Consently is an all-in-one hosted CMP by Dorik. It runs on any platform via one script, with every feature on every plan and flat multi-domain pricing. Cookiebot is the established, Google-certified, scanner-led CMP by Usercentrics that prices per domain and by subpage count. The right pick depends on your setup. Cookiebot is the higher-scoring (4.0/5), more-proven option for a single site that stays inside one plan tier. Consently (3.7/5) wins when you run multiple sites, want every feature on the entry plan, or want flat pricing with no per-domain or auto-upgrade surprises. We publish this comparison as one of the two products reviewed, scored on the same public rubric applied to every CMP we evaluate.
Consently vs Cookiebot: Which Should You Choose?
Cookiebot is the stronger pick if you run one site that fits a single plan tier and want the most-certified, most-proven automated scanner. Consently wins if you run multiple sites or want every feature on the entry plan, including IAB TCF, consent records, and a terms generator. It also wins if you want flat pricing with no per-domain, per-subdomain, or auto-upgrade surprises. Cookiebot scores 4.0/5 to Consently's 3.7/5 on the same public rubric we apply to every CMP.
On pricing, the structural gap is largest for anyone managing more than one site. G2 reviewers tag Cookiebot "Expensive" more than any other theme. One reviewer noted the cost can climb sharply with larger traffic or multiple domains. That complaint is grounded in the per-domain billing model. Every domain (and every subdomain) gets its own bill. An automatic tier upgrade fires whenever a monthly scan finds more subpages than the current tier allows. Consently's flat capacity model does not auto-upgrade, does not count subdomains separately, and includes everything on the $99/year entry plan. For a single small site, Cookiebot can be cheaper or even free. For anything else, the math moves fast.
How We Score Both Products
We rate every consent management platform across seven weighted dimensions, from 1.0 to 5.0, then take the weighted average as the overall score. The full rubric is published at how we score consent management software.
The Consently team publishes this comparison. We compete with Cookiebot in the consent category and scored both tools on the same public rubric. Neither product is exempt, and Cookiebot's higher overall score reflects its stronger compliance coverage, scanning depth, and track record.
| Dimension (weight) | Consently | Cookiebot |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance and framework coverage (25%) | 3.5/5 | 5.0/5 |
| Cookie scanning and auto-blocking (20%) | 3.0/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Banner and consent experience (15%) | 4.0/5 | 4.0/5 |
| Ease of setup and integrations (15%) | 4.0/5 | 3.5/5 |
| Pricing and value (15%) | 4.5/5 | 2.5/5 |
| Performance and reliability (5%) | 3.5/5 | 3.5/5 |
| Support and reputation (5%) | 3.0/5 | 3.5/5 |
| Overall | 3.7/5 | 4.0/5 |
Cookiebot leads on compliance and scanning, the two heaviest dimensions. Consently leads only on setup and pricing. That split is the entire story of this comparison.
Consently vs Cookiebot at a Glance
The table below covers every significant dimension, scored and sourced from live product pages verified 2026-06-29.
