Cookie banners aren’t optional anymore, but choosing the right tool can be a little cumbersome. CookieYes and Cookiebot are both built to help you stay compliant with privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
The question is: which one fits your site’s needs, tech stack, and budget? This comparison covers key features, pricing, ease of use, and what sets each apart, so you can make the right choice with confidence.
At a glance: CookieYes vs Cookiebot
| CookieYes | Cookiebot | |
| Best for | Small to mid-size businesses | Large or multi-site setups, compliance-heavy industries |
| Pricing model | Based on pageviews – more transparent and flexible | Based on sessions – less predictable |
| Free plan value | 5,000 pageviews/month – suitable for small sites | 100 sessions/month – restrictive |
| Ease of use | Beginner-friendly, easy setup and intuitive dashboard | Straightforward for basic use, more technical for custom setups |
| Banner customisation | Available on all plans (including free) | Limited on the free plan |
| Policy generators | Yes
Privacy and Cookie Policy Generator | No
|
| Google CMP certified | Yes
| Yes
|
Core functionality and capabilities
Both CookieYes and Cookiebot cover the core features you’d expect from a cookie consent management platform, such as:
- Automatic cookie scanning and categorisation: Regular scans detect cookies used on your site and automatically group them into categories (e.g. necessary, analytics, marketing) for easier consent configuration and compliance.
- Customisable consent banners: Both tools let you design and style cookie banners to match your brand, including layout, colour, messaging, and position, ensuring transparency without compromising user experience.
- Auto-blocking of third-party cookies: Cookies are automatically blocked until the user gives consent, helping you comply with GDPR and similar laws that require prior consent before tracking begins.
- Geo-targeting banner: Show different banner formats or consent models based on the user’s location (e.g. full opt-in for EU, opt-out for US).
- Multi-language & auto-translation support: Automatically display the consent banner in the user’s browser language, with translations for global audiences.
- Consent logging for audits: Every consent interaction is recorded and securely stored, allowing you to demonstrate proof of compliance in the event of an audit or user inquiry.
- Support for global privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, LGPD, etc.): Both platforms help you meet key legal requirements based on your visitors’ location, adapting banner behaviour accordingly.
- Support for Google Consent Mode and IAB TCF: These integrations ensure your consent setup aligns with advertising platforms’ requirements, helping maintain ad performance while staying compliant with user preferences.
CookieYes stands out for
- Simplified, no-code setup that’s beginner-friendly
- Subdomain consent sharing, so users don’t have to re-consent across subdomains
- Modern dashboard designed for both technical and non-technical users
- Multi-domain support under a single account
- Built-in policy generators for cookie and privacy policies
Cookiebot stands out for
- Cross-domain consent sharing (ideal for large multi-site setups)
- Advanced API access for developers
Pricing and plans
Pricing is often the deciding factor, and here, CookieYes and Cookiebot have different models. Let’s see how they compare.
| CookieYes | Cookiebot | |
| Pricing model | Pageviews | Sessions |
| Usage limits | 5,000 – unlimited pageviews / month | 1,000 – 50,000 sessions / month |
| Entry paid plan | €7/month for 100,000 pageviews | €7/month for 1,500 sessions |
| Scale-up capacity | Up to unlimited pageviews | Max 50,000 sessions (then enterprise pricing applies) |
| Surprise upgrades | No auto upgrades | ⚠️ Session-based auto-upgrades |
| Transparency | Clear, simple tiers with no hidden costs | Tiered pricing exists, but sessions can be harder to track |
| Extras included | Yes
Built-in cookie and privacy policy generators | No |
Pageviews vs sessions: How is it measured?
- CookieYes counts pageviews. Every time someone loads a page on your site (with the CookieYes script), it counts as 1 pageview.
- Cookiebot counts sessions. A session begins when someone visits your site (with the Cookiebot script) and lasts for 30 minutes. If they come back after that, it’s a new session, even if it’s the same person.
According to the Digital Experience Benchmarks 2025 by Contentsquare, a typical session includes 4.2 to 4.9 pageviews. Session converted to pageviews: → 1,000 sessions ≈ 4,200–4,900 pageviews
What to consider:
- CookieYes gives you more traffic allowance, built-in features, and clarity, all at a lower cost. Ideal for small to mid-sized teams that want to stay compliant without complexity or surprises.
- Cookiebot is better suited for large, multi-site setups with technical teams. For small websites, the session-based limits and steeper costs can add friction.
