CookieFirst scores 3.8 out of 5 in our review. Consently scores 3.7. CookieFirst wins overall, and it wins on compliance depth, certifications, setup maturity, and language coverage. Consently wins on pricing for multi-site buyers, policy breadth, and IAB TCF access at the entry tier. The right pick depends on how many sites you run and whether you need three policy documents or one. It also depends on how much the ISO 27001 certification stack matters to your buyer profile.
How We Score Both Tools
Full disclosure: Consently is our product. We scored it on the same seven-dimension rubric we apply to every tool we review, with no exemption and no default first-place position. CookieFirst's 3.8 versus Consently's 3.7 is the honest output of running both through the same evidence procedure.
We scored each tool across seven weighted dimensions. The evidence is each tool's current pricing page, live product documentation, verified user reviews (Capterra, Trustpilot, Crozdesk, G2), and a page-speed measurement. The weights reflect what a CMP buyer actually relies on.
| Dimension | Weight | CookieFirst | Consently |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance and framework coverage | 25% | 4.0/5 | 3.5/5 |
| Cookie scanning and auto-blocking | 20% | 3.5/5 | 3.0/5 |
| Banner and consent experience | 15% | 4.0/5 | 4.0/5 |
| Ease of setup and integrations | 15% | 4.5/5 | 4.0/5 |
| Pricing and value | 15% | 3.0/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Performance and reliability | 5% | 4.0/5 | 3.5/5 |
| Support and reputation | 5% | 3.5/5 | 3.0/5 |
| Our score | 3.8/5 | 3.7/5 |
CookieFirst earns its higher score through ISO 27001 and SOC infrastructure, a more established scanning history, ease-of-setup praise, and seven years of customers. Consently earns its pricing score two ways. It includes every feature on every plan, and it bundles five domains for $199 per year versus roughly five times that on CookieFirst. See our full methodology for the evidence procedure and weights.
What Is CookieFirst?
CookieFirst is a Netherlands-based cookie consent management platform now owned by iubenda, part of the team.blue group, following an acquisition on January 20, 2025. It automates cookie scanning, third-party script blocking, and consent logging. Its generator produces a cookie policy only, which auto-updates from monthly scans. For the standalone breakdown, see our full CookieFirst review.
CookieFirst launched in 2019 and runs on DigitalOcean's AMS3 datacenter in Amsterdam (ISO 27001, SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II, PCI-DSS certified). It carries roughly 5,000 customers, including enterprise logos such as Vogue, Hyundai, InterContinental Hotels, Amnesty International, and Elsevier. It is a Google Certified CMP Partner and supports IAB TCF 2.2. Both are gated to the Plus plan at €19 per month per domain.
Self-serve plans are priced per domain. Free is very limited, Basic costs €9 per month or €99 per year, and Plus costs €19 per month or €209 per year. Pricing is shown ex-VAT. The reseller program lets agencies manage client sites from one portal and mark up pricing at a 30% discount.
What Is Consently?
Consently is an all-in-one consent management platform built by Dorik, Inc., a profitable website-builder company operating since 2020. It launched in October 2025 and targets cost-conscious site owners, web agencies, and developers managing multiple client sites. Its core idea is flat capacity-based pricing: every feature on every plan, with the only variables being domain count and monthly pageview allowance. Subdomains do not count as separate domains, so one domain slot covers a full site and all its subdomains.
Consently includes three policy generators (cookie, privacy, and terms and conditions) on every plan. It adds automatic full-site scanning with weekly scheduled scans, IAB TCF 2.3 support, and 35-language banners, all from the $99 per year Basic plan. It hosts data in Frankfurt (EU) and holds Google Additional Consent AC v2 certification. Its Google CMP Partner listing is pending approval. It has no ISO 27001 or SOC certifications yet, which keeps its compliance score lower than CookieFirst's.
Consently has no organic G2 or Capterra review base yet; its only external ratings come from AppSumo buyers (4.0/5, approximately 25 reviews). This is an honest limitation and part of why the support and reputation dimension scores 3.0.
Consently vs CookieFirst: Head-to-Head Comparison
Pricing
CookieFirst prices per domain. Consently prices per capacity bundle. For one domain, the entry cost is similar. For multiple domains, the difference compounds fast. The per-domain tiers below come from CookieFirst's pricing, verified live.
| Scenario | CookieFirst (ex-VAT) | Consently (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 domain, annual | €99 (Basic) | $99 (Basic) |
| 5 domains, annual | ~€495 (5 Basic plans) | $199 (Premium) |
| 10 domains, annual | ~€990 (10 Basic plans) | $499 (Enterprise) |
| IAB TCF 2.x access | Plus only, €209/domain/yr | All plans, from $99/yr |
| Consent audit trails | Plus only, €209/domain/yr | All plans, from $99/yr |
| White-label preferences panel | Plus only, €209/domain/yr | Included (no white-label panel concept; banner is fully customizable) |
CookieFirst has a free forever plan, which Consently does not. If you need a permanently free tier, CookieFirst is the only option here. The free plan is heavily limited: one script, one language, one-time scan only, no banner customization, no statistics, and no audit trails.
