CookieFirst vs iubenda
Which cookie consent tool fits your site best?
CookieFirst and Iubenda both target small to medium businesses looking for an easy route to compliance, but they solve the problem from different angles. CookieFirst focuses on creating the most user-friendly dashboard and banner experience possible. Iubenda focuses on comprehensive legal protection, offering a policy generator alongside its banner.
Where they are identical
Both are solid European solutions (the Netherlands and Italy) that keep your data within the EU. They both scan your website, categorize trackers automatically, block scripts until consent is given, and support Google Consent Mode v2. They are both cloud-based SaaS tools, meaning you install them via a simple script tag.
Where the difference lies
Dashboard and Ease of Use. CookieFirst is widely praised for having one of the most intuitive, user-friendly interfaces in the industry. It is designed for non-technical users to set up a banner in minutes. Iubenda's dashboard is notoriously complex because it forces you to manage legal clauses, different languages, and policy licenses alongside the banner settings.
Legal Document Generation. This is where Iubenda pulls ahead. CookieFirst provides a "Cookie Policy" (which is essentially an automated list of your site's cookies), but it does not write your overall Privacy Policy. Iubenda actively generates and auto-updates a full Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions page drafted by its legal team.
Pricing. CookieFirst charges a flat monthly fee (starting around $10/month) based on the scan frequency and features you want. Iubenda is much cheaper to start (around $3/month), but it limits the number of pageviews your banner can serve. A sudden spike in traffic on Iubenda can trigger unexpected overage costs.
Quick overview
| CookieFirst | iubenda | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | from $10/mo | from $3/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| EU-based | ✓ | ✓ |
| Consent Mode v2 | ✓ | ✓ |
Feature comparison
| Feature | CookieFirst | 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 | CookieFirst | iubenda |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shopify | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wix | — | ✓ |
| Squarespace | — | ✓ |
| Webflow | — | — |
| Any HTML/JS Website | ✓ | ✓ |
Based on explicit mentions on the vendor's website.
Our recommendation
For the majority of website owners, we recommend CookieFirst. The incredibly easy-to-use dashboard and predictable pricing model make it the perfect tool for businesses that just need a reliable cookie banner without the headache.
Choose Iubenda if you are starting from scratch and do not have a Privacy Policy. The ability to generate lawyer-crafted, auto-updating legal texts makes the steeper learning curve and complex pricing model worth the effort.
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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