A guide to choosing the best consent management platform: Features, pros & pricing

Need a cookie banner that’s more than just a pop-up? A privacy policy that doesn’t fall apart every time laws change? Finding the best consent management platform for your business can be hard.

If you run a website or app, handling privacy isn’t optional; it’s the baseline. Between the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the incoming wave of global regulations, staying on top of consent isn’t just about ticking boxes or avoiding legal headaches. It’s about building trust, protecting your business’ revenue, and even improving marketing performance.

But with so many tools out there, from free WordPress plugins to full-blown enterprise suites, how do you know which one’s right for you?

In this post, we’ve rounded up 9 of the most popular consent management platforms and broken them down in plain English.

We’ll cover everything including features, ease of use, pricing, and overall function. And you’ll also find a table below to compare the different platforms at a glance, so you can see which one might be best.

Consent management platform comparison: At a glance

What is a consent management platform (CMP), and how does it work?

A consent management platform (CMP) helps website and app owners collect, manage, and document user consent in line with privacy regulations like the GDPR, CCPA, and more. In a nutshell, it’s what powers the cookie banner you see when you first land on a site. But the best ones go much deeper than that, providing tools that help you improve consent rates and boost conversions to help you grow your business.

At a basic level, a CMP lets users decide what data they’re comfortable sharing. But behind the scenes, it also needs to:

• Block cookies and tracking scripts until a user gives consent
• Store and log consent preferences
• Provide options for users to withdraw or update consent
• Stay aligned with legal requirements that change over time

What should you look for in a consent management platform?

Not all tools are built the same. Here’s what actually matters when choosing the right consent management platform:

• Ease of setup – Are you comfortable spending hours tweaking code or bringing in developers to do so?
• Regulation coverage – Does it support GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy laws?
• Customization – Can you adapt the look and feel to your brand?
• Legal reliability – Are the policies and mechanics backed by actual legal experts?
• Automatic notifications – Does it automatically notify you of evolving laws or will you have to scramble last minute to manually check them yourself?
• Performance impact – Does it run smoothly without slowing your site down?
• Integrations – Does it integrate with CMS systems like WordPress or online stores like Shopify?
• Built-in Google Consent Mode – Does it help you recover marketing data when users reject cookies, especially for Google Ads and Analytics?
• IAB’s TCF – Does it share user consent with ad partners so you can run ads easily and get closer to compliance?
• Customer support – When you run into issues, can you reach a real person who helps quickly? Or will you wait weeks for a response? Check review sites like Trustpilot and G2 to see how each platform treats customers when things go wrong.

The best platforms for cookie consent and data compliance

1. iubenda

Unlike standalone CMPs, iubenda offers a complete digital compliance suite in one connected platform: cookie banners, privacy policies, terms and conditions, consent records, internal compliance solutions, accessibility solutions, and more.

It’s a solution that real legal experts back. And over 150,000 companies worldwide use it, from solopreneurs to giant enterprises, to help them get closer to compliance. And it goes beyond compliance too. With iubenda, you have access to solutions that help you improve user experience and increase consent rates, ultimately boosting conversions, trust and customer loyalty over the long run.

✅ Standout features

• The auto-scan feature automatically scans your website for cookies, trackers, and third-party services to identify which disclosures you need in just a few minutes
• Customizable cookie banners integrate with Google Consent Mode v2
• Consent database and logs store records in a compliant format
• Easily manage and store consent across multiple platforms, handle data subject requests and whistleblowing reports, optimize newsletter opt-ins for better marketing, and more
• Easy plugin integrations for WordPress, Shopify, and more
• Up to 27 languages and coverage for global privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA/CPRA and other US State Laws, LGPD, and more)
• Notifies you as laws evolve

Best for

Businesses of all sizes looking for an easy-to-use, attorney-quality solution that offers everything they need to set up for compliance.

