Three plugins dominate WordPress GDPR cookie consent: Complianz, CookieYes, and Cookiebot. All three make your site compliant — the differences are in how they work, what they cost, and how much technical knowledge they require.
How Each Works
Complianz is a WordPress-native plugin. Cookie scanning and consent management run on your server. Script blocking is handled through WordPress hooks and integrations with specific plugins. Setup is wizard-based.
CookieYes is a SaaS-integrated solution. The plugin connects to CookieYes’s cloud service which handles cookie scanning via their CDN. More polished banner design interface.
Cookiebot is a full cloud-based service. Cookie scanning happens via Cookiebot’s bot that crawls your site. Consent is managed through Cookiebot’s CDN. Enterprise-focused with more compliance features.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Complianz | CookieYes | Cookiebot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes (1 domain, 500 pages) |
| Auto cookie scan | Yes | Yes | Yes (cloud crawler) |
| Script blocking | Yes (WordPress-native) | Yes | Yes |
| Consent proof log | Premium | Premium | All plans |
| Google Consent Mode v2 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Privacy policy generator | Yes | Yes | No |
| Paid from | $49/year | $29/year | €9/month |
Not sure which fits your situation? Describe your project and get a free expert recommendation.
Which to Choose
Use Complianz if: you prefer WordPress-native solutions, you need a privacy policy generator, or you want deep integration with WordPress plugin ecosystem (GA4 via Site Kit, GTM, etc.).
Use CookieYes if: you want the most polished banner design interface, you need simpler setup, or the lower price point matters.
Use Cookiebot if: you need enterprise-level compliance documentation, you manage sites for large organisations with compliance teams, or you need the cloud-based consent proof logging at all plan levels.
Real Setup Time Comparison
For a standard WordPress site with Google Analytics and a Meta Pixel, here is how long each plugin takes to get to a working compliant consent banner:
- Complianz: 20-30 minutes. The wizard walks through all decisions. Script blocking for GA4 and Meta Pixel is configured through Integrations with a few clicks. Privacy policy generation adds 10 minutes.
- CookieYes: 15-20 minutes. Slightly simpler initial setup. The cloud-based scanner finds cookies quickly. Banner customisation interface is more polished and faster to use.
- Cookiebot: 25-40 minutes. Requires a Cookiebot account setup, domain verification, and waiting for the crawler to scan your site (can take hours). The WordPress plugin then connects to the Cookiebot account. More steps upfront but more comprehensive results.
GDPR Accountability: Consent Proof
One area where the three plugins differ significantly is consent proof — the ability to demonstrate that a specific visitor gave consent at a specific time. Under GDPR, if you are audited, you need to show evidence that consent was properly obtained.
Cookiebot includes consent proof logging at all plan levels including paid plans. Complianz includes it in Premium (9/year). CookieYes includes it in paid plans (9/year). For businesses where demonstrable compliance records matter — healthcare, legal, financial services, or any EU-based business taking GDPR seriously — confirm your chosen plugin’s consent logging tier covers your needs before committing.