| Consently | Cookiebot | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 3.7/5 | 4.0/5 |
| Pricing model | Flat capacity (domains + pageviews), all features every plan | Per-domain, tiered by subpage count, subdomains billed separately |
| Starting paid price | $99/yr (1 domain, 100K pageviews/mo) | Free $0 (1 domain, 50 subpages); then Lite $8/mo |
| Multi-site cost | $199/yr for 5 domains; $499/yr for 10 | ~$960/yr for 5 small sites (5 x $16/mo/domain x 12) |
| Billing surprises | None (no forced tier jumps, no auto-upgrade) | Plans automatically upgrade when a scan finds more subpages; August 2025 base-price increase |
| Free plan | 14-day trial, no credit card (no free-forever tier; banner keeps running) | Perpetual free for 1 domain / 50 subpages, but no customization, geotargeting, analytics, or email support |
| Feature gating | None (everything on every plan) | Geotargeting + customization from Lite; A/B testing, cross-device consent, SSO, user roles are Advanced-only |
| Policy generators | 3 (cookie policy, privacy policy, terms and conditions) | 2 (privacy policy generator + auto cookie declaration; no terms generator) |
| Cookie scanning | Full-site + weekly + on-demand (cookies, trackers, scripts, iframes) | Patented scanner, 13,000+ cookie repository, monthly + on-demand; daily scanning is a paid add-on |
| Auto-blocking | Yes (scripts + trackers before consent) | Yes (scripts + trackers before consent) |
| Platform reach | Any head-script platform via one script + official WordPress plugin | WordPress plugin + Wix app + Shopify app + script for any platform |
| Google Consent Mode v2 | Yes, every plan | Yes, every plan |
| IAB TCF | Yes (2.3, every plan) | Yes (every plan) |
| GPC (Global Privacy Control) | No | Yes (auto-honored) |
| Certifications | Google AC v2 (CMP Partner listing pending) | Google Gold Tier CMP, Microsoft UET, Amazon signal, IAB Europe |
| Languages | 35 banner / 10+ policy | 47+ banner (60+ on Advanced) |
| Support | Live chat on every plan | Email on Premium, none on Free; no live chat on self-serve |
| Multi-site dashboard | Single hosted account, any platform | Per-domain; reseller/partner program; unlimited domains on Advanced |
| Track record | ~8 months; ~4.0/5 (~27 AppSumo reviews); DR 17 | 14 years; G2 4.2/179; Capterra 4.3/52; Trustpilot 3.4/290; 600,000+ customers; DR 90 |
What Is Cookiebot?
Cookiebot is a Google-certified, scanner-led CMP by Usercentrics. It automatically scans a website for cookies and trackers, auto-blocks them before consent, displays a customizable banner, and logs consent. It signals that consent to Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and IAB TCF ad-tech platforms. It targets SMBs, marketing teams, agencies, and enterprise-scale sites via Usercentrics Advanced.
Founded in 2012 and merged into Usercentrics in 2021, Cookiebot is now one of the recognized incumbents in the CMP market. It covers 600,000+ customers, 2.4 million websites and apps, 8.8 billion monthly consents, and holds a 99%+ stated customer retention rate. Its patented scanning technology claims to detect 63% more data-processing services than any competing solution. It is backed by a repository of 13,000+ known cookie entries. On certifications, it holds Google Gold Tier CMP status with full Consent Mode v2 and IAB TCF support. It also carries Microsoft UET Consent Mode, an Amazon consent signal, and automatic GPC honoring. G2 reviewers praise it for automated scanning ("finding all cookies without manual effort"), Google Ads continuity, and reliability. For the standalone scored breakdown, see our full Cookiebot review. Cookiebot earns 4.0/5 on our rubric, the higher score in this comparison.
What Is Consently?
Consently is an all-in-one hosted CMP by Dorik, Inc. It runs on any platform via a single JavaScript snippet, with every feature on every plan and flat multi-domain pricing. It targets cost-conscious SMBs and agencies managing multiple client sites. It also fits e-commerce and content publishers who want full-featured cookie compliance without per-domain billing or feature walls.
Launched in October 2025 and built by the profitable Dorik team (operating since 2020), Consently is a younger product with a thinner review base. Every plan includes IAB TCF 2.3, Google Consent Mode v2, consent records with export, weekly automated scans, and geotargeting. Every plan also includes 35 banner languages, live chat support, and three policy generators covering cookie policy, privacy policy, and terms and conditions. EU data hosting (Frankfurt) is standard. Consently earns 3.7/5 on our rubric, the lower overall score. The honest frame is that Cookiebot is the more mature, more certified, more battle-tested product. Consently's case is pricing structure and feature access, not outright product superiority.
Pricing: Per-Domain Subpage Tiers vs Flat Multi-Domain Plans
Cookiebot prices per domain, tiered by how many subpages that domain has, and counts subdomains as separate domains. Costs stack across sites and climb as any site grows. Consently charges one flat capacity price ($199/year for five domains, all features included). The structural difference matters most once you have more than one site.