Pros

• Offers a full suite of compliance solutions in one place
• Real lawyers build and maintain the entire suite
• Easy setup. Simply copy and paste one line of code and tweak what you need
• Creates a simpler, faster consent experience that helps reduce bounce rates and increase conversions
• Great customer support that stays with you until your issue is resolved

Cons

• You’ll need a paid plan to access multiple languages and the Terms and Conditions Generator

Pricing

• Free plan available with everything you need for low-traffic sites
• Paid plans start around €4.99/month, depending on your needs
• Flexible pricing based on which solutions you activate, so you never pay for more than what you actually need

What people say

Users consistently highlight responsive customer support and ease of use. Reviewers mention that support agents stay with them until issues are resolved, and praise how the platform simplifies compliance without requiring legal expertise.

2. consentmanager

consentmanager is a consent management platform built for compliance and performance, offering customizable cookie banners, reporting tools, and optimization features to help businesses manage consent while improving user experience.

✅ Standout features

• Highly customizable: 200+ design options, flexible targeting by country, browser, device, and more
• Detailed reporting: Analyze consent behavior by region, device, design variant, and other dimensions
• A/B testing and machine learning optimization to improve consent rates over time
• Auto-blocking and integrated crawler for compliance monitoring
• Predefined texts in over 35 languages
• Fully compatible with IAB’s Transparency and Consent Framework
• Google certified and Google Consent Mode v2 integrated
• EU-only data storage

Best for

Enterprise companies with complex digital portfolios, publishers, and e-commerce teams looking for detailed consent analytics.

Pros

• Flexible customization options (design, targeting, variants)
• Strong reporting for marketing and growth teams
• Compatibility mode makes switching from other CMPs easier

Cons

• The interface can be a bit tricky for first-time users

Pricing

• Free plan available
• Paid plans start from €23/month, depending on number of websites and views per month

What people say

Users appreciate the responsive customer support and highlight the A/B testing capabilities. Some report the interface has a learning curve.

3. Complianz

Complianz is a WordPress and Shopify plugin designed to make privacy compliance more manageable. It covers cookie consent, legal documents, and regional compliance rules (GDPR, CCPA, and more).

✅ Standout features

• Designed specifically for WordPress and Shopify
• Research team regularly updates clause library to reflect the latest law changes
• Flexible banner designs
• Smart site scanner that automatically detects and handles cookies in use before visitors see them
• Region-specific banner behavior (e.g., GDPR vs. CCPA)
• Legal documents in multiple languages

Best for

WordPress and Shopify users who want privacy features that work smoothly out of the box.

Pros

• Trusted by 1 million users
• Quick and easy setup
• Helps build brand transparency and trust
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

• You need a paid plan for the more advanced features

Pricing

• Free plan available
• Paid plans start from €59/year (less than €5 a month)

What people say

Reviewers report easy installation, a user-friendly interface, and solid compliance features. A go-to choice for WordPress and Shopify users who want privacy tools that just work.

4. Cookiebot

Cookiebot scans your site for cookies, categorizes them, and helps you display a compliant cookie banner.

✅ Standout features

• Automatic cookie scanning and categorization
• Multi-language support
• Compatible with Google Tag Manager and Consent Mode
• Cookie banner creation

Best for

Mid-sized businesses that want consent features with a focus on automation.

Pros

• Simple setup

Cons

• Can’t create legal documents
• The interface isn’t intuitive and can be difficult to use
• Banners aren’t easily customizable

Pricing

• Free plan with limited features available
• Paid plans start from €7/month and increase in price if you have more than a certain number of subpages

What people say

While some users find initial setup straightforward, many report frustration with unexpected price increases, billing disputes, and difficulty reaching customer support.

5. Usercentrics

Usercentrics is a consent management platform with a focus on marketing, offering analytics tools that give users insights into their web audiences.

✅ Standout features

• Data control and user segmentation
• Analytics and consent audit tools
• Affiliate and partner programs
• Customizable banners
• Multilingual support

Best for

Enterprise-level businesses looking for detailed control and integrations.

