The best consent management platforms for small business in 2026 are CookieYes for an easy start with a free plan, Cookiebot for automatic cookie scanning, Termly and iubenda if you also need policy documents, and Complianz if you run WordPress. CookieScript, Enzuzo, Osano and OneTrust cover other needs, from Shopify stores to enterprise teams.
Cookie banners are one of those jobs nobody wants to do, and most small businesses put one up years ago and never looked at it again. The trouble is that a banner that doesn't block anything until someone clicks accept isn't doing its job. And if you run Google Ads or Google Analytics with visitors from the UK or Europe, how you collect consent now affects your data too.
A consent management platform, or CMP, handles all of it: the banner, the cookie scan, blocking scripts until people agree, and keeping a record of who said yes. I've put together nine options that suit small businesses, based on what each one says on its own website. I'm a marketer, not a lawyer, so treat this as a shortlist to try and check your own obligations with a qualified adviser.
What a consent management platform does
A good consent management platform should do more than show a pop-up. These are the jobs to check for:
- Scan your site to find the cookies and tracking scripts it uses, and sort them into categories such as necessary, analytics and marketing.
- Block non-essential cookies until the visitor agrees. This is the part cheap banners often skip.
- Show a clear banner with accept, reject and settings options that are equally easy to use.
- Record consent so you can prove what each visitor agreed to and when.
- Pass consent signals to Google through Google Consent Mode, so Analytics and Ads respect the visitor's choice.
- Adapt to the visitor's location, since rules differ between the UK, the EU, US states and elsewhere.
If you want the background on why this matters for your analytics, I've covered whether Google Analytics requires cookie consent under GDPR and what Google Analytics cookies mean for your privacy policy.
Consent management platforms compared
| Platform | Best for | Works with | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| CookieYes | An easy first setup | Most website builders, plus a WordPress plugin | Yes, for smaller sites |
| Cookiebot | Automatic scanning and blocking | Most website builders | Yes, for very small sites |
| Termly | Banner plus policy generators | Most website builders | Yes |
| iubenda | Policies, banners and consent records together | Most website builders | Yes, limited |
| Complianz | WordPress sites | WordPress | Yes, free plugin |
| CookieScript | Simple setup for more than one site | Most website builders | Yes |
| Enzuzo | Shopify and ecommerce stores | Shopify, Webflow and others | Yes |
| Osano | Growing businesses heading for a bigger privacy setup | Most website builders, Shopify | Yes, small tier |
| OneTrust | Larger companies with complex privacy needs | Enterprise stacks | Check site |
Free plans usually cap page views, pages or domains, and the limits change, so check the current terms on each site.
The best consent management platforms for small business
1. CookieYes
CookieYes is a cookie consent solution built with small and mid-sized websites in mind. It scans your site, categorises cookies, shows a customisable banner and blocks scripts until visitors agree. It says it's a Google-certified CMP and supports Google Consent Mode.
Who it suits: small business owners who want a straightforward setup and a banner that works across GDPR, the UK and US state laws.
What stands out: the free plan, which includes cookie scