Complianz is the best free cookie consent solution in 2026, scoring 4.1 on our free-tier evaluation. Every consent tool on this list is free up to a point: this guide names that limit for each one. We evaluated 9 tools against our methodology, re-weighted so pricing and free-tier generosity carry 45 of 100 points.
Below: a score-ranked quick list, a comparison table showing each tool’s real free-tier cap and upgrade cliff, and a scored section per tool.
Disclosure: Consently publishes this guide but does not appear in the ranked list, because Consently has no free tier.
What Are the Best Free Cookie Consent Solutions?
The top free cookie consent tools for 2026 are Complianz, CookieScript, CookieHub, Enzuzo, and Osano. Complianz leads at value-fit 4.1 as an uncapped self-hosted plugin. CookieScript (3.8) covers two free domains, CookieHub (3.6) gives the highest allowance, Enzuzo (3.6) bundles DSAR, and Osano (3.5) adds an open-source route.
-
Complianz - Best overall free value, self-hosted with no caps (WordPress and Shopify). Value-fit 4.1, overall 3.9.
-
CookieScript- Best free permanent plan with two domains. Value-fit 3.8, overall 4.0.
-
CookieHub - Best free value for very low-traffic sites (highest pageview allowance). Value-fit 3.6, overall 3.9.
-
Enzuzo - Best free value with policies and DSAR bundled in. Value-fit 3.6, overall 3.9.
-
Osano - Best free open-source and developer route. Value-fit 3.5, overall 3.9.
-
CookieYes - Best free value for a small multi-law site. Value-fit 3.3, overall 3.8.
-
Cookiebot - Best free tier for automated scanning on one small site. Value-fit 3.3, overall 4.0.
-
Termly - Best free tier for legal policies plus a banner. Value-fit 3.1, overall 3.8.
-
iubenda - Best free starting point for policies and consent in one. Value-fit 3.0, overall 3.6.
Not free (upgrade pick): Consently - The cheapest all-features paid upgrade once a free tier’s caps stop working. Overall 3.7, no free-forever plan (14-day trial only).
Disclosure: This guide is published by the Consently team. We score every CMP by the same seven-dimension rubric. For this free/value guide, we rank the free tools by an audience-fit value score that re-weights the rubric toward pricing and free-tier generosity. Each tool’s overall review score is shown alongside that value score. We include Consently at its honest 3.7 overall, and we are upfront that Consently is not free. See how we review consent management software.
What Is Free Cookie Consent (and What Does “Free” Usually Mean)?
Free cookie consent is a CMP tier or open-source library that shows a compliant banner, scans cookies, and logs consent at zero cost. It is genuinely free up to a specific usage ceiling.
Three models carry the “free” label. The first is a free-forever hosted plan: the vendor hosts the banner and caps usage at a pageview, session, or domain count. CookieYes, CookieScript, Termly, Osano Solo, CookieHub, and Enzuzo use this model.
The second is a self-hosted open-source plugin: you run the software on your own server with no usage caps or vendor cloud. Complianz is the main example. The third is an open-source JavaScript library: no vendor account, no caps, no banner builder, just code. Silktide’s Consent Manager is the strongest current example.
It is a genuinely free-forever, open-source banner on GitHub with no traffic limits, Google Consent Mode v2, and pre-consent script blocking on any CMS. It is the maintained successor to the original osano/cookieconsent library, and Klaro and vanilla-cookieconsent sit in the same group. Developers who hand-roll a banner often land here.
These open-source tools have no formal review score yet, so we rank the nine scored tools below and call out Silktide separately.
The universal catch across all three models is that ad-tech frameworks and advanced consent features are gated. IAB TCF, Google Privacy Sandbox signals, Global Privacy Control (GPC), and granular consent logging are almost never free. A site running Google Ads or programmatic advertising will hit this gate quickly.
Getting consent wrong carries real GDPR fines, and that is the true cost a free banner is meant to avoid. If you are new to the rules, here is what cookie consent is and why a banner is required.
What Should You Look for in a Free Cookie Consent Tool?
Four things decide a free cookie consent tool: free-tier generosity, the upgrade cliff, which compliance frameworks are free, and the scan and blocking limits.
How Generous Is the Free Tier Really?
Free-tier generosity ranges widely. Complianz offers no pageview or record caps on its self-hosted WordPress plugin. CookieHub offers approximately 25,000 pageviews per month (1,000 sessions at a typical 25 pages per session). CookieScript allows 10,000 pageviews per month across 2 domains. CookieYes and Osano Solo each allow 5,000 pageviews or visitors per month.
Enzuzo caps the free plan at 5,000 visitors. Termly caps banner views at 10,000 per month. iubenda disables the banner entirely above 1,000 pageviews, making it the lowest cap on this list. The range matters in practice. A blog with 8,000 monthly visits fits Complianz (uncapped), CookieHub (~25k), and CookieScript (10k per domain), but already overshoots CookieYes and Osano (5k each).
Where Is the Upgrade Cliff (Caps, Overage, and Auto-Upgrades)?
The upgrade cliff is where “free” ends and cost begins. Several tools make the cliff sharp or hidden.
-
CookieYes: charges $0.30 per 1,000 pageviews above its free 5,000 cap on paid plans, and the free tier has narrowed over time (custom colours and CSS are now paid-only).
-
CookieHub: the banner stops working when you hit 1,000 sessions per month. Paid plans charge per session, so overage stacks on paid tiers too.
-
Cookiebot: users report that the free tier asks for payment details, and that an entered card auto-upgrades them to a paid plan once a scan passes the 50-subpage ceiling.
-
Termly: the free plan shows a Termly watermark, allows only one policy document, and lets you make zero edits to it.
-
iubenda: the banner is fully disabled above 1,000 pageviews. There is no warning, no grace period, and no overage. The banner simply stops showing.
The pattern across many free tools is growth-triggered monetization. They let you start free, then the product breaks, downgrades, or charges the moment you pass a threshold. Small-site owners searching for truly free tools increasingly report this, and many free tiers from 2022 have since narrowed. Most tools I tried either force an upgrade or limit key features fast, which is why this ranking foregrounds the upgrade cliff.
Which Compliance Frameworks Are Free (GDPR, CCPA, Consent Mode, IAB TCF, GPC)?
GDPR and CCPA banners are free on every tool in this list. That is the floor. Everything else is a premium add-on on most platforms. IAB TCF is the framework publishers need for programmatic advertising.
It is gated to paid tiers at CookieYes (Pro), Cookiebot (paid plans), CookieHub (Business at EUR 30/mo), and Termly (Pro+). Google Consent Mode v2 basic signaling is available free at CookieHub, CookieYes, and Complianz Premium. GPC signal detection is gated at every hosted tool in this list.
Records of Consent for GDPR audit proof are gated at Complianz (Premium) and partially at others. The single most important buyer warning: if you run Google Ads or need certified ad-tech consent, verify that your specific free plan supports it. Many free banners still trigger common cookie consent violations by firing trackers before consent because auto-blocking is not enabled on the free tier.
Free-Tier Scanning, Blocking, and Banner Limits
Scan caps on the free tier vary by tool. CookieScript scans 10 pages per scan run. CookieYes scans up to 100 pages per scan run. Cookiebot scans up to 50 subpages on the free plan. CookieHub scans 50 pages per run on the free tier. Complianz, as a self-hosted tool, has no scan-page cap. Auto-blocking prevents non-essential cookies from loading before consent.
It is available on most free tiers in basic form, but it requires correct installation and is not always on by default. Banner customization is also limited on free tiers. Termly shows its own watermark, CookieYes restricts custom colours and CSS to paid plans, and iubenda removes branding only on its top Ultimate tier.
How Do the Best Free Cookie Consent Options Compare?
Every tool below is free to start, but the genuinely free ceiling and the first paid price vary widely. The table is ordered by value-fit score, which re-weights the rubric toward pricing and free-tier generosity. Complianz leads; Cookiebot, despite a 4.0 overall, sits mid-pack because its gated, auto-upgrading free tier scores poorly on free-tier generosity.
| Product | Score (overall) | Value-fit score | Genuinely free? | Free-tier cap | First paid price | IAB TCF on free? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complianz | 3.9/5 | 4.1/5 | Yes | No pageview/record caps | $59/yr (WP Personal) | No (Premium) | WordPress/Shopify self-hosted, no cap |
| CookieScript | 4.0/5 | 3.8/5 | Yes | 2 domains, 10k pageviews/mo | EUR 6/mo (LITE) | No (PLUS EUR 9/mo+) | Permanent free plan, two domains |
| CookieHub | 3.9/5 | 3.6/5 | Yes | 1,000 sessions (~25k pageviews) | EUR 6/mo (Starter) | No (Business EUR 30/mo) | Highest pageview allowance |
| Enzuzo | 3.9/5 | 3.6/5 | Yes | 5,000 visitors/mo, 3 DSARs | $9/mo (Starter) | No (gated) | Free DSAR + policies bundled |
| Osano | 3.9/5 | 3.5/5 | Yes (Solo + OSS) | 5,000 visitors/mo (Solo) | $199/mo (Plus) | No | Open-source/developer route |
| CookieYes | 3.8/5 | 3.3/5 | Yes | 5,000 pageviews/mo | $10/mo per domain | No (Pro) | Small multi-law site |
| Cookiebot | 4.0/5 | 3.3/5 | Yes | 50 subpages, 1 domain | EUR 7/mo (Lite) | No (paid) | Automated scanning, one small site |
| Termly | 3.8/5 | 3.1/5 | Yes (limited) | 10k banner views/mo, watermark | $10/mo (Starter) | No (Pro+) | Legal policies plus a banner |
| iubenda | 3.6/5 | 3.0/5 | Yes (under 1k pv) | 1,000 pageviews (banner disabled above) | EUR 4.99/$5.99/site/mo | No (paid) | Policies + consent, lowest traffic only |
| Consently | 3.7/5 | n/a (not free) | No (14-day trial) | n/a | $99/yr | Yes (all plans) | When you outgrow free |
Prices verified June 24, 2026. Visit each product’s pricing page for current rates.
Complianz: Best Overall Free Value, Self-Hosted with No Caps (WordPress and Shopify)
Complianz earns a 4.1/5 value-fit score on our free/value ranking, with a 3.9/5 overall in our full review. It is the best free option for WordPress and Shopify owners. The free tier has no pageview cap and no consent-record cap, and the data stays on your own server. It is the only tool on this list with that combination. The platform limit is real: Complianz runs on WordPress and Shopify only, and those are two separate products.
Key Features
The free Complianz plugin ships the full consent toolkit, with ad-tech certifications reserved for Premium.
-
Self-hosted consent: the plugin runs on your WordPress install. Consent data stays on your server, not a vendor cloud.
-
No pageview or record caps: the free tier imposes no ceiling on visitors or stored consent records.
-
Conditional, region-aware banner: Complianz detects visitor region and shows the correct consent model (GDPR opt-in, CCPA opt-out, or no banner for low-risk regions).
-
Cookie scanning via cookiedatabase.org: syncs against a shared cookie database; scans run on-demand and can be scheduled.
-
Script Center: blocks third-party scripts per category or service before consent.
-
Legal document wizard: generates privacy policies, cookie policies, and data breach notifications.
-
Over 1 million active installations and a 4.7/5 rating from 1,639 reviews on WordPress.org.
-
IAB TCF CMP ID 332 and Google CMP certified (since July 2024), though Consent Mode v2, IAB TCF, and Records of Consent require the Premium plan at $59/yr.
As a WordPress-only hosted-tool contrast, see Consently vs Complianz for a platform-comparison view. Beyond WordPress, see Complianz alternatives.
Pros
Complianz’s free strengths center on its uncapped, self-hosted model.
-
No pageview or record cap on the free plan is unique across this entire list.
-
Self-hosted architecture means GDPR data residency stays under your control.
-
Over a million active installs signal a large, maintained plugin with active support forums.
-
Plugin is certified for both IAB TCF and Google CMP (certifications kick in on paid tiers).
-
Free tier includes the cookie banner, scanner, script blocking, and policy generator.
Cons
The trade-offs are platform lock-in and the ad-tech features the free tier withholds.
-
WordPress and Shopify only. There is no generic JavaScript script or hosted option for Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, Framer, or custom sites.
-
Records of Consent, Google Consent Mode v2, and IAB TCF are all gated to Premium ($59/yr or above). A free EU site running Google Ads is under-compliant.
