Cookiebot vs iubenda
Which cookie consent tool fits your site best?
Cookiebot and Iubenda are two of the most recognized names in European privacy compliance. While both offer a cloud-based cookie banner, their core focus differs. Cookiebot focuses almost entirely on providing a world-class scanner and banner, while Iubenda positions itself as a 360-degree legal compliance platform.
Where they are identical
Both are deeply rooted in the EU (Denmark and Italy) and are highly trusted by enterprises and small businesses alike. They both use an automated scanner to find trackers on your site, block scripts before consent is given, and maintain a secure audit trail of user choices. Naturally, both offer seamless integration with Google Consent Mode v2 and IAB TCF.
Where the difference lies
Policy Generation. This is the deciding factor for many. Cookiebot gives you a detailed "Cookie Declaration" (a list of all cookies found by its scanner), but it does not write your overall Privacy Policy. Iubenda, on the other hand, is built around its lawyer-crafted policy generator. It actively helps you build a legally sound Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions page that automatically updates when laws change.
Pricing Models. Both tools can get expensive, but in different ways. Cookiebot charges based on the number of subpages on your website. A site with a massive blog archive will pay significantly more, regardless of traffic. Iubenda charges based on pageviews. If you have a small site that goes viral, Iubenda's traffic limits will trigger overage fees. You must calculate which model favors your specific site.
User Experience. Cookiebot is extremely straightforward: you install it, it scans, and you are generally good to go. Iubenda's dashboard is much more complex because you have to configure your legal clauses, match them to the banner, and manage multiple "licenses" for different documents.
Quick overview
| Cookiebot | iubenda | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | from $7/mo | from $3/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| EU-based | ✓ | ✓ |
| Consent Mode v2 | ✓ | ✓ |
Feature comparison
| Feature | Cookiebot | iubenda |
|---|---|---|
| Google Consent Mode v2 Support | ✓ | ✓ |
| Automated Cookie Scanning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Automatic Script/Cookie Blocking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Customizable Consent Banners | ✓ | ✓ |
| IAB TCF 2.2 Support | ✓ | ✓ |
| Policy Generator (Cookie/Privacy) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Consent Audit Trail / Logs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Self-hosted Data Processing | ✗ | ✗ |
| CCPA Support | ✓ | ✓ |
| Google Tag Manager Support | ✓ | ✓ |
✓ Included ⚡ Paid plan only ✗ Not available
Platform support
| Platform | Cookiebot | iubenda |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shopify | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wix | ✗ | ✓ |
| Squarespace | ✗ | ✓ |
| Webflow | ✗ | — |
| Any HTML/JS Website | ✓ | ✓ |
Based on explicit mentions on the vendor's website.
Our recommendation
For most standard websites, we recommend Cookiebot. It is easier to set up, highly reliable, and its subpage-based pricing is predictable for sites with stable content but fluctuating traffic.
Choose Iubenda if you do not have a legally vetted Privacy Policy and want a system that generates one for you. The peace of mind of having lawyer-crafted, auto-updating legal texts is well worth the slightly steeper learning curve and traffic-based pricing.
Setting up a banner does not equal compliance. Most violations occur post-installation because scripts still load too early via Google Tag Manager. Always run a free scan after configuration to verify it actually works.
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