Cookiebot Pricing
Cookiebot's live US tiers run per domain and per month, verified at cookiebot.com/us/pricing. The tiers are listed below.
- Free: $0, 1 domain, up to 50 subpages, manual blocking only, 1 language, no customization or analytics
- Premium Lite: $8/month, up to 50 subpages, 1 domain, custom banner, branding, 47+ languages, geotargeting
- Premium Small: $16/domain/month (four or more domains) or $34/domain/month (one to three domains), up to 350 subpages
- Premium Medium: $34/domain/month, 350 to 3,499 subpages
- Premium Large: $56/domain/month, 3,500 to 6,999 subpages
- Premium XLarge: $96/domain/month, 7,000+ subpages
- Advanced (Usercentrics): contact sales, session-based pricing
Three pricing traps to know:
- Per-domain billing with no flat multi-site bundle on self-serve tiers.
- Subdomains count as separate domains (blog.example.com and shop.example.com are two separate billable domains; path-based locales like example.com/en and example.com/fr are one).
- Plans automatically upgrade when a monthly scan finds more subpages than the current tier allows. Cookiebot's pricing page states verbatim: "Plans automatically upgrade depending on your website's number of subpages." You find out on the next invoice. An August 2025 base-price increase has compounded these surprises for long-standing subscribers.
Daily scanning on Free also costs extra (+EUR 99/month, still billed in EUR even on the US pricing page).
Consently Pricing
Consently's three tiers (billed annually):
- Basic: $99/year ($8.25/month), 1 domain, 100,000 pageviews/month, all features
- Premium: $199/year ($16.50/month), 5 domains, 1,000,000 pageviews/month, all features
- Enterprise: $499/year ($41.50/month), 10 domains, 3,000,000 pageviews/month, all features
Key distinctions: every feature is available on every plan; the only variable is domains and pageview capacity. Subdomains are not counted as separate domains (one domain slot covers your full root domain and all its subdomains). Consently never auto-upgrades, and banner protection continues up to the pageview limit before you're notified. No credit card is required for the 14-day trial. There is no free-forever tier (Cookiebot has one at 1 domain / 50 subpages, without customization or analytics).
Which Is Cheaper for Your Setup?
For a single small site, Cookiebot can be cheaper or even free. Its Free plan covers one domain up to 50 subpages. Its Lite plan ($8/month) beats Consently's Basic ($8.25/month). For multiple sites, Consently wins by a wide margin: five small sites on Cookiebot's $16/domain/month Small tier run about $960/year. Consently Premium covers five domains, on any platform, with every feature, for $199/year. The more sites you manage (or the more subdomains each has), the wider the gap. G2 reviewers call Cookiebot "Expensive" more than any other label; the per-domain billing model is the reason.
Feature Gating: All-Features-on-Every-Plan vs Cookiebot's Tier Wall
Cookiebot gates key features by tier. The Free plan withholds banner customization, geotargeting, the analytics dashboard, and email support. It also limits you to one language, caps consent expiry at one month, and only blocks cookies manually. Geotargeting, branding, and advanced reporting open up at Lite. A/B testing, cross-device consent sharing, SSO, user roles, and 60+ languages are Advanced-only. One G2 reviewer put it plainly. You "seem to be forced into a premium account," even though the free tier is promoted on the pricing page.
Consently includes every feature on the entry $99/year plan. That covers IAB TCF 2.3, consent records, weekly scans, geotargeting, three policy generators, and live chat. There is no feature wall. The honest concession is that Cookiebot's Advanced tier genuinely adds capabilities Consently does not offer on any plan. Those include A/B testing on banner design, cross-device consent sharing, bulk domain editing, SSO and MFA, a dedicated Customer Success Manager, and 60+ languages. If any of those enterprise features matter to you, Consently is not the right fit.
Cookie Scanning, Blocking, and Reliability
Cookiebot has the more mature scanner. Its patented technology scans over a repository of 13,000+ known cookie entries and scans behind login on authenticated pages. It claims to detect 63% more data-processing services than competing solutions. G2 reviewers consistently praise it. One calls the "automatic scanning feature super helpful," finding all cookies without manual effort. Monthly automated scanning is included on all paid tiers, and daily scanning costs extra.
