors; that's the one-sentence answer, and the rest of this post is the policies' own language. I wrote Altessa's policy, so you know where I stand. Every quote below was read on each company's site in October 2026, and policies change, so check the dates on the pages before you decide anything.

Side by side

What each policy says about sharing

Zola

Zola's policy says it shares with vendors, consultants, and service providers, and with third parties that provide advertising-related services, naming social media platforms, ad networks, and data providers. It also says Zola occasionally gives its postal mailing list, names and addresses, to other companies for marketing. The opt-out is titled as a right to opt out of targeted advertising and the sale or sharing of information for interest-based advertising, and the policy says it honors Global Privacy Control and does not respond to Do Not Track. It states that no mobile information is shared with third parties for marketing. Deletion goes through the Privacy Center or a phone number; community posts remain after an account is deleted; you can request a copy of your data up to twice in twelve months.

The Knot

The Knot's privacy link resolves to The Knot Worldwide's policy, effective September 16, 2026. When you request a vendor quote, it says the company may disclose your information and the contents of your message to the vendor, whose own policy then governs. It shares with partners whose offerings it thinks may interest you, and it describes matching email addresses to cookies and device IDs for advertising. It says third-party disclosures may be considered a sale under applicable laws and that it processes information for targeted advertising, with an opt-out form and an in-app Your Privacy Choices link. The help center says the delete-account button is at the bottom of the account settings page and removes the website, guest list, checklist, budget advisor, and registry manager; forum posts stay. Access or a copy is available in a usable format where technically feasible and legally required.

Joy

Joy is the most direct of the three. Its policy says it sells certain personal data to third parties as the CCPA defines the term, naming identifiers and internet activity, and shares certain personal information with third-party ad networks for behavioral advertising. The GDPR section names Meta Ads, Google Ads, Criteo, and Microsoft Ads as third-party controllers. It shares with vendors, consultants, and service providers who need access. There's an opt-out page and the policy says it honors Global Privacy Control. Deletion is by email or a request form, with data possibly retained as required by law or for legitimate business purposes. Portability applies in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland, and US state residents can request a copy in a portable format.

Altessa

Altessa's policy, updated September 30, 2026, says it does not sell wedding planning data and does not share it with advertisers or vendors. Service providers process information under contract. Meta receives signup, lead, and purchase events for ad measurement, and the policy says it never shares planning data, guests, or vendor details with Meta. The privacy promise page adds that no vendor can pay to appear in Altessa. Deletion is a button in Settings, no emailed codes and no phone call, removed from the app right away, from systems within 30 days, and from backups within 90. Export is a Download my data button that gives you every record, with the guest list and budget as spreadsheets, and no email gate.

How free apps make money from your information

Read the three free policies together and the pattern is the business model, written in legal language. A marketplace shares your message with the vendor because the vendor is the paying customer. An ad network gets your identifiers because the ads fund the website. A postal list goes to other companies because a verified list of newly engaged households is worth money. None of this is hidden, and all three companies give you an opt-out, which is more than most industries do. The question for you is whether you want to spend the opt-out effort, and whether you'd rather use a tool with nothing to opt out of. I wrote about how the free apps make their money here.

Export, deletion, and account control

Deletion exists on all four, with different friction: a button on The Knot and Altessa, a Privacy Center or phone call on Zola, an email or form on Joy. Export is where they separate. Altessa puts it in Settings with no gate. The Knot offers a copy where feasible and legally required. Zola allows two requests a year. Joy's portability right is strongest for European users. If you plan to keep your own monthly backup, which I'd do with any tool, the export path is the one to test on day one.

Where Altessa fits

Altessa is the only one of the four that charges you for the product, 80 dollars for Core or 120 for Premium, once, and that's the reason its policy can be short. There is no registry to promote, no vendor to introduce you to, and no ad to serve, so the data has no second use. That's a trade: you pay, and in exchange the plan stays yours. If you'd rather not pay and you're comfortable managing the opt-outs, the free tools are honest about the deal. Just read the deal first.

Questions people ask

Does Zola sell your data?

Zola's policy offers an opt-out from the sale or sharing of information for interest-based advertising, shares with advertising service providers, and says it occasionally gives its postal mailing list to other companies for marketing. Read the policy and use the opt-out if that matters to you.

Does The Knot share my information with vendors?

Yes, when you request a quote. The Knot Worldwide's policy says it may disclose your information and the contents of your message to that vendor, whose own privacy policy then applies.

Does Joy sell personal data?

Joy's policy says it sells certain personal data, identifiers and internet activity, to third parties as the CCPA defines the term, and shares with ad networks. It has an opt-out page and honors Global Privacy Control.

Which wedding planning app doesn't sell your data?

Altessa's policy says it does not sell wedding planning data or share it with advertisers or vendors, and no vendor can pay to appear in it. It's a one-time purchase, which is why it can say that.

How do I delete my wedding app account?

The Knot: a delete button at the bottom of account settings. Altessa: a button in Settings. Zola: the Privacy Center or its phone line. Joy: email or the privacy request form. Export your data first on any of them.

Armin Korsos is a filmmaker who spent nine years shooting weddings before building Altessa (altessa.studio), an all-in-one wedding planning workspace that replaces the spreadsheet.