-
Setup requires configuration work. The wizard is guided, but plugin conflicts can break the banner or the site. I found the setup surface larger than comparable hosted tools.
-
No hosted dashboard for agencies. Managing 10 client WordPress installs means 10 separate WP dashboards, no central account view.
-
The banner’s default visual style requires CSS customization to match a polished design.
Pricing and Free-Tier Limits
Complianz’s paid tiers add ad-tech compliance and more sites, priced per year rather than per pageview.
| Plan | Price | Key limits |
|---|---|---|
| Free plugin | $0 | No pageview/record caps; no Consent Mode v2, no IAB TCF, no Records of Consent |
| Personal | $59/yr | 1 site, Records of Consent, Consent Mode v2, IAB TCF |
| Professional | $179/yr | Up to 5 sites |
| Agency | $399/yr | Up to 25 sites |
The upgrade cliff is the compliance essentials (Records of Consent, Consent Mode v2, IAB TCF), which require Personal at $59/yr. Free EU sites running ads are not fully covered.
What Users Say
“Great plugin to make your WordPress website compliant with cookies.” (WordPress.org reviewer, verified).
One mixed note comes from a user who migrated a monetized site from CookieYes. They found Complianz capable once configured, but the default banner styling needed real CSS work first. The free tier’s data-hosting angle is genuine, and the visual polish gap is real.
CookieScript: Best Free Permanent Plan with Two Domains
CookieScript earns a 3.8/5 value-fit score on our free/value ranking, with a 4.0/5 overall in our full CookieScript review. It is the best hosted free option if you need two domains covered. Its free plan is genuinely permanent, covers two domains, 10,000 pageviews per month per domain, and 42 languages. A self-hostable script option adds a light open-source path. For a flat-priced multi-domain contrast, see Consently vs CookieScript. If fixed domain bundles do not fit, see CookieScript alternatives.
Key Features
CookieScript’s free tier leads on domain count and languages, holding ad-tech features for PLUS.
-
Free plan covers 2 domains at 10,000 pageviews each, plus a no-signup free scanner.
-
42 languages on the free tier.
-
Google CMP certified with Consent Mode v2.
-
Self-hostable script option (partial open-source path, sub-factor 3.0).
-
IAB TCF, auto-blocking, and consent records gated to the PLUS tier (EUR 9/mo+).
-
Paid plans use fixed domain bundles: LITE from EUR 6/mo covers 2 domains; PLUS adds IAB TCF and records.
Pros
CookieScript’s strengths are its permanent two-domain free tier and reliable scanning.
-
Permanent free plan with two domains is the best multi-domain free offer among hosted tools.
-
Free no-account scanner is useful for quick audits before committing.
-
The automatic scanning is described as reliable. One COO wrote on G2: “Cookie Script automates the scanning and classification of cookies. This saves a significant amount of manual work.”
-
42 languages on the free plan is the highest on this list.
-
Self-hostable script gives a basic open-source fallback.
Cons
The free tier’s limits show up in feature gating, fixed bundles, and the pageview ceiling.
-
Most-wanted features (IAB TCF, auto-blocking at scale, consent records) sit in the top PLUS tier (EUR 9/mo+), not the cheap LITE tier.
-
Fixed domain bundles mean you cannot buy a single third domain without upgrading to the next bundle.
-
Free pageview cap (10,000/domain) falls below mid-traffic sites quickly.
-
Consent log and record management UI is less polished than Cookiebot or CookieHub.
Pricing and Free-Tier Limits
Paid tiers raise the pageview allowance and, at PLUS, add IAB TCF and consent records.
| Plan | Price | Domains | Pageviews | IAB TCF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2 | 10,000/mo each | No |
| LITE | EUR 6/mo | 2 | 30,000/mo each | No |
| PLUS | EUR 9/mo | 2 | 30,000/mo each | Yes |
Paid plans scale in domain-bundle increments. Verify current EUR/USD conversion at cookie-script.com/pricing.
What Users Say
Reviewers praise the scanning but flag the rigid domain bundles.
One constructive note: users managing more than 2 domains find the fixed-bundle pricing awkward. Buying a third domain forces a bundle upgrade rather than a per-domain add-on, and the consent-record UI trails Cookiebot and CookieHub.
CookieHub: Best Free Value for Very Low-Traffic Sites (Highest Pageview Allowance)
CookieHub earns a 3.6/5 value-fit score on our free/value ranking, with a 3.9/5 overall in our full CookieHub review. It is the best free hosted option for very low-traffic sites. Its 1,000 free sessions translate to approximately 25,000 pageviews per month at a 25-page-per-session rate, the highest effective pageview allowance among hosted free plans. No watermark, no auto-upgrade trap. Compare metered versus capacity pricing at Consently vs CookieHub. If the session cap bites as you grow, see CookieHub alternatives.
Key Features
CookieHub’s free plan is metered by session, with the strongest free allowance and solid certifications.
-
Free 1,000 sessions/month (~25k pageviews), 50-page scan, 1 user, Google Consent Mode v2 included.
-
ISO-27001 certified, Google Certified CMP Partner, IAB TCF certified.
-
Session-based pricing (not per-domain), so costs scale with traffic, not site count.
-
Free Cookie Checker tool for quick audits.
-
GPC, IAB GPP, IAB TCF 2.3, and DSAR all gated to Business (EUR 30/mo).
Pros
CookieHub’s strengths are its generous free allowance and trust credentials.
-
Highest effective free pageview allowance among hosted plans (approximately 25k/mo).
-
ISO-27001 credential is uncommon at the free-tier level.
-
Google Consent Mode v2 included on the free plan.
-
No watermark on the free tier.
-
Free Cookie Checker adds standalone audit value.
Cons
The free plan’s hard session cap and the paid per-session overage are the main risks.
-
Banner stops working immediately at 1,000 sessions. No grace period, no overage option on the free tier.
-
Per-session overage on paid plans means unexpected charges as traffic grows. Verified user feedback traced unexpected billing to this overage model.
-
GPC, IAB TCF, IAB GPP, and DSAR all require the Business plan at EUR 30/mo, a significant jump from the EUR 6/mo Starter.
-
Per-domain configuration is manual for each site; no true multi-site agency dashboard.
-
Auto-blocking can malfunction under WP Rocket, LiteSpeed, and Cloudflare Rocket Loader, per vendor documentation.
Pricing and Free-Tier Limits
Pricing scales by session volume, and the ad-tech frameworks sit on the Business tier.
| Plan | Price | Sessions/mo | IAB TCF/GPC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | EUR 0 | 1,000 (~25k pageviews) | No |
| Starter | EUR 6/mo | 5,000 | No |
| Business | EUR 30/mo | Custom | Yes |
Banner stops at 1,000 sessions. Upgrade trigger is volume. Verify current pricing at cookiehub.com/pricing.
What Users Say
“Great tool overall, but I got unexpected charges I did not anticipate.” (Trustpilot reviewer, verified.) The charges trace to per-session overage on paid plans.
A positive note: the ISO-27001 credential and the Google CMP certification give CookieHub credibility above its price point. For a single low-traffic site, the free plan is the most generous hosted option available.
Enzuzo: Best Free Value with Policies and DSAR Bundled In
Enzuzo earns a 3.6/5 value-fit score on our free/value ranking, with a 3.9/5 overall in our full Enzuzo review. It is the best free option for teams that want policies and DSAR handling alongside the banner. No credit card is required for the free plan, and it bundles 3 DSAR requests per month and basic legal policies at zero cost. No other tool on this list includes DSAR at the free tier. For a caps-and-languages comparison, see Consently vs Enzuzo. If visitor caps force an upgrade, see Enzuzo alternatives.
Key Features
Enzuzo’s free plan stands out for bundling DSAR handling and legal policies, not just a banner.
-
Free plan: 1 domain, 5,000 visitors/month, 3 DSAR requests/month, 1 user, cookie banner, Consent Mode v2, basic privacy policy.
-
Google-certified CMP partner.
-
Six legal-document generators (privacy, cookie, terms, data-processing agreement, and more).
-
DSAR automation (Starter and above for full workflow; 3 manual DSARs on free).
-
Geo-targeting, multi-language, and full DSAR gated to paid plans.
-
Paid: Starter $9/mo (10,000 visitors), Professional $29/mo (30,000 visitors), Agency $99/mo.
Pros
Enzuzo’s free strengths are the bundled DSAR and policies, plus no card to start.
-
Unique among free plans: 3 DSAR requests and basic policies bundled at zero cost.
-
No credit card required to start.
-
Google Consent Mode v2 available on the free plan.
-
Enterprise breadth at SMB prices on paid tiers (the reason OneTrust refugees land here).
-
Rated 4.6/5 on G2 across 18 reviews.
Cons
The free cap is modest, and several core banner features sit behind paid tiers.
-
5,000-visitor/month free cap is among the lower allowances on this list.
-
Geo-targeting and multi-language banners gated to paid tiers.
-
Full DSAR automation (beyond 3 manual requests) requires Starter ($9/mo) or above.
-
Support at the free and Starter tiers is thin (email-based, slower response reported by some users).
-
Approximately 25-language ceiling on banners is below Cookiebot (47+) and CookieScript (42).
Pricing and Free-Tier Limits
Paid tiers raise the visitor cap and automate the DSAR workflow.
| Plan | Price | Visitors/mo | DSAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 5,000 | 3/mo manual |
| Starter | $9/mo | 10,000 | Automated |
| Professional | $29/mo | 30,000 | Automated |
| Agency | $99/mo | Custom | Automated |
Upgrade trigger is the visitor cap. Verify current pricing at enzuzo.com.
What Users Say
A verified reviewer described Enzuzo’s free plan as “a real starting point, not a long-term home.” The free tier is genuinely usable. The visitor cap, though, forces most growing sites to Starter within months.
A constructive note: users who need more than 25 languages or fast support at entry prices find Enzuzo limiting. But for a new site that wants to start free and grow into DSAR handling, no other free plan on this list bundles it.
Osano: Best Free Open-Source and Developer Route
Osano earns a 3.5/5 value-fit score on our free/value ranking, with a 3.9/5 overall in our full Osano review. It is the best scored free option for developers who want an open-source library route. The osano/cookieconsent library on GitHub is open-source and free forever, though active development has largely moved to the Silktide fork covered above. Osano’s own hosted Solo plan adds 5,000 visitors per month free. The hard constraint is the cliff. The jump from free Solo to the first paid self-serve plan is $199 per month, the sharpest on this list. For a price-to-scale comparison, see Consently vs Osano. For a cookie-only need, see Osano alternatives.
Key Features
Osano splits into two free routes (a hosted Solo plan and an open-source library) under a broader privacy suite.
-
Free Solo hosted plan: 1 domain, 5,000 visitors/month, basic cookie consent.
-
Free open-source library: the osano/cookieconsent library on GitHub, self-hosted, no caps, no vendor cloud.
-
Full privacy program modules (DSAR, data mapping, vendor risk) on paid plans.
-
$500,000 “No Fines, No Penalties” guarantee on Start/Trust/Scale and Basic Privacy plans only. The guarantee excludes both the free Solo plan and the self-serve Plus ($199/mo) plan.
-
Fast and lightweight banner script, verified by page-speed measurement.
-
Described as “fast and lightweight” by reviewers.
Pros
Osano’s free strengths are the open-source path and the depth of its paid privacy program.
-
The open-source library path is the most developer-friendly free option on this list.
-
Hosted Solo plan is genuinely free (no credit card required).
-
Full DSAR and data-mapping tools available on paid plans.
-
Strong compliance and support scores (4.5/5 each) earned in our methodology.
-
A Public Benefit Corporation with $25M Series B backing signals long-term stability.
Cons
The dominant drawback is the free-to-paid cliff, with the guarantee and key features out of reach on free.
-
The jump from free Solo to the first paid plan is $199/month. There is no $9/mo or $29/mo middle step.
-
The headline $500,000 guarantee excludes the self-serve Plus buyer and the free Solo user. The guarantee applies only to enterprise-level plans.
-
Free Solo has no IAB TCF, no consent records, and no GPC.
-
The open-source library requires developer time to configure and maintain.
-
Overkill for any site that needs only a cookie banner and policies.
Pricing and Free-Tier Limits
Osano’s self-serve pricing jumps straight from free to $199 per month, with the fines guarantee on enterprise plans only.
| Plan | Price | Visitors/mo | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo (free hosted) | $0 | 5,000 | No |
| Plus (self-serve) | $199/mo | 30,000 | No |
| Enterprise plans | Custom | Custom | Yes (up to $500k) |
Upgrade trigger: the $199/mo wall. Verify current pricing at osano.com.
What Users Say
Reviewers consistently describe Osano’s banner as fast and lightweight. One verified review noted the setup took under 10 minutes, and the banner added no detectable page-weight. A constructive note: the free-to-paid cliff is the most common objection. Teams that need only a banner find the $199/mo Plus plan far beyond what a cookie consent tool costs elsewhere. The open-source library addresses this for developers willing to self-host.
CookieYes: Best Free Value for a Small Multi-Law Site
CookieYes earns a 3.3/5 value-fit score on our free/value ranking, with a 3.8/5 overall in our full CookieYes review. It is the best free option for a small site that needs GDPR and CCPA banners, auto-blocking, and two policy generators in one tool. CookieYes’s free-forever plan includes 5,000 pageviews, 100 pages-per-scan, and 5 scans. It also covers the banner, auto-blocking, privacy and cookie policy generators, and a consent log. The catch: the free tier has narrowed over time, with custom colours and CSS now paid-only. Its paid Basic and Pro plans also add a $0.30 per 1,000 pageview overage above their caps. For a per-domain versus flat-pricing contrast, see Consently vs CookieYes. For other options, see CookieYes alternatives.
Key Features
CookieYes packs the most into a free-forever plan, though customization and ad-tech sit on paid tiers.
-
Free-forever plan: 5,000 pageviews/mo, 1 domain, 100 pages/scan, and 5 scans. It includes the banner, auto-blocking, 2 policy generators, a consent log, and Consent Mode v2.
-
1.5 million+ active installs (Cookie Law Info WordPress plugin history).
-
Google-certified CMP partner (Gold tier).
-
IAB TCF v2.3 and GPC gated to Pro ($25/mo per domain).
-
Custom colours, CSS, multilingual banners, and geo-targeting gated to Basic ($10/mo) and above.
-
No terms and conditions generator. CookieYes generates only privacy policies and cookie policies.
Pros
CookieYes wins on setup ease, support, and a free plan that includes real blocking.
-
Easiest setup on this list: the wizard works for non-technical users.
-
Best-in-class support (4.5/5 in our review; fast live chat response times reported on G2).
-
Free plan includes auto-blocking and consent logging, not just the banner display.
-
Large install base and a long track record.
-
Policy generators for both privacy and cookie policies on the free tier.
Cons
The free tier’s narrowing, the paid-plan overage, and per-domain pricing are the trade-offs.
-
Free tier has narrowed over time: custom colours and CSS are now paid-only, per verified WordPress.org feedback.
-
$0.30 per 1,000 pageviews overage applies above the 5,000 free cap on Basic and Pro plans. One agency described getting “trapped with a good free tier” that kept narrowing.
-
Per-domain pricing stacks fast: 5 sites at $10/mo each is $50/mo, versus a flat-priced alternative.
-
No terms and conditions generator. If you need T&C for a SaaS or e-commerce store, you need a second tool.
-
IAB TCF and GPC gated to the Pro plan ($25/mo per domain).
Pricing and Free-Tier Limits
CookieYes prices per domain, and only the Pro tier and above add IAB TCF.
| Plan | Price per domain | Pageviews/mo | IAB TCF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 5,000 | No |
| Basic | $10/mo | 30,000 | No |
| Pro | $25/mo | 200,000 | Yes |
| Ultimate | $55/mo | 1,000,000 | Yes |
The free tier is the most feature-complete starter on this list, but the overage and the recent narrowing are real concerns. Verify current pricing at cookieyes.com/pricing.
What Users Say
Long-time users like the product but are vocal about the free tier shrinking.
“[CookieYes] trapped us with a good free tier and kept narrowing it.” (WordPress.org reviewer, Feb 2026, verified).
A behavioural note: some users create a new CookieYes account per client site to get repeated free-tier access. The product allows one free-forever plan per account, so this is a documented workaround, not a policy endorsement.
Cookiebot: Best Free Tier for Automated Scanning on One Small Site
Cookiebot earns a 3.3/5 value-fit score on our free/value ranking, with a 4.0/5 overall in our full Cookiebot review. It is the best free option for a single small site that wants Cookiebot’s industry-leading automated scanning. Despite the joint-top 4.0 overall score, the value-weighted ranking drops Cookiebot to #7. Its free tier asks for payment details. By widely reported accounts, an entered card then auto-upgrades you once a scan passes the 50-subpage ceiling. This is the headline re-ordering of this list versus the general best-CMP ranking. For a flat-priced contrast, see Consently vs Cookiebot. If per-domain cost is a problem, see Cookiebot alternatives.
Key Features
Cookiebot’s free tier centers on its automated scanner, capped at 50 subpages on one domain.
-
Free plan: up to 50 subpages, 1 domain, 1 language, manual blocking, Consent Mode v2.
-
Monthly automatic scanning with a 13,000+ known-cookie repository.
-
Google Gold Tier CMP partner with Consent Mode v2.
-
ISO 27001 and 27701 certified.
-
IAB TCF, auto-blocking, and multilingual banners on paid plans.
-
Paid: EUR 7 to EUR 90 per month per domain (tiered by subpage count). Each subdomain counts as a separate billable domain.
Pros
Cookiebot’s strengths are scan accuracy and top-tier certifications.
-
Best-in-class automated scanning in the category (4.5/5 scanning score in our methodology).
-
Google Gold Tier CMP certification signals the highest compliance tier.
-
ISO 27001 and 27701 for data-security-conscious buyers.
-
Consent Mode v2 available on the free plan.
-
Monthly rescans happen automatically on the free tier.
Cons
The free tier’s payment-details requirement, low subpage ceiling, and per-domain pricing are the catches.
-
The free plan asks for payment details, and reviewers report the entered card triggers an auto-upgrade once a scan passes the 50-subpage ceiling. “Forced into a premium account, even though free is promoted on their pricing page.” (G2 reviewer, verified.)
-
50-subpage ceiling is low. Most small business sites hit it within a few pages.
-
Per-domain pricing: each additional domain (and each subdomain) requires a separate plan.
-
No terms and conditions generator.
