While the Digital Markets Act’s implementation in March 2024 brought some changes, its impact on cookie compliance for most businesses has (so far) been minimal. The adjustments primarily affect less common features, such as GA4 audience sharing, which is helpful but not critical to Google Ads. Not implementing consent mode V2 was somewhat of a nothing burger for most people, who simply didn’t bother with it.
Google, however, is tightening its rules and threatening to disable conversion tracking – a critical element for smart bidding in Google Ads. Without accurate conversion data, smart bidding cannot function, crippling campaign performance.
This is where Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) become essential. CMPs simplify the process of collecting, managing, and storing user consent for cookies. They help display compliant cookie banners, provide users with granular control over their data, and ensure your business stays compliant with regulations and Google’s requirements.
Google has an official list of CMP partners. While it’s not mandatory to use a certified CMP provider, it is recommended. What follows is an overview of seven certified CMPs with free plans, as mentioned in a recent Google email about compliance:
Axeptio
Cookiebot
Cookie Script
CookieYes
Illow
iubenda
Osano
1. Axeptio
Not a well known consent management platform, Axeptio is more geared to large enterprises given their stingy free plan and quite expensive regular plans.
Free Plan: Offers a basic free plan for 200 visitors a month. Very limited and not really for any real site https://www.axept.io/pricing
Typical Paid Plan: Pricing varies based on the number of pages views and features, typically starting around £29-£129 per month.
Partner/Affiliate Programme: Minimum commission fee: 17% of ARR. https://www.axept.io/affiliate
2. Cookiebot
One of the more comprehensive consent management platforms offering an easy to set up system. It’s a favourite amongst influencers. You will find many tutorials based on this and it’s very easy to install using GTM or directly on the site.
A word of warning, Cookiebot counts each subdomain as a separate site, so you might end up paying more than once if you host sections of your site on different subdomains. They offer cross domain consent sharing which doesn’t always work but its useful when it does.
Free Plan: Provides a free plan for websites with under 50 pages, ideal for smaller businesses. https://www.cookiebot.com/en/pricing/
Typical Paid Plan: Paid plans start around £6 per month and increase based on the number of pages and features. £14 is for up to 350 pages.
Partner/Affiliate Programme: You can sign up easily as a reseller or affiliate and get 20-40% commission for life. https://www.cookiebot.com/en/affiliate-program/
3. Cookie Script:
Cookie Script is a popular CMP with cross domain sharing.
Free Plan: The free plan is limited to 10000 page views a month and will only scan 10 pages per domain.
Typical Paid Plan: Paid plans start at €8 for two domains with 100 pages and unlimited page views. The more domains you buy the cheaper it gets. At 200 domains, the price per domain is a mere 38c. https://www.cookiebot.com/en/pricing/
Partner/Affiliate Programme: Offers an affiliate program with commission for one year only at 30%. https://www.cookiebot.com/en/affiliate-program/
4. CookieYes
CookieYes is a user-friendly and affordable CMP with multiple customization options for cookie banners and consent forms. Set up is all in GTM and is very easy.
Free Plan: Offers a robust free plan with 25000 page views and 100 pages scanned.
Typical Paid Plan: Paid plans offer advanced features and start at £8 per month for a single website for 100,000 views.
Partner/Affiliate Programme: Operates an affiliate program with 30% commission and an agency plan.
5. Illow
Illow is an enterprise CMP with little interest in small websites. The pricing is very strange as they offer the best free plan but then the pricing jumps up to $89 a month. They are after the enterprise market and not wanting to compete with the likes of Cookiebot and Cookieyes.
Free Plan: Generous 100,000 page views a month. https://illow.io/pricing/
Typical Paid Plan: The cheapest paid plan is $89 a month but you do get 2 domains with than and additional domains are $8 each.
Partner/Affiliate Programme: No affiliate programme on the site but they do have an agency plan with custom pricing.
6. iubenda
iubenda is a well-established CMP offering a comprehensive suite of privacy tools, including cookie management, privacy policy generation, and consent management.
Free Plan: Offers a free plan for a single website with 5000 page views a month. https://www.iubenda.com/en/pricing
Typical Paid Plan: Paid plans start at $6.99 a month for 25000 page views.
Partner/Affiliate Programme: 35-40% of first purchase of new customers which sounds super stingy. https://www.iubenda.com/en/help/149409-join-the-iubenda-affiliate-program
7. Osano
Osanao is a robust CMP focusing on enterprises. Plans are not meant for your small website.
Free Plan: Offers a limited free plan offering 5000 page views a month. https://www.osano.com/plans
Typical Paid Plan: The paid plan on the site is $199 for 30000 visitors. Its not very competitive but looks like its very heavily into compliance so you pay for that. https://www.osano.com/plans
Partner/Affiliate Programme: Operates a partner program with benefits for agencies. No details on the rate https://www.osano.com/company/partners-resellers
As mentioned, there are many consent management platforms available, and it’s not necessary to use a Google-certified one. They all perform similar functions, with varying degrees of setup difficulty. Most have native integrations with Google Tag Manager, making installation straightforward.
For agencies, it’s worth exploring agency/affiliate programs, as the recurring revenue is nice. Pretty much every CMP has an agency plan as SAAS has an extremely high margin and they can give away some of that in exchange for the business.
Conclusion
Choosing the right CMP depends on your specific needs and budget. For most websites, Illow’s generous free plan of 100,000 page views per month is an excellent starting point. It integrates well with Google Tag Manager, simplifying setup.
For smaller sites with less than 25,000 monthly views, CookieYes offers a robust free plan and reasonable pricing when you exceed the limits. Its user-friendly interface, GTM integration and affordable paid plans make it an attractive option for growing websites.
Ultimately, the key is to prioritise compliance while balancing cost and functionality. As regulations evolve and Google tightens its requirements, implementing a reliable CMP is more important than ever. In this AI-driven ad world where smart bidding dominates, falling behind on conversion data can severely impact your campaigns.
Remember to regularly review your CMP setup and stay informed about changes in data protection laws to ensure ongoing compliance and optimal performance of your Google Ads campaigns.
Ben Luong brings over 20 years of experience in online marketing to the table. With a background in computer science and a proven track record in affiliate marketing, Ben now specialises in Google Analytics 4, SEO, and PPC. He’s passionate about helping businesses achieve exceptional results by asking Chatgpt for answers.