Consently offers a 14-day free trial on every plan with no credit card required. CookieFirst also offers a 14-day free trial.
Verdict: Consently wins pricing for anyone running two or more sites, or anyone wanting IAB TCF without paying for Plus. CookieFirst wins for single-site buyers where the free plan is viable, or for EU-VAT buyers comfortable with per-domain economics.
Cookie Scanning and Script Blocking
Both products scan automatically and block third-party scripts before consent. The scanning implementations differ in frequency, scope, and plan access.
CookieFirst scanning:
- Monthly scans on paid plans (one-time only on Free)
- Scans cookies and local storage
- Auto-updates cookie policy from scan results
- Scanner settings gated to Plus plan only
- Consistent "easy to implement" praise on Capterra
- One Capterra reviewer disputes consent statistics accuracy. Their words: "Based on server analytics we don't have a 80% consent rate like the statistics page shows, but of 50%"
Consently scanning:
- Weekly scheduled scans on all plans
- Detects cookies, trackers, scripts, and iframes (broader scope than cookie-only)
- Manual on-demand scans and manual URL list for unlinked funnel pages
- Scanner settings accessible on all plans
- An AppSumo-era scanner accuracy revamp shipped; edge cases with advanced script blocking still documented in the product's own feedback board
Verdict: CookieFirst wins scanning maturity and has more customer history behind its scanner. Consently wins on scan frequency (weekly versus monthly) and scan scope (cookies, trackers, scripts, iframes versus cookies and local storage). For most buyers the difference is not material day to day.
Banner and Consent Experience
Both products deliver fully customizable banners, geotargeting, and solid preference centers. The scores here are tied at 4.0.
CookieFirst banner:
- Four layouts (bottom, top, boxed, centered)
- Custom colors, fonts, buttons, logo
- White-label banner on Basic and above
- White-label preferences panel on Plus only
- 40 to 44 languages (count inconsistent across their own pages: homepage says 44+, product hub says 40+, features page says over 30)
- Geotargeting and auto-translate
- Praise: "easy to setup," "easy to customize" (Capterra)
Consently banner:
- Four display styles (bar, box, popup, full-screen) with multiple positions
- Custom colors, fonts, custom CSS, font inheritance, custom policy titles
- 35 banner languages with HTML lang detection
- WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility compliance
- Explicit consent only (no scroll or implied consent, correct for GDPR)
- Live preview and floating revisit button
Verdict: Tie. CookieFirst wins on language count (40+ versus 35). Consently wins on banner style variety and accessibility declaration. Neither is a decisive gap.
Compliance Frameworks, IAB TCF, and Certifications
This is where the 4.0 versus 3.5 gap is largest, and it drives the overall score difference.
CookieFirst compliance:
- Google Certified CMP Partner (confirmed)
- IAB TCF 2.2 on the Plus plan only (€19/month per domain); struck through on Free and Basic
- ISO 27001, SOC 1 Type II, SOC 2 Type II, PCI-DSS (datacenter certifications via DigitalOcean AMS3)
- GDPR, ePrivacy, CCPA, LGPD, PIPEDA/CPPA, Quebec Law 25, PDPA
- Consent audit trails on the Plus plan only
Consently compliance:
- Google Additional Consent AC v2, certified
- Google CMP Partner listing, pending (not yet fully approved; do not treat as equivalent to CookieFirst's confirmed partner status)
- IAB TCF 2.3 on all plans from $99/year
- GDPR, CCPA, PIPEDA, LGPD, and additional jurisdictions
- No ISO 27001, SOC, or PCI-DSS certifications yet
- EU data hosting (Frankfurt)
Verdict: CookieFirst wins compliance and certifications. Its ISO 27001 and SOC stack are real and auditable. Consently's pending Google CMP Partner status is a genuine gap. If datacenter certifications matter to your security team or enterprise clients, CookieFirst is the safer pick. For buyers who need IAB TCF without paying Plus prices, Consently wins: IAB TCF 2.3 is on every Consently plan.
Policy Generators
This is a decisive gap with no nuance.
CookieFirst generates a cookie policy only. By CookieFirst's own documentation, no separate privacy policy generator exists and no terms and conditions generator exists.