Consently's scanner is younger and less battle-tested. It runs full-site weekly automated scans on every plan, covers cookies, trackers, scripts, and iframes, and supports on-demand manual scans. The vendor reports approximately 70% scanning improvement after a 2025 revamp. That followed an early complaint in which one user reported a scan queuing for 12 hours without completing. The scanner is functional and improving. Still, a shorter track record and a smaller cookie repository mean Cookiebot has the clearer scanning depth edge. Both platforms auto-block scripts and trackers before user consent is given. Cookiebot blocks by preventing HTML elements from loading, while Consently blocks cookie-setting scripts and iframes by category. Neither implementation is unique, but Cookiebot's is more documented and longer-proven.
Setup and Ease of Use: One Hosted Script vs the Usercentrics Admin
Consently installs via a single hosted JavaScript snippet dropped into any site's head or through Google Tag Manager. There is one dashboard, one login, and live chat help on every plan. AppSumo reviewers report going live in under 30 minutes, including scan, banner design, and policy generation. The setup path is deliberately minimal.
Cookiebot installs via script, GTM, or native plugins (WordPress, Wix, Shopify). That breadth is genuine. Reviewers call the GTM integration "simple" and note the setup is well-documented. Where Cookiebot loses points is the dashboard experience after Usercentrics' migration. Reviewers describe an "unintuitive admin dashboard" that makes setup harder than it should be. They also cite "three separate platforms with different logins" depending on when the account was set up. The judgment is that it is "not truly plug and play" without correct GTM and Consent Mode configuration. If you use native platform apps (WordPress, Wix, Shopify), the install path is smoother. If you use GTM on a custom stack, plan for the config time.
Compliance, Certifications, and Policy Documents
Cookiebot holds the stronger certification stack. It is a Google Gold Tier CMP and fully supports Google Consent Mode v2 and IAB TCF. It carries Microsoft UET Consent Mode and an Amazon consent signal. It also automatically honors the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal, so opt-out-by-browser is respected without user action. Its compliance coverage spans 50+ jurisdictions including EU/UK, US state laws, LGPD, APAC, and Africa. It also meets WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards.
Consently matches the core frameworks on every plan: GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, Google Consent Mode v2, and IAB TCF 2.3 (with separated TCF and Consent Mode settings). It holds Google Additional Consent (AC v2) certification. Its Google CMP Partner listing is pending. It does not currently support GPC. Coverage beyond the major EU and US frameworks (LGPD, APAC, PIPEDA, and others) is listed. Verify individual depth for specific jurisdictions before relying on it.
Where Consently wins is policy documents. Both platforms generate a cookie policy and a privacy policy. Consently adds a terms and conditions generator on every plan, in 10+ languages. Cookiebot offers a privacy policy generator and an auto-generated cookie declaration, but no standalone terms generator. For a business that wants all three legal documents from one tool, Consently has the edge.
Support, Billing, and Track Record
Consently includes live chat support on every plan. Email support (support@consently.net) is also available, and priority support applies on the Premium and Enterprise tiers. The product is 8 months old, and its review base is thin. It carries approximately 27 AppSumo reviews at around 4.0/5, with no G2, Capterra, or Trustpilot presence yet. The honest read is that Consently has not yet earned a deep, cross-platform review record. That is a real limitation for buyers who need third-party validation.
Cookiebot offers email support on Premium plans and reserves priority access for enterprise customers. There is no live chat for self-serve users. The help center and developer docs are extensive, and the support documentation is consistently praised. On billing, the auto-upgrade mechanism and a 2025 base-price increase have driven sustained complaints on G2 and Trustpilot. Trustpilot sits at 3.4/5 across 290 reviews, a notably lower sentiment signal than G2's 4.2/5. Cookiebot's own pricing page states plans upgrade automatically when scan subpage counts exceed the current tier. The billing event is documented and not hidden, but it fires without explicit user action.