Pros

• Offers tools for consent rate optimization
• Fully customizable

Cons

• Difficult setup, especially if you need more complex integrations
• The cookie management tools and user interface are trickier to navigate if you’re less tech-savvy

Pricing

• Plans start from €7/month for basic features
• No free plans but there is a 14-day trial

What people say

Users value the compliance tools and customization options. However, many report confusion around pricing, with unexpected plan upgrades based on session counts that can lead to billing spikes. Support response times are also frequently cited as slow.

6. Piwik PRO

Piwik PRO offers analytics software built with privacy in mind, along with consent management features to help align with regulations. It positions itself as a more compliant alternative to Google Analytics.

✅ Standout features

• Full analytics suite with consent tracking built in
• Server location controls

Best for

Businesses in regulated sectors like finances, government, and healthcare.

Pros

• Clear documentation and onboarding support

Cons

• Its interface is less intuitive than other platforms
• Overall features can be limited, depending on what you need
• Lacks flexibility with third-party integrations

Pricing

• No free plans but it does offer a 30-day free trial
• Paid plans start at €35/month
• Scaling is pricier, with Enterprise plans starting at €366/month

What people say

Users on G2 praise the analytics, but many report integration issues and limited CMP-specific features.

7. Secure Privacy

Secure Privacy is a compliance platform that focuses on aligning with data protection laws across multiple jurisdictions. It helps you display region-specific banners and generate legal documents.

✅ Standout features

• Region-specific compliance (GDPR, CCPA, etc.)
• Includes privacy policy and cookie policy generators

Best for

Multinational organizations that need to comply with multiple privacy laws across the world.

Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Fully customizable
• Responsive support team

Cons

• Initial setup and configuration is difficult

Pricing

• Free plan available with limited, basic features
• Paid plans start from €14/month

What people say

Users highlight ease-of-use but note that initial setup can be difficult and requires detailed guidance.

8. Didomi

Didomi provides consent management along with real-time data tools to help enterprise businesses understand and optimize user experiences.

✅ Standout features

• Real-time consent data dashboards
• Customizable banners and forms
• CRM and ad tech integration

Best for

Large, global enterprise businesses.

Pros

• Solutions are scalable for large organizations
• Fully customizable

Cons

• Users find it hard to use at first
• It requires a lot of customer support to implement and response times can be slow

Pricing

• It doesn’t offer a free plan
• Didomi doesn’t seem to publish their pricing online, so you need to call for a custom quote

What people say

Users praise integration options but report frustration with the interface, steep learning curve, and slow support response times.

9. Enzuzo

Enzuzo is a lightweight tool that helps you manage cookie consent, handle data subject requests, and create legal policies. Its focus is on providing support in the e-commerce space, with solutions for Shopify and mobile apps.

✅ Standout features

• Multi-language support
• Real-time consent analytics
• Supports mobile apps

Best for

Businesses in the e-commerce space.

Pros

• Simple installation
• Easy to understand and use

Cons

• Isn’t as customizable as other options
• Customer support can be limited

Pricing

• Free plan comes with limited features
• Paid plans start from USD $9/month for basic compliance tools

What people say

Users like the smooth Shopify integration and ease-of-use, but many express frustration with billing issues and limited customer support availability.

The best consent management platform

Your consent management platform shouldn’t just help you meet today’s legal standards, but help you boost consent rates to grow your business, while keeping you ready for what’s next. The right tool makes compliance easier, not harder; it works in the background, keeps you aware of regulation changes, and protects your users’ trust at every touchpoint.

When evaluating your options, prioritize platforms that offer lawyer-backed policies, auto-scanning, and Google Consent Mode v2 support. iubenda is one example that checks these boxes.

With the right CMP, you won’t just be well on your way to greater compliance, but have a powerful tool to grow your business.