Cookiebot vs OneTrust
Which cookie consent tool fits your site best?
Choosing between Cookiebot and OneTrust is rarely a tough call in practice. While technically both are capable of displaying a cookie banner on your website, they serve entirely different market segments and represent two opposite ends of the complexity spectrum.
Where they are identical
At the front door (what the website visitor sees), functionalities overlap. Both systems scan your website for trackers, block scripts until consent is given, and support standards like Google Consent Mode v2 and IAB TCF.
Where the difference lies
Target Audience and Complexity. Cookiebot is a focused Consent Management Platform (CMP) designed for setting up cookie consent on websites. It is the standard for SME and mid-market companies. OneTrust is a heavy, company-wide software suite for data governance. Where Cookiebot stops at the cookie banner, OneTrust offers modules for data risk analysis, third-party vendor management, and automated handling of privacy requests (DSARs).
Installation and Management. Cookiebot is relatively plug-and-play. You add a script to your website, configure the banner, and you are live. Implementing OneTrust is often a complex project. It requires technical integration, training, and configuration to function seamlessly within a large, multilingual, and multi-domain organization.
Budget. Cookiebot starts with an accessible entry point (free plan or paid from $7/month based on subpages). OneTrust works with enterprise contracts, modular structures, and licensing costs that often start around $1000/month or significantly higher.
Quick overview
| Cookiebot | OneTrust | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | from $7/mo | $1000/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✗ |
| EU-based | ✓ | ✗ |
| Consent Mode v2 | ✓ | ✓ |
Feature comparison
| Feature | Cookiebot | OneTrust |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | OneTrust |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shopify | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wix | ✗ | ✓ |
| Squarespace | ✗ | ✓ |
| Webflow | ✗ | ✓ |
| Any HTML/JS Website | ✓ | ✓ |
Based on explicit mentions on the vendor's website.
Our recommendation
For 99% of businesses, we recommend Cookiebot. It is reliable, out-of-the-box compatible with virtually all marketing tools, and provides exactly what you need to make your website(s) GDPR-compliant, without unnecessary overhead.
Choose OneTrust exclusively if you work for a large, global enterprise or multinational with complex, internal data-mapping requirements, a dedicated compliance team, and a generous privacy budget.
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.
Check your own site
Scan your website for free to find cookie consent violations.
Start free scan →