Consent management is the backbone of data privacy and protection. It verifies that companies are compliant with privacy requirements and data protection laws. Without it, a business risks losing its customer’s trust, receiving fines, and perhaps going to court.
Using the right consent management platform (CMP) is essential when collecting, using, and sharing personal customer data. It enables businesses to take, record, and manage users’ consent while collecting their data. Consequently, it ensures that people have full control over how their personal data is used.
Consent management is important for every online business since it protects individual rights and freedoms. It allows organizations to comply with privacy frameworks like the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Moreover, with the increase in cyberattacks, consent management safeguards against data theft and misuse.
Geekflare tested the top CMPs for your business and personal projects based on critical factors like budget, target audience, and integrations.
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CookieYes makes compliance with global privacy laws, such as GDPR, CCPA, LGPD, and PIPEDA, effortless. Its content banner is fully customizable and responsive to work everywhere.
CookieYes Features
- Cookie scanner to identify cookies and trackers against a 100k+ database of pre-categorized cookies
- Create website cookie audit reports automatically, including for login-protected web portals.
- Customize the consent banner for the layout, text, colour, font, and display behaviour, and add custom CSS to match company branding.
- Create a custom privacy and cookie policy and link that in the banner to allow users to make an informed decision.
- Add a “Revisit consent” button to allow visitors to withdraw consent if needed.
- Benefit from geo-targeting by auto-translating consent banner in 30+ languages
- Auto-scan and block 3rd-party scripts (ex., Google Analytics) until the user consents
- Store a CSV exportable audit trail of the user’s cookie consent data for regulatory compliance.
- Integrate with 22+ CMS, such as WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, Joomla, and more
- Google-certified CMP one can use to set up Google Consent Mode V2
CookieYes Pricing
CookieYes has a free tier with a few limitations, such as a maximum of 15000 page views, five cookie scans per month, and 100 pages per scan. Extended limits, in addition to advanced banner customization, geo-targeting, scheduled scanning, etc., are reserved for paid plans starting at $10/month/domain.
2. iubenda
iubenda helps you keep track of the consent and privacy choices your users make for GDPR and LGPD. It’s easy to store, manage, track, and retrieve consent preferences for each user.
iubenda works flawlessly with the forms you use to collect consent and shows you all the records within a dashboard.
iubenda Features
- Creates and customizes cookie consent notices.
- Generates tailored privacy and cookie policies.
- Provides business-specific terms and conditions.
- Includes consent analytics to track and optimize consent collection.
iubenda Pricing
iubenda has three pricing plans with a 14-day money-back guarantee. These are billed per site, per app, per month. The Essentials plan costs $5.99, Advanced $24.99 and Ultimate $99.99.
3. Termly
Termly is a budget-friendly solution that makes data compliance user-friendly. It offers the most comprehensive policy and consent solution in the market.
Since data privacy laws are evolving, Termly maintains transparency in collecting and maintaining customer data.
Termly Features
- Creates customizable privacy policies, T&C, Disclaimer, and refund policies.
- Has an advanced cookie consent management tool available.
- Provides user preference center, auto blocker, language, and banner settings.
- Implements consent solutions and policies on your website with one click.
- Is up-to-date with the latest privacy policies and data regulations.
Termly Pricing
Termly’s pricing plan has a free version with 10,000 banner views per month. Its paid plans include the Starter plan at $5/month per website and a Pro+ plan at $15/month per website. Users are also provided with an Agency plan for custom pricing.
Cookiebot ensures your website follows data protection regulations to protect users’ data. This tool makes it easy to keep track of cookies, and people consent to use them.
Moreover, Cookiebot comes with cutting-edge scanning technology and integrates smoothly with Google Consent mode.
Cookiebot Features
- Provides next-gen scanning technology that recognizes all cookies and trackers automatically.
- Offers completely configurable cookie consent banner available.
- Has user-friendly widgets that allow users to update their consent anytime.
- Provides cloud-based consent storage capability.
- Gives cookie consent banners and declaration support in 40+ languages.
Cookiebot Pricing
Cookiebot’s pricing includes a free plan of up to 50 subpages. For unlimited subpages, users need to opt for the Premium plan, which starts at $8/domain/month.
5. Clickio
Clickio offers a free consent management platform fully approved by the IAB Transparency and Consent Framework v2.0.
With a customizable banner and live reporting of consent rates, Clickio’s CMP makes it easy to respect your users’ privacy and comply with regulations such as the GDPR and CCPA.
Clickio Features
- Provides free, easy-to-install privacy solutions for publishers.
- Has fast-loading, fully customizable consent banner – available in multiple languages.
- Allows live reporting to help you track users’ preferences and consent rates.