Consently generates three documents: a Cookie Policy, a Privacy Policy, and Terms and Conditions, all on every plan from $99 per year.
| Document | CookieFirst | Consently |
|---|---|---|
| Cookie Policy | Yes, auto-built from scan | Yes |
| Privacy Policy | No | Yes |
| Terms and Conditions | No | Yes |
Verdict: Consently wins, decisively. If your client or site needs all three documents, CookieFirst requires a separate tool. Consently covers all three in one platform.
Ease of Setup and Integrations
CookieFirst scores 4.5 here; Consently scores 4.0. The gap is real and comes from seven years of CMS plugin development and consistent "easy to implement" praise.
CookieFirst integrations:
- WordPress, WooCommerce, Shopify, Shopware 5 and 6, Wix, Magento/Adobe Commerce, Drupal, Joomla, PrestaShop, Typo3, HubSpot
- Official React component
- Google Tag Manager template
- JavaScript API
- Direct script embed
Consently integrations:
- WordPress (official plugin, directory submission in progress)
- Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, Framer, Dorik, and any platform allowing a head script
- Google Tag Manager
- API access
Verdict: CookieFirst wins setup and integrations. Its plugin depth and longer track record of CMS support give it an edge, particularly for Shopware, Joomla, PrestaShop, and HubSpot users. Consently's setup is genuinely fast for WordPress and Shopify, but the plugin ecosystem is less mature.
Support and Reputation
CookieFirst scores 3.5; Consently scores 3.0. Both are mid-pack on this dimension.
CookieFirst support:
- Response SLA by plan: under 96 hours (Free), under 72 hours (Basic), under 24 hours (Plus)
- Contact form and book-a-demo option
- No always-on live chat advertised on public pages
- Capterra Customer Service sub-score: 4.1
- One Capterra review: "The support ghosted me. I wrote several times and never received a reply anymore" (Low frequency; single review, contradicted by other positive responses)
Consently support:
- Live chat on all plans (including the $99/year Basic plan)
- Priority support on Premium and Enterprise
- Email support (support@consently.net)
- AppSumo buyer feedback shows responsive founder engagement
- No G2 or Capterra review base yet for independent verification; AppSumo only (4.0/5, approximately 25 reviews)
Verdict: CookieFirst wins on verified external ratings (Capterra 3.7/5, Trustpilot 4.3/5, Crozdesk 3.7/5, G2 4.0/5). Consently wins on live chat access at entry price. The "ghosted" complaint against CookieFirst is a single low-frequency data point; the Customer Service score of 4.1 is the more reliable signal.
Who Should Choose CookieFirst?
CookieFirst is the better choice in several specific situations.
- Single-site EU businesses that want a Google-certified, ISO-infrastructured CMP with 40+ languages and no need for privacy policy or terms documents.
- Agencies that want an established reseller program with transparent 30% margin, one-portal client management, and white-label banner from the Basic tier.
- Ad-tech and publisher sites that need IAB TCF 2.2 and are willing to pay Plus pricing (€19/month per domain) for the full compliance stack.
- Buyers where datacenter certifications matter to enterprise clients or security reviews. ISO 27001, SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II, and PCI-DSS are real, auditable credentials.
- Anyone who needs a free forever plan (very limited, but existent).
Who Should Choose Consently?
Consently wins in a different but well-defined set of scenarios.
- Multi-site owners and agencies on a budget managing 2 to 10 sites. Five domains cost $199 per year on Consently's flat multi-site plans, versus roughly $495 for five CookieFirst Basic plans.
- Teams that need all three policy documents (cookie policy, privacy policy, terms and conditions) without buying a separate generator tool.
- Sites that need IAB TCF without paying Plus prices. Consently includes IAB TCF 2.3 on its $99-per-year Basic plan; CookieFirst gates it to Plus at €209 per year per domain.
- Buyers who want live chat support at the entry tier. Consently's $99/year plan includes live chat; CookieFirst's free and Basic tiers use response-SLA ticket support only.
- Cost-conscious buyers where the price math clearly favors Consently. The multi-site pricing gap is $199 versus $495 for five domains annually.
The decision comes down to fit, not a clear winner. Choose CookieFirst for certification depth, scanning maturity, and a single multilingual EU site. Choose Consently for multi-site economics, all three policy generators, and every feature on the entry plan. If neither fits, weigh the field in our roundup of the best CookieFirst alternatives. You can try Consently free for 14 days with no credit card to test every feature first.