Banner design and customisation
Both CookieYes and Cookiebot allow you to customise the look and behaviour of your cookie banner, though with some differences in flexibility, especially on free plans:
| CookieYes | Cookiebot | |
| Auto-translation | Yes
| Yes
|
| Geo-targeting | Yes
| Yes
|
| Custom CSS styling | Yes
| Yes
|
| Custom branding | Yes
| Yes
|
| Remove branding | Yes
| Only in the Corporate plan |
| Disable banner on specific pages | Yes
| No
|
What to consider
- CookieYes provides more user-friendly customisation options directly through its dashboard, especially for non-technical users.
- Cookiebot offers customisation capabilities, but some features, like removing branding, require manual CSS adjustments.
Ease of setup and management
When it comes to getting up and running, CookieYes tends to be praised for its simplicity, while Cookiebot is also fairly user-friendly but might require a bit more tinkering for non-technical folks. Here’s how they compare:
CookieYes
Setup: Tailored for non-technical users. You can install via a script or plugin (WordPress, Shopify, GTM, etc.), run an automatic cookie scan, pick a pre-designed banner template, and go live. No coding is required.
Consent management: The dashboard provides a centralised view of consent logs and cookie consent analytics. Monthly/weekly cookie scans automatically detect and categorise new cookies, updating your banner without manual work.
Policy generators: Built-in scanner ensures your cookie policies stay updated based on the latest scan results, making ongoing compliance easier.
Cookiebot
Setup: Basic setup is simple. However, advanced features like cross-domain consent sharing, custom triggers, or integration with analytics platforms may require technical configuration or developer support.
Consent management: Cookiebot performs monthly cookie scans and updates a dynamic cookie declaration that you can embed into your site. Cookies are automatically categorised, though manual validation is often needed.
Policy generators: Cookiebot does not include built-in policy generators.
What to consider
CookieYes is ideal if you just want to get compliant without overthinking things. Cookiebot is better suited if you have enterprise needs or have developer support to customise and manage it.
Platform integrations
Both tools integrate with major website platforms and CMS and support key integrations with tag management systems and advertising technologies.
| CookieYes | Cookiebot | |
| WordPress | Yes Dedicated plugin or manual integration | Yes
|
| Shopify | Native app or manual integration | No app, only manual integration |
| Google Tag Manager (GTM) | Yes
| Yes
|
| Google Consent Mode v2 | Yes
| Yes
|
| IAB TCF v2.2 | Yes
| Yes
|
| Microsoft UET | Yes
| Yes
|
| Microsoft Clarity API | Yes
| No
|
What to consider
- CookieYes offers a more user-friendly experience with native plugins and apps for popular platforms like WordPress and Shopify, making integration straightforward for users without technical expertise.
- Both platforms support Google Tag Manager, Google Consent Mode v2, and are compliant with IAB TCF v2.2, ensuring robust compliance.
Support and documentation
If you run into issues or have questions, it’s important to have good support. Here’s how CookieYes and Cookiebot compare in terms of helping their users:
- CookieYes offers email support, chat support (paid plans), detailed documentation, video tutorials, step-by-step guides, and a quick-response support team.
- Cookiebot offers a ticketing system, extensive docs, and community forums. Support is reliable but more formal and less hands-on.
What to consider
If you prefer quick, customer-friendly support, especially during setup and integrations, CookieYes feels more accessible. Cookiebot is dependable as well, but best suited for users who are comfortable navigating support docs and forums on their own.
Final verdict: Which one should you choose?
In general, both CookieYes and Cookiebot will keep you on the right side of the law. Cookiebot’s features are a bit more tilted towards enterprises with complex compliance workflows. In contrast, CookieYes covers all the essential bases in a streamlined way (and even goes beyond cookie banners to free policy generators).
Both platforms are trusted, Google-certified CMPs, but the right pick depends on your site’s size, complexity, and how hands-on you want to be.
What to consider
Choose Cookiebot if,
- You manage many websites or want to apply the same settings across multiple domains.
- You need features like cross-domain consent ( user consent recognised across domains).
- You have the technical resources to configure custom setups.
Choose CookieYes if,
- You’re a small or mid-sized business or agency
- You want a tool that’s easy to set up and manage
- You want more value from free and basic plans
- You prefer a modern, intuitive interface with helpful defaults
- You want built-in privacy and cookie policy generators
- You need to manage multiple domains under one account
Kavya is a content designer who works across marketing, and product to create simple, user-first content. She brings expertise in long-form content, UX writing, and copywriting for B2C and B2B brands. In her downtime, she’s probably watching re-runs of mobster dramas and baking.