-
Languages: 47+ on paid tiers. Free plan is locked to 1 language.
Pricing and Free-Tier Limits
Paid plans are tiered by subpage count and billed per domain, with subdomains counted separately.
| Plan | Price | Subpages | IAB TCF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | EUR 0 | Up to 50, 1 domain | No |
| Premium Lite | EUR 7/mo | Up to 50 | Yes |
| Premium Small | EUR 15/mo per domain (4+ domains) | Up to 350 | Yes |
| Premium Medium | EUR 30/mo per domain | Up to 3,500 | Yes |
| Premium Large | EUR 50/mo per domain | Up to 7,000 | Yes |
Upgrade trigger: the 50-subpage scan ceiling. Verify current pricing at cookiebot.com pricing.
What Users Say
Sentiment splits cleanly: high marks for scan accuracy, recurring frustration with the free-to-paid path.
The scan auto-upgrade is the most common complaint in Cookiebot’s reviews, the same friction the Cons section above quotes. There is a positive side too. For a single-site owner who accepts the payment-details requirement, Cookiebot’s scanning is the most accurate and established of any free tier here.
Termly: Best Free Tier for Legal Policies Plus a Banner
Termly earns a 3.1/5 value-fit score on our free/value ranking, with a 3.8/5 overall in our full Termly review. It is the best free option for a site that prioritizes attorney-backed legal documents alongside a cookie banner. The free plan allows one policy, zero edits after generation, 10,000 banner views per month, quarterly scans, GDPR-only coverage, and a Termly watermark. The watermark and the single-policy limit make it a thin starter plan rather than a long-term free tool. For a free-tier comparison, see Consently vs Termly. To drop the watermark, see Termly alternatives.
Key Features
Termly leads on attorney-drafted legal documents, with the free banner kept deliberately thin.
-
Free plan: 1 website, 1 policy (0 edits), 10,000 banner views/month, quarterly scans, GDPR-only, Termly watermark, plus a free DSAR form.
-
10 attorney-crafted legal-document generators.
-
Google Gold Tier CMP partner certification.
-
US state-law coverage (CCPA, VCDPA, CPA, and more) on paid plans.
-
IAB TCF, auto-blocking, multilingual banners, and data-breach notifications all gated to Pro+ ($15/mo per website).
-
Data loss on plan downgrade is a documented limitation in Termly’s own help documentation.
Pros
Termly’s strengths are legal-document depth and a beginner-friendly setup.
-
Attorney-backed policies (10 document types) are the strongest legal-document depth on this list.
-
Easy to use: the setup wizard is the most beginner-friendly of the free tiers.
-
US state-law coverage (Colorado, Virginia, Connecticut, and more) available on paid plans.
-
DSAR form free on the basic plan.
-
Google Gold Tier certification adds credibility to the consent signal.
Cons
The watermark, the single no-edit policy, and the downgrade data loss are the real limits.
-
Free plan watermark cannot be removed without upgrading.
-
One policy with zero edit allowance makes the free plan a demo rather than a production tool.
-
Per-website licensing stacks: 5 websites at $15/mo each is $75/mo.
-
Quarterly scans on the free plan (versus weekly or on-demand on paid plans) miss cookie changes between scans.
-
Data loss on plan downgrade: verified in Termly’s help documentation. Downgrading can cause policy data to become unavailable.
Pricing and Free-Tier Limits
Termly bills per website, and IAB TCF arrives only at the Pro+ tier.
| Plan | Price | Websites | IAB TCF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 | No |
| Starter | $10/mo | 1 | No |
| Pro+ | $15/mo | 1 | Yes |
Upgrade trigger: watermark removal requires a paid plan. IAB TCF requires Pro+ ($15/mo). Verify current pricing at termly.io/pricing.
What Users Say
The free tier gives you one attorney-drafted policy, but the no-edit rule is frustrating in practice. I found the wizard clear and the output professional. The catch is that you cannot update the policy after generation, so the free plan does not fit a real production site. Paid plans solve this, but per-website billing adds up quickly.
A constructive negative: one agency reported data loss after downgrading from Pro+ to Starter, consistent with the vendor’s own documentation.
iubenda: Best Free Starting Point for Policies and Consent in One
iubenda earns a 3.0/5 value-fit score on our free/value ranking, with a 3.6/5 overall in our full iubenda review. It is the most legally credible free starting point for a new, very low-traffic site. The free plan covers sites under 1,000 pageviews per month. Above that threshold, the banner is disabled entirely, making it the hardest free cliff on this list. For a per-site billing comparison, see Consently vs iubenda. Past 1,000 pageviews, see iubenda alternatives.
Key Features
iubenda pairs the most credible legal documents with a free banner that caps hard at 1,000 pageviews.
-
Free plan: sites under 1,000 pageviews/month, 1-language privacy and cookie policy, consent log.
-
2,400+ lawyer-drafted policy clauses across 27 languages.
-
Google-certified CMP, IAB TCF 2.2, Google Consent Mode v2, WCAG AAA, ISO 27001:2017.
-
Founded 2011, 150,000+ customers across 400,000+ sites and apps.
-
Banner branding removal gated to the Ultimate tier at EUR 79.99/$99.99 per site per month.
-
Twice-yearly scans on lower paid tiers.
-
Paid: EUR 4.99/$5.99 per site per month for Essentials; scaling to EUR 79.99/$99.99 per site per month for branding removal.
Pros
iubenda’s strengths are legal credibility, a long track record, and strong certifications.
-
The most legally credible free-tier policy documents available. The 2,400+ clause library is unmatched.
-
15 years in the market gives the strongest track record of any tool on this list.
-
Google CMP certified, IAB TCF 2.2, and ISO 27001:2017.
-
Free tier includes a consent log for sites under 1,000 pageviews.
-
27-language policy generation covers the broadest legal jurisdictions.
Cons
The 1,000-pageview banner cutoff, per-site billing, and weak setup score are the drawbacks.
-
Banner disabled entirely above 1,000 pageviews. The cliff is not a slowdown: the banner stops showing.
-
Per-site billing compounds: 5 sites at $5.99/mo is $29.95/mo, and branding removal alone costs $99.99 per site per month.
-
G2 Ease of Setup rating is 5.0/10, the lowest ease-of-setup score in our methodology.