- Allows full support for Google’s TCF integration requirements, including the Additional Consent Mode.
- Provides an automatic ad tag pausing to prevent Google TCF errors.
- Provides seamless support for Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP).
Clickio Pricing
Clickio has three plans apart from its free one, these are charged on a monthly basis. The Pro plan costs £10/site/month, and Paywall Pro £35. For users who want the Enterprise plan, they would need to contact the sales team to get a quote.
6. OneTrust
OneTrust comes with a robust and easy-to-use consent management solution, since the necessity of consumer privacy is increasing with the uprising of digital platforms and online businesses.
OneTrust makes it easy to capture, centralize, monitor, and sync consent preferences. Thus, the transparency within consumer interactions and data privacy regulations are satisfied.
OneTrust Features
- Crafts & manages cookie consent and banners on websites.
- Provides a mobile application for consent management.
- Helps organization stay compliant with data protection regulations.
- Offers tools to manage third-party vendor risks.
- Integrates with APIs, SDKs, data feeds, and more.
OneTrust Pricing
OneTrust offers flexible pricing. Users need to contact the OneTrust team for pricing details.
7. TermsFeed
TermsFeed is an advanced solution for managing consumer consent, privacy policy, T&C, EULA, and more.
TermsFeed’s consent management platform is available as a desktop and mobile app, eCommerce, SaaS, and more. The overall cookie management and consent banner creation process are very user-friendly.
TermsFeed Features:
- Allows users to create customized legal agreements (T&C, privacy policy, etc.).
- Provides pre-made legal templates available to assist users.
- Displays consent forms and agreements in user-preferred language.
- Routine updates are available in all the data compliance regulations.
- Integrates into different platforms (WordPress, Squarespace, etc.).
TermsFeed Pricing
TermsFeed has a free plan and a premium plan, which is payable monthly or annually. However, the TermsFeed team must be contacted for the exact amount.
8. Didomi
With Didomi, you can maintain data compliance regulations and assure your customers of data privacy, as consumers are concerned about how their data is utilized on a website.
Consequently, with Didomi, you can create value by earning customers’ trust and turning privacy into a business opportunity.
Didomi Features
- Complies with global data protection regulations and local data protection authorities.
- Offers a technological infrastructure to keep and manage cookie consent.
- Shares consent data for internal systems and with trusted third parties.
- Gives better control over your consent rates and analytics for actionable insights.
Didomi Pricing
Didomi provides three pricing plans: Consent Essentials, Core Privacy UX, and Privacy UX Plus. However, you’ll need to contact their sales team for the exact pricing.
9. Usercentrics
Usercentrics claims to be one of the best consent management platforms. It complies with GDPR, CCPA, LGPD, and POPIA compliance for websites and apps.
Usercentrics offers some amazing essential tools to take full control of user consent.
Usercentrics Features
- Has an entirely customizable CMP where you can make cookie banners, privacy walls, and more.
- Adapts to the latest legal requirements.
- Optimizes consent, and you can implement A/B tests.
- Provides contextual consent for channels such as Google Maps, YouTube, and more.
- Integrates with some of the best marketing tools, such as MailChimp, Hotjar, and more.
Usercentrics Pricing
Usercentrics offers a free trial and three pricing plans. The Starter plan costs €50/month and has a cap of 50,000 sessions/month.
10. Quantcast
Quantcast is your tool if you are looking for a free consent management platform solution.
Quantcast simplifies consent management by providing access to real-time audience insights through consent.
Quantcast Features
- Enhances vendor control and management.
- Authorizes access to consent data for different user types.
- Optimizes user interface for high consent rates.
- Allows site owners to view and maintain audit logs.
- Supports major data privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, TCF v2.0).
- Sets privacy preferences for website visitors.
Quantcast Pricing
For details about Quantcast’s pricing, you will need to contact their team.
11. Crownpeak
Formerly known as Evidon, Crownpeak is a privacy and & consent management platform solution. This CMP is built for enterprises and complies with all global data privacy regulations.
You can easily implement this solution at your site and get deep insights and enhanced control over data sharing. Furthermore, marketers can maintain customer experience as well as ensure the highest level of compliance.
Crownpeak Features
- Implement this CMP with minimal and even without any code
- Create ideal presets for regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, LGPD, and more
- Notices are always up-to-date with real-time scans and user data
- Highly customizable notices include templates, languages, device options, and more.
- A consent dashboard is available with a reporting option for data analysis
- Maintains data security and improves the website performance
Crownpeak Pricing
Crownpeak’s pricing details are based on quotes, so you must contact their team.
12. Clarip
Clarip is a CMP tool that will assist your marketing team in meeting data protection rules. The consent form-building tool will help in lead acquisition and consent tracking.
