Free WordPress cookie consent plugins, compared honestly
What each consent plugin gives you free, and what its lowest paid plan adds, on the features privacy laws care about. Every cell comes from the vendor’s own pages, and where nobody says, we say so.
| Free plan | GoConsent™ | Complianz | CookieYes | Cookiebot | Real Cookie Banner | Cookie Notice | WPConsent | iubenda | Termly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works without an outside account | Yes | Scanner needs email registration | Account needed to scan | Account required | Yes | Account required, except Banner Only mode | Yes | Account required | Account required |
| Traffic limit on the free plan | None | None (scan covers about 50 pages) | 5,000 page views a month | 50 subpages | None | 1,000 visits per 30 days, then blocking and logs stop | None | 5,000 page views a month, then the banner turns off | Monthly limit, then the banner turns off |
| Global Privacy Control | Yes, on by default | Paid | Not clear which plan | Paid | No (Do Not Track only) | Can’t be turned on in free | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Proof of consent | On your server, 24 months, CSV | Paid | In their cloud | In their cloud, 12 months | On your server | 7 days or 100 records | Paid | No | No |
| Policy pages | Privacy (with Notice at Collection), Cookie, Refund, Accessibility | Cookie policy | Cookie and privacy policy | Cookie declaration | Not stated | None | Cookie policy | Limited | One basic policy |
| Opt-out requests | Email opt-out, deadlines, reminders | Paid | No | No | No | No | Paid | No | Request form |
| Forced “powered by” branding | No (credit is opt-in) | Not stated | Yes | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | Yes |
| IAB TCF (EU ad publishers) | No | Paid | Paid | Paid | Paid | No | Paid | Paid | Paid |
Free plans only, checked October 19, 2026 against each vendor’s pricing page, help pages and WordPress.org listing. Plans change: check before you decide. GoConsent’s column is from the free GoConsent plugin.
| Paid plan, one site | GoConsent™ Pro Personal | Complianz Personal | CookieYes Basic | Cookiebot Premium Lite | Real Cookie Banner Single | Cookie Notice Professional, 1 domain | WPConsent Basic | iubenda Essentials | Termly Starter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price for one site | $49 a year | $59 a year | $10 a month, 2 months free if paid yearly | $8 a month | €59 a year, VAT included | $149.50 a year | $49.50 the first year, then $99 a year | $5.99 a month, billed yearly | $14 a month, billed yearly |
| Traffic limit | None | None | 100,000 page views a month, then $0.30 per 1,000 | Up to 50 subpages (no traffic limit) | Not stated | Not stated | Unlimited page views | 25,000 page views a month, then €0.05 per 1,000 | 50,000 banner views a month |
| Global Privacy Control | Yes, on by default | Yes | Pro plan and up ($25 a month) | Yes | No (Do Not Track only) | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Proof of consent | On your server, 24 months, Consent ID lookup | Records of consent | Consent log, retention not stated | Up to 12 months, CSV export | In your WordPress database | Unlimited retention | Consent logs | Cookie consent proof; form consent is an add-on | Pro+ plan only |
| Policy pages | 17 pages, including Privacy, Cookie, Terms and Disclaimer | Privacy statement, disclaimer, impressum and more | Privacy and cookie policy | Cookie declaration | Cookie policy | Policy links only | Cookie policy | Privacy and cookie policy; no terms | 2 policies |
| Privacy requests | Do Not Sell, copy and delete, with deadlines | Data request processing | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Do Not Sell add-on, from the 5-site plan | Ultimate plan only ($99.99 a month) | Request form |
| Rules by visitor’s region | Yes, opt-in or opt-out per region | Yes | Pro plan and up | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Pro+ plan only |
| Forced “powered by” branding | No (credit is opt-in) | Not stated | Yes, removed on Ultimate ($55 a month) | Yes, removed only on Usercentrics Advanced (contact sales) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Partly removed | Yes, removed on Pro+ |
| IAB TCF (EU ad publishers) | No | Yes | Pro plan and up | Yes | Yes | Not stated | Yes | Yes | Pro+ plan only |
Each vendor’s lowest paid plan for one site, checked October 25, 2026 against its own pricing page. Prices exclude tax unless stated. Plans change: check before you decide.
Why it matters
Free should mean it keeps working
No cut-off mid-month
Some free plans stop blocking, stop logging or switch the banner off after a traffic limit. GoConsent has no limit, so a busy month never leaves you exposed.
GPC is the law now
Twelve states require honoring Global Privacy Control, and California has fined businesses whose opt-outs didn’t work. It shouldn’t sit behind a paywall.
Your records, your server
Proof of consent and opt-out requests stay in your own database for 24 months, ready to download, with no vendor account to keep paying for.
Where others lead: Complianz lists 250+ integrations, and several vendors offer IAB TCF and Google-certified CMP status on paid plans, which matter to publishers selling personalized ads to EU and UK visitors. GoConsent doesn’t include TCF.
One on one
GoConsent compared with each plugin
Sources
- Complianz: wordpress.org/plugins/complianz-gdpr/ , complianz.io/browser-privacy-controls/ , complianz.io/records-of-consent/ , complianz.io/pricing/
- CookieYes: www.cookieyes.com/pricing/ , wordpress.org/plugins/cookie-law-info/
- Cookiebot: www.cookiebot.com/en/pricing/ , www.cookiebot.com/us/pricing
- Real Cookie Banner: wordpress.org/plugins/real-cookie-banner/ , devowl.io/wordpress-real-cookie-banner/
- Cookie Notice: hu-manityco.helpscoutdocs.com/article/17-basic-vs-professional , hu-manityco.helpscoutdocs.com/article/111-billing-and-subscription-management
- WPConsent: wordpress.org/plugins/wpconsent-cookies-banner-privacy-suite/ , wpconsent.com/pricing/
- iubenda: www.iubenda.com/en/help/379-free-plan-limitations/ , www.iubenda.com/p/en/pricing
- Termly: termly.io/pricing/ , support.termly.io/hc/en-us/articles/30710522758929
Product names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify them. Spot something out of date? Tell us through Support and we’ll correct it.
Set up privacy the right way today
Install GoConsent free from WordPress.org. No account, no visit limits, and nothing about your visitors leaves your site.