The track record comparison is not close. Cookiebot has 14 years, 600,000+ customers, a G2 4.2/179 rating, a Capterra 4.3/52 rating, and the 2026 G2 Best Software Award. Consently has 8 months and a small AppSumo base. For buyers where third-party validation and long-term stability signals matter, Cookiebot has an overwhelming depth advantage.
Multi-Site and Agency Management
For agencies and multi-site owners, Consently's flat multi-domain pricing and single hosted dashboard across any platform are the cost and simplicity wins. Consently's flat multi-domain pricing covers five domains at $199/year (any platform, every feature, one login, one dashboard). Managing client sites means using the site selector within one account. The limit is that Consently has no true per-client sub-account dashboards or separate client logins on any self-serve tier. All client sites run from your single account.
Cookiebot has a reseller and partner program (6,000+ partners). Its Advanced tier offers unlimited domains with enterprise SLAs, a dedicated CSM, and bulk editing. For large agency portfolios that need enterprise governance, Cookiebot's partner track and Usercentrics Advanced are genuinely competitive. On the self-serve tiers where most agencies operate, though, per-domain billing is the exact pain WordPress and agency users raise most. They report Cookiebot charging separately for domains, subdomains, and even site size, so costs stack as the portfolio grows. User and billing management is also weak. One reviewer noted the "inability to add users means I can't add a billing contact." Neither tool delivers true white-label per-client sub-account dashboards on self-serve. The difference is how much the billing model costs as the portfolio grows.
Consently vs Cookiebot: The Verdict
Cookiebot scores 4.0/5 and Consently scores 3.7/5 on our methodology rubric. Cookiebot is the higher-scoring, more-proven, more-certified product overall. Its scanner is more mature, and its certification stack is deeper (Gold Tier CMP, GPC, Microsoft UET). Its 14-year track record and 600,000+ customer base provide third-party validation Consently cannot yet match. Consently wins on pricing structure, feature access, and support for multi-site buyers.
Choose Cookiebot if:
- You run a single site that comfortably fits one plan tier and will not trigger automatic subpage-based upgrades
- You need the most-certified automated scanner (Google Gold Tier, 13,000+ cookie repository, scanning behind login)
- You need GPC auto-honoring, A/B testing on banner design, cross-device consent sharing, SSO, or 47+ languages
- You need Microsoft UET Consent Mode for Microsoft Ads measurement
- You weight a deep, long-standing review base and a 14-year compliance track record
- You work with a WordPress, Wix, or Shopify native app installation
Choose Consently if:
- You run multiple sites or client sites and want flat, predictable pricing ($199/year for five domains, any platform, every feature) instead of per-domain billing and automatic tier upgrades
- You want every feature (IAB TCF 2.3, consent records, weekly scans, geotargeting, and a terms generator) on the entry plan with no feature walls
- You want live chat support on every plan without paying enterprise rates
- You have been burned by Cookiebot's billing surprises and want transparent capacity-based pricing with no forced tier jumps
- You run content-heavy sites with moderate traffic (more pages than visitors) where Consently's pageview-based pricing beats Cookiebot's subpage-based model
Some buyers will fit neither tool. For them, the roundup of the best Cookiebot alternatives covers the wider CMP market with scored options for each use case. If Consently fits your setup, Start free with Consently, 14 days with every feature and no credit card required.
FAQs
Is Consently better than Cookiebot?
Not on the overall scorecard. Cookiebot scores 4.0/5 to Consently's 3.7/5 on our rubric, earned by its mature scanner, Google Gold Tier certification, GPC honoring, and deep review base. Consently is better for a specific buyer: multiple sites, agencies, all-features-on-the-entry-plan, a terms generator, live chat, and flat pricing with no auto-upgrade surprises. The better choice depends on how many sites you run and which features matter to your use case.
Why is Cookiebot so expensive for multiple domains?