Consently vs CookieFirst: Full Feature Comparison
The table below maps every decision-relevant attribute side by side, from pricing model to certifications to support.
| Feature | CookieFirst | Consently |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 3.8/5 | 3.7/5 |
| Self-serve entry price | €9/mo per domain (€99/yr) | $8.25/mo, 1 domain ($99/yr) |
| 5-domain annual cost | ~€495 (5 plans) | $199 (Premium) |
| 10-domain annual cost | ~€990 (10 plans) | $499 (Enterprise) |
| Free forever plan | Yes (heavily limited) | No (14-day trial) |
| Pricing model | Per domain | Flat, capacity-based |
| IAB TCF | 2.2, Plus only | 2.3, all plans |
| Google Certified CMP Partner | Yes (confirmed) | Pending |
| ISO 27001 / SOC 2 | Yes (datacenter) | No |
| Cookie policy generator | Yes | Yes |
| Privacy policy generator | No | Yes |
| Terms and conditions generator | No | Yes |
| Banner languages | 40 to 44 | 35 |
| Geotargeting | All plans | All plans |
| Monthly cookie scan | Basic and above | Weekly on all plans |
| Consent audit trails | Plus only | All plans |
| White-label banner | Basic and above | Full customization, all plans |
| Live chat support | No (SLA-based) | All plans |
| Agency / reseller program | Yes (30% margin) | Yes (multi-domain account) |
| Mobile app SDK | No | No |
| A/B testing | No | No |
| GPC signal support | No | No |
| EU data hosting | Yes (Amsterdam, AMS3) | Yes (Frankfurt) |
| Founded | 2019 | October 2025 |
| Customers | ~5,000 | Early stage (AppSumo base) |
FAQs
Is CookieFirst better than Consently?
CookieFirst scores marginally higher overall (3.8 versus 3.7) and wins on compliance certifications, scanning maturity, setup depth, and language coverage. Consently wins on multi-site pricing, policy breadth (three generators versus one), IAB TCF access at the entry tier, and live chat support on all plans. Neither is better for every buyer.
Which is cheaper for multiple sites?
Consently is significantly cheaper for multiple sites. Five domains cost $199 per year on Consently's Premium plan. The same five sites on CookieFirst's Basic plan cost approximately €495 per year, before VAT. Ten sites cost $499 on Consently versus roughly €990 on CookieFirst.
Does CookieFirst include a privacy policy generator?
No. CookieFirst generates a cookie policy only. By CookieFirst's own documentation, no separate privacy policy generator exists and no terms and conditions generator exists. If you need all three documents, Consently includes them on every plan.
Does Consently include IAB TCF support?
Yes. Consently includes IAB TCF 2.3 on all plans, starting from $99 per year for one domain. CookieFirst includes IAB TCF 2.2 only on its Plus plan, at €19 per month or €209 per year per domain.
Is CookieFirst GDPR compliant?
CookieFirst is a Google Certified CMP Partner and supports IAB TCF 2.2 on its Plus plan. It hosts data on ISO 27001, SOC 2, and PCI-DSS certified infrastructure in Amsterdam. Its consent banner and audit trail tools are designed for GDPR compliance. No CMP removes the legal responsibility from the site owner, but CookieFirst has a strong compliance infrastructure.
Which is easier to set up?
CookieFirst scores higher on setup (4.5 versus 4.0) based on its longer plugin history and consistent "easy to implement" praise on Capterra. Consently is also straightforward, with a one-line script install and a fast onboarding flow, but its plugin ecosystem is less mature. Both can be live in under 15 minutes for a standard WordPress or Shopify site.
Can I switch from CookieFirst to Consently?
Yes, but it is a fresh setup rather than a direct migration. You remove CookieFirst's script, add Consently's one-line script to the site head, configure the banner and cookie categories, run a scan, and generate your policies. Most straightforward setups take under 30 minutes. Consently's scan will re-detect your site's cookies independently.
Does either product support Global Privacy Control?
No. Neither CookieFirst nor Consently currently supports GPC signal detection. If GPC compliance is a requirement, verify with each vendor's current documentation before committing.
Does CookieFirst's free plan include everything?
No. CookieFirst's free plan is heavily gated. It includes one third-party script, a banner-only layout, a one-time cookie scan, one language, and support with a response time under 96 hours. Banner customization, white-label banner, consent statistics, scan reports, audit trails, monthly scanning, multi-language, and IAB TCF are all excluded at the free tier.
Which CMP is better for agencies?
For agencies managing many client sites, Consently's multi-domain pricing is the main advantage: five domains for $199 per year versus per-site costs on CookieFirst. For agencies that want an established reseller program with a transparent 30% margin and white-label banner, CookieFirst's reseller program is purpose-built for that workflow. Consently has no separate reseller program or client sub-accounts; agencies manage all sites from one account. The right pick depends on how many sites you run and whether a formal reseller margin program matters to your business.