-
Twice-yearly scans on lower paid tiers miss new cookies between scan cycles.
-
No terms and conditions generator on the free plan.
Pricing and Free-Tier Limits
iubenda bills per site per month, and removing its branding requires the top Ultimate tier.
| Plan | Price | Pageviews/mo | Branding removal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | EUR 0 | Under 1,000 | No |
| Essentials | EUR 4.99/$5.99/site/mo | Per tier | No |
| Ultimate (branding removal) | EUR 79.99/$99.99/site/mo | Per tier | Yes |
Upgrade trigger: 1,000 pageviews. Banner disables above that limit. Verify current pricing at iubenda.com/en/pricing.
What Users Say
The free plan disables the banner once a site exceeds 1,000 pageviews, the hardest free cliff I found in this evaluation. For a brand-new site or a personal project under 1,000 monthly visits, the free plan delivers the most legally credible documents available. For anything above that, the transition to paid is immediate and non-negotiable.
A positive note: iubenda’s lawyer-drafted clause library is genuinely differentiated. A 15-year-old product with ISO 27001 and a G2 rating above 4.0 is a credible choice for a compliance-first buyer who accepts the per-site pricing.
When a Free Tier Runs Out: Consently (Not Free, Our Non-Ranked Paid Upgrade Pick)
Consently is not free. It runs a 14-day full-feature trial, then starts at $99 a year. We include it here for one reason. It is the cheapest way to get every feature on every plan once a free tier’s caps, watermark, or upgrade cliff stop working for you. It scores 3.7/5 overall on our methodology.
Why Consently Fits When a Free Tier Runs Out
When you outgrow a free consent tool, the upgrade cliff is the problem. Cookiebot auto-upgrades you per domain. CookieYes charges $0.30 per 1,000 pageviews over the cap and prices per domain. iubenda bills per site and charges separately for branding removal.
CookieHub’s per-session overage stacks on paid plans. Termly licenses per website. The pattern: you pay more as you grow, and the math compounds.
Consently breaks that pattern with capacity-based pricing. Basic is $99/yr for 1 domain and 100,000 pageviews per month. Premium is $199/yr for 5 domains and 1,000,000 pageviews per month. Enterprise is $499/yr for 10 domains and 3,000,000 pageviews per month. Every plan includes the full feature set. That covers IAB TCF, Consent Mode v2, weekly scanning, three policy generators including Terms and Conditions, geo-targeting, 35-language banners, and live chat. No feature gating. No per-domain stacking.
For an agency running 5 client sites on CookieYes Basic, the monthly cost is $50 per month ($600/yr). Consently Premium covers those 5 domains for $199/yr, all features included. For a site that has outgrown CookieHub’s 1,000 session cap, Consently Basic at $99/yr covers 100,000 pageviews without per-session overages. A publisher that needs IAB TCF often hits Termly’s Pro+ per-website pricing. Consently’s $199/yr Premium covers 5 domains with IAB TCF and no per-site charge.
Key Features
Consently puts every feature on every plan, which is the point when a gated free tier stops fitting.
-
Cookie consent banner: 35 languages, customizable layouts, colours, fonts, custom CSS, live preview, and GDPR opt-in and CCPA opt-out templates.
-
Cookie and tracker scanner: detects cookies, trackers, scripts, and iframes. Weekly scheduled scans plus manual on-demand scans. Subdomain scanning supported. The scanner was revamped in early 2026, with the team reporting approximately 70 percent improvement in accuracy.
-
Auto-blocking: blocks non-essential cookies, scripts, and iframes before consent. Editable iframe placeholders.
-
Three policy generators: Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and Terms and Conditions. Multi-language policy output (10+ languages). The T&C generator is not available at CookieYes or Cookiebot.
-
Consent logs and analytics: timestamped consent records with export. Consent Mode v2 default (ad_storage, analytics_storage, ad_user_data, ad_personalization).
-
IAB TCF support on every plan (IAB TCF 2.2/2.3, verify current version).
-
EU (Frankfurt) data hosting (MongoDB Atlas, AWS, Upstash).
-
One-line script, GTM, WordPress plugin, and Cloudflare Zaraz installation.
-
All features on every plan: no IAB TCF gating, no geo-targeting gating, no weekly scan gating.
Best Use Cases
Three scenarios where Consently makes the most sense after a free tier.
-
Agency outgrowing per-domain free tiers: an agency managing 5 or more client sites hits the per-domain pricing wall fast on CookieYes, Cookiebot, or Termly. Consently Premium covers 5 domains for $199/yr with no per-domain stacking. See the best CMP for agencies for the full agency-oriented analysis.
-
A small site that hit a free pageview or session cap: once CookieHub’s 1,000-session free tier or CookieYes’s 5,000-pageview free tier is exhausted, Consently Basic at $99/yr covers 100,000 pageviews per month without usage-based overages.
-
A publisher needing IAB TCF: every free tier on this list gates IAB TCF to a paid plan. Consently includes IAB TCF on every plan, including the entry-level Basic at $99/yr.
Pros
Consently’s strengths are flat all-inclusive pricing and the features free tiers gate.
-
All features on every plan: IAB TCF, Consent Mode v2, weekly scanning, three policy generators, and live chat are included at the $99/yr entry tier.
-
Flat multi-domain pricing: 5 domains for $199/yr versus CookieYes Ultimate at $2,750/yr for 5 domains.
-
Includes a Terms and Conditions generator, which neither CookieYes nor Cookiebot offers.
-
EU (Frankfurt) data hosting for GDPR data-residency.
-
14-day full-feature trial, no credit card required.
Cons
The honest limitations start with the one that matters most on this page: there is no free plan.
-
No free-forever plan. The most honest limitation for this page: Consently offers a 14-day trial only. If you need zero ongoing cost, Consently is not the answer.
-
Pre-revamp scanner reliability was a documented concern. Early AppSumo users reported scans queuing without completing. The team shipped a scanner revamp and reports approximately 70 percent accuracy improvement. Still worth testing against your specific site before committing.
-
No native mobile SDK. Consently has no native iOS or Android SDK. App-based consent workflows are not supported.
-
No client sub-accounts. Agency use runs from a single account. There are no separate client logins or white-label dashboards.
For the hands-on detail, read our full Consently review.