Cookiebot prices per domain, tiered by how many subpages each domain has, and counts subdomains as separate domains. Costs multiply across sites and climb as any site grows. An automatic tier upgrade fires when a monthly scan detects more subpages than the current plan allows. A 2025 base-price increase added to the cost of existing subscriptions. Five small sites (under 350 subpages each) cost roughly $960/year. That is the core billing complaint G2 reviewers raise under the "Expensive" tag, which appears more than any other theme.
Does Cookiebot have a free plan, and what does it leave out?
Yes. Cookiebot has a perpetual Free plan for one domain up to 50 subpages. What it leaves out is significant: no banner customization, no geotargeting, no analytics dashboard, and no email support. Only one language is available. Consent expiry is capped at one month. Cookie blocking is manual only. Reviewers note that the Free plan pushes users toward paid tiers. One G2 reviewer said you "seem to be forced into a premium account." Consently has no free-forever tier, offering a 14-day trial instead. It includes every feature from the first day of a paid plan.
Is Consently cheaper than Cookiebot for multiple sites?
Yes, for multiple sites or larger sites. Consently's $199/year Premium plan covers five domains on any platform with every feature. Cookiebot bills each domain separately, roughly $960/year for five small sites at $16/month/domain. Subdomains add further cost on Cookiebot but are free under the same root domain on Consently. For a single small site, Cookiebot can be cheaper or even free. The cost advantage flips decisively once you reach two or more domains.
Does Consently support Google Consent Mode v2 and IAB TCF like Cookiebot?
Yes. Both platforms support Google Consent Mode v2 and IAB TCF, available on every plan for both products. The difference is Cookiebot's wider certification stack. It holds Google Gold Tier CMP status, Microsoft UET Consent Mode, an Amazon consent signal, and automatic Global Privacy Control (GPC) honoring. Consently currently matches none of those. Consently holds Google Additional Consent (AC v2) certification, with its full Google CMP Partner listing pending. The core compliance frameworks are covered by both; the gap is in certification depth and platform-specific signals.
Does Cookiebot have a terms and conditions generator?
No. Cookiebot offers a privacy policy generator and an auto-generated cookie declaration, but no standalone terms and conditions generator. Consently includes three policy generators on every plan, all in 10+ languages. They are a cookie policy generator, a privacy policy generator, and a terms and conditions generator. For a business that wants all three legal documents generated and hosted in one tool, Consently has the advantage.
Can I switch from Cookiebot to Consently?
There is no one-click import. Consently requires a fresh setup with a few guided steps. Add your site, install the one-line script in your header or through Google Tag Manager, run a cookie scan, then publish your banner. Generate your policies from the guided questionnaires. Most teams complete the full deployment in under 30 minutes. Live chat support is available on every plan during the process. A 14-day free trial with no credit card lets you validate the setup before committing.
Which is easier to set up, Consently or Cookiebot?
Both install via a script or through Google Tag Manager, and both have documented setup guides. Consently's setup path is simpler by design: one hosted script, one dashboard, one login, and live chat if you get stuck. AppSumo reviewers consistently report going live in under 30 minutes. Cookiebot offers native apps for WordPress, Wix, and Shopify, which makes setup fast on those platforms. On custom stacks via GTM, it needs correct Consent Mode and tag configuration. Reviewers describe it as "not truly plug and play" without that work. They also note a dated dashboard and "three separate platforms with different logins" depending on when the account was set up.
Is Cookiebot good for agencies managing many client sites?
Cookiebot has a formal reseller and partner program (6,000+ partners). Its Advanced enterprise tier scales to unlimited domains with bulk editing and a dedicated Customer Success Manager, which is genuinely capable at large agency scale. The self-serve tier problem is per-domain billing. Every client site (and every client subdomain) is a separate line item, which is the exact cost complaint agencies raise most. User and billing management is weak too (one reviewer cited the inability to add a billing contact). Consently counters with flat multi-domain pricing and one hosted dashboard, though it also lacks true per-client sub-account dashboards on self-serve. For agencies where volume and governance trump cost, Cookiebot's enterprise path is real. For freelancers and small agencies managing five to ten sites on a budget, Consently's model is the more practical fit.