Clarip incorporates compliance with the GDPR and CCPA data compliance regulations. It maintains client preferences and allows businesses to obtain consent for numerous data collection, sharing, and use activities.
Clarip Features
- Integrates flawlessly with a corporate preference management platform.
- Takes user consent while managing preferences across different channels.
- Collects consent information is based on location and behavior.
- Has a central dashboard that offers detailed insight into customers.
- Includes an exporter, allowing you to export a list of consent users.
Clarip Pricing
Clarip has three pricing plans, which are billed annually. Users should contact their sales team for more details.
13. Sirdata
The user-friendly CMP software Sirdata offers a high-end, adaptable solution. It makes it simple for publishers and media firms to comply with data privacy laws on their websites.
After configuring the current banner and partner choices, Sirdata is be deployed in minutes. The specifications of the publishers and advertisers are met by this tool, which is constantly updated with the most recent regulations.
Sirdata Features
- Customize the consent banner with your preferred brand, color, logo, text, and more.
- Allows publishers’ & recipients’ objectives to be served by preventing data breaches.
- Accepts ePrivacy, CCPA, and GDPR-compliant settings.
- Provides multi-language option with auto-language selection option.
- Provides accessibility on both desktop and mobile platforms, and it operates in the Google AMP environment.
Sirdata Pricing
Sirdats’s pricing is based on the number of hits per month and starts at €25 for 50,000 hits per month.
Best CMP Platforms
The following table compares CMP platforms based on their features, integrations, price, and compliance.
CMP | Key Features | Compliance | CMS Support | Base Price (monthly) |
---|---|---|---|---|
CookieYes | Auto cookie scans, full banner customization, geo-targeting and auto-translation, Google Consent Mode V2 | GDPR, CCPA, CPA, LGPD, PIPEDA, PDPL, Australia Privacy Act, & PDPA, etc. | WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, Joomla, Blogger, Wix, etc. | Free, $10/domain |
iubenda | Multiple preferences per user, double-opt-in, customizable banner, Google Consent Mode V2 | GDPR, CPRA, & LGPD | WordPress, Webflow, Wix, PrestaShop, Shopify, Joomla, Squarespace, and HubSpot | Free, $5.99 per site/app |
Termly | Unlimited banner views plans, geo-targeting, scheduled scans, Google Consent Mode V2, Banner customization | CCPA, GDPR, PDPA, LGPD, PIPEDA, PIPL, APPI, NDPR, DPA, etc. | WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, Kajabi, and Wix | Free, $10/website |
Cookiebot | Banner customization, geotargeting, auto-translation, consent expiry, automated scans, Google Consent Mode V2 | GDPR, CPRA, VCDPA, LGPD, POPIA, etc. | WordPress, BigCommerce, Drupal, Webflow, HubSpot, Magento, Joomla, Wix, Shopify, Squarespace, Prestashop, OpenCart, etc. | Free, €7/domain |
Clickio | Cookie paywall, A/B testing, Google Consent Mode V2, banner customization, | GDPR | WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, Webflow, Wix, & Joomla | Free, €10/domain |
OneTrust | Geotargeting, A/B testing, cookie scan, 250+ languages support | GDPR, CCPA, CPRA, HIPAA, GDPR, LGPD, PDPA, PIPEDA, POPIA, etc. | WordPress | Quote-based |
TermsFeed | Banner customization, consent log, geolocation detection, front-end preference center, Google Consent Mode V2 | GDPR, CCPA, CPRA, CalOPPA, PIPEDA, etc. | None | $10 |
Didomi | Geotargeting, Google Consent Mode v2, banner customization, cross-device consent, A/B testing | GDPR, CPRA, CTDPA, UCPA, CPA, CCPA | Shopify, WordPress, Drupal, Inwink | Quote-based |
Usercentrics | Cookie scanner, Google Consent Mode, A/B testing, geolocation rules, cross-device consent sharing, banner customization | GDPR, LGPD, POPIA, CCPA/CPRA, VCDPA, CPA, CTDPA, & UCPA | WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, HubSpot | €7/domain |
Quantcast | Banner customization, audit logs, granular consent preferences | GDPR, CCPA, etc. | WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Shopify, Squarespace, Weebly, Wix, Blogger | Quote-based |
Crownpeak | Real-time scanning, customizable banners, reporting and analytics, Google Consent Mode V2 | GDPR, CCPA, etc. | FirstSpirit, Salesforce | Quote-based |
Clarip | Scheduled cookie scans, banner customization, geotargeting, multiple banners, granular reporting | GDPR and CCPA | None | Quote-based |
Sirdata | Branded banners, Google Consent Mode V2, Google AMP compatible, user consent statistics | GDPR, CCPA, & ePrivacy | None | Free tier, €25/50000 hits per domain |
What is a Consent Management Platform?