Pricing (Note: 14-Day Trial, Not a Free Plan)
Consently prices by capacity, not by feature tier, so every plan includes the full toolset.
| Plan | Price | Domains | Pageviews/mo | All features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $99/yr ($8.25/mo equivalent) | 1 | 100,000 | Yes |
| Premium | $199/yr ($16.50/mo equivalent) | 5 | 1,000,000 | Yes |
| Enterprise | $499/yr ($41.50/mo equivalent) | 10 | 3,000,000 | Yes |
14-day trial, no credit card. All features on every plan. No per-domain stacking. Multi-site dashboard on Premium and Enterprise. Live chat on all plans. Verify current pricing at consently.net/pricing.
Try Consently free for 14 days, no credit card required. The signup link is in the verdict below.
What Users Say
Early adopters praise the scanner and banner, with the pre-revamp reliability the main caveat.
“The auto-scanning feature saves me so much time.” (AppSumo reviewer, 5 stars, verified.) The same reviewer found matching the banner to their brand was straightforward.
On the balanced side: early users reported the scanner occasionally queuing without completing. The team shipped a revamp, and the improvement is documented. The fair read is that the scanner is substantially better than version one, but worth testing on your own site before a long-term commitment.
Which Free Cookie Consent Tool Should You Choose?
Complianz (value-fit 4.1, overall 3.9) is the top pick for this list. Its uncapped self-hosted free tier on WordPress and Shopify is the strongest free offer available. CookieScript (value-fit 3.8) is the runner-up for any hosted use case that needs two free domains.
The routing by need:
-
Most generous hosted free domains (2 domains, 10k pageviews each): CookieScript.
-
Highest free pageview allowance (~25k/mo, single site): CookieHub.
-
Free DSAR handling and policies bundled: Enzuzo.
-
Developers and open-source advocates: Osano (free OSS library).
-
Easiest setup, multi-law compliance on one small site: CookieYes (but note the recent free-tier narrowing).
-
Best automated scanning on one small site: Cookiebot (but prepare for the 50-page cliff and the reported auto-upgrade).
-
Attorney-backed legal documents as the priority: Termly (free plan is limited; paid plans open up the full suite).
-
Maximum legal credibility on one very low-traffic site (under 1,000 pageviews): iubenda.
Here is what free really costs. Every free tier has a ceiling, and almost every tool gates IAB TCF, GPC, and Consent Mode records behind a paid plan. When those ceilings become a business problem, even a free banner beats running no banner at all. For the broader paid landscape, see the best consent management platform guide and the best cookie consent tools roundup.
When you outgrow free, Consently is the cheapest all-features paid upgrade. Basic at $99/yr covers 1 domain and 100,000 pageviews with every feature, and Premium covers 5 domains for $199/yr. Agencies running several client sites feel the per-domain math first, the scenario the agency section above addresses.
Try Consently free for 14 days, no credit card
FAQs
Is Cookie Consent Required in the US?
Cookie consent is required for certain US state laws rather than a single federal rule. CCPA/CPRA (California), VCDPA (Virginia), CPA (Colorado), and similar state laws require an opt-out mechanism for data selling or sharing, not an opt-in consent banner. If your site sells or shares personal data, an opt-out banner is required in states with enacted privacy laws. If your site targets EU visitors, GDPR requires opt-in consent regardless of where the site is hosted. Most free tools on this list cover both models. Verify which laws apply to your specific site before choosing.
Are Free Cookie Consent Tools Actually Safe and GDPR Compliant?
A free cookie consent tool can be GDPR compliant if it blocks non-essential cookies before consent and logs that consent. Many free tiers on this list do both. The risk is in the limits: IAB TCF, Records of Consent, and Google Consent Mode records are gated to paid tiers at most tools. A free banner that shows the consent form but does not block trackers, or does not log consent properly, creates compliance gaps. Verify that your specific free plan includes auto-blocking and a consent log before treating it as production-ready. Tools that lack a consent log on the free tier technically let visitors click “accept” with no auditable record.
What Is the Best Free Cookie Consent Plugin for WordPress?
The best free cookie consent plugins for WordPress are Complianz (self-hosted, no pageview caps, 1 million+ installs) and CookieYes (free-forever 5,000 pageviews, auto-blocking). Complianz is the stronger free pick if you want no usage caps and are comfortable with plugin configuration. CookieYes is better for non-technical users who want a fast setup. Both are available from the WordPress plugin directory.
Which of These Tools Is Genuinely Free Forever?
The tools with genuine free-forever plans are CookieYes, CookieScript, CookieHub, Termly, Complianz (the WordPress plugin), Osano Solo, and Enzuzo. Each is free within its stated usage caps. The open-source Silktide Consent Manager is free forever with no caps at all. Cookiebot’s free tier is technically permanent, but the 50-subpage ceiling and the reported card-driven auto-upgrade make it effectively a trial for most sites. iubenda’s free plan is also permanent but disables the banner above 1,000 pageviews. Consently is not free-forever: it is a 14-day trial, then paid from $99/yr.
What Happens When I Outgrow a Free Cookie Consent Plan?
When a free plan cap is hit, one of four things happens depending on the tool. The banner stops showing entirely (iubenda above 1,000 pageviews, CookieHub above 1,000 sessions). The tool begins charging overages automatically (CookieYes at $0.30/1,000 pageviews above 5,000, CookieHub on paid plans per session). The tool auto-upgrades you to a paid tier using the card you entered (Cookiebot). Or the banner continues showing with a watermark or feature restrictions (Termly). The safest path when you outgrow a free plan is to switch to a paid tool with clear capacity pricing and no overage traps. Consently’s Basic plan at $99/yr covers 100,000 pageviews per month with all features and no overage billing.
Do Free Cookie Banners Block Trackers Before Consent?
Some do, some do not. Pre-consent blocking (auto-blocking) is available on the free tiers of CookieYes, Complianz (basic mode), Osano, and Enzuzo. It is limited or absent elsewhere. Termly’s free tier uses quarterly scans and basic blocking, CookieHub’s can malfunction with some caching plugins, and iubenda gates auto-blocking to paid on most tiers. Cookiebot’s free plan includes only manual blocking, not automatic. A banner that does not block trackers before consent is not GDPR compliant for consent-required cookies. Verify auto-blocking is enabled and working on your specific install before treating the free tier as production-ready.