A consent management platform assists businesses in adhering to EU regulatory requirements. It enables businesses to obtain user permission before gathering and processing personal data. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) enforce privacy laws.
When people mention CMP, it often means transparency and consent framework (TCF) of IAB Europe and the registered consent management platform. IAB & TCF is a framework meant to gain user permission and maintain personal data. These data are collected via vendors and shared with third parties.
By utilizing the IAB TCF (GDPR), companies can ensure that they deal with ad partners that comply with data privacy rules. This increases openness and accountability across the advertising supply chain. It is advantageous for both publishers and ad partners.
How Does Consent Management Platform Work?
To gather and process the user’s data, the CMP will display a pop-up or banner on a website. The decision to accept or reject the request is then up to the user.
The CMP collects user information after receiving authorization from the user and keeps it in the database. However, if users choose to reject, the website cannot collect or manage their data.
The following are the 7 procedures that a consent management platform follows:
- Showing Banners & Popups: The platform displays banners and popups on websites (mobile and desktop). The aim is to inform users about the data the site is collecting and its usage. Users are then provided with an option to give or deny their consent.
- Storing Consents: It stores and manages user-preferred consents in a central database.
- Tracking User Consent: Keeps track of all the user-given consent settings. Also, it updates pertinent information whenever a user selects one.
- Handling Cookies: The platform controls and manages the placement and usage of cookies on users’ devices.
- Maintaining Transparency: It provides full transparency into user data collection and usage.
- Displaying or Blocking Tags: It displays or blocks the usage of tags in marketing or ad channels.
- Monitoring and Reporting: It provides thorough information on user consent settings, which are helpful for compliance and auditing.
Benefits of Using a Consent Management Platform
Due to abuse and data breaches, data privacy laws are becoming stricter every day. Consent management tools are thus becoming crucial for commercial organizations.
Online companies can simply gain and maintain user permission to collect and utilize customers’ personal information using CMP software. Ultimately, CMPs are responsible for safeguarding user data and regulatory compliance.
However, there are 7 advantages of using a consent management platform as below:
- Adhering to the Regulations: A consent management platform enables you to abide by data protection laws (GDPR and CCPA). Using a consent management tool, you can quickly request and document visitors’ permission, providing evidence of compliance.
- Enhanced Transparency: A CMP enables you to be open and honest about the information you gather and use. By being transparent, you can win your visitor’s confidence and enhance their readiness to give you their permission.
- Authority Over Collecting Data: Thanks to the consent management platform, you have complete control over the data you gather about your visitors. You can choose which information to gather and only get the required portion.
- Modifiable Forms: With CMP, you can modify the consent forms that visitors can see. You can customize the forms to meet your specific needs. For example, creating a form to collect more specific information.
- Cookie Control Automation: With a CMP implementation, you can automate cookie control. This includes disabling third-party cookies to prevent data breaches.
- Optimizing User Experience: A consent management platform can significantly boost the user experience because it provides visitors with a user-friendly way to adjust data privacy settings. Therefore, they can quickly understand whether to provide or deny consent.
- Simple Monitoring & Recording: A CMP makes it easy to record and monitor user-provided data. Hence, it becomes easy to find who consented and which data were granted permission.
How to Choose the Best Consent Management Platform
Choosing the ideal consent management platform for your business may be a difficult undertaking because there are several CMP choices available to meet the diverse needs of various companies.
You must consider your specific requirements, budget, and data protection regulations that you must comply with. However, before deciding on a CMP platform, consider the 10 following common features:
- Consent Form: The option to construct and personalize consent forms that may be presented to visitors. Also, provide options to enable or disable consent forms to refuse or accept the consent for data collection and usage.
- Compliance Administration: The app should guarantee that data protection standards such as GDPR and CCPA are followed.
- Consent Capturing: The app should have the capacity to capture and preserve consent capturing. The data can then be used to demonstrate regulatory compliance and trace who has granted consent.
- Cookie Managing: This refers to the ability to monitor and manage cookies on your website. Also, it should block third-party cookies and regulate the cookies stored on a visitor’s device.
- Analytics and Reporting: The capacity to create reports and analyze the data to monitor consent ratios and discover areas for improvement.
- Data Auditing: The ability to perform audits on consent data to guarantee compliance with regulations.
- Design Flexibility: The option to alter the appearance and style of the consent forms, pop-ups, and other components to coordinate with your website.
- Multi-language support: It should provide multi-language support to ensure visitors from different locations can understand the consent form.
- Integration with different systems: It will link with other systems, including customer relationship management (CRM) and marketing automation platforms.
- User-friendly Interface: It will offer a simple to browse user interface that makes collecting consent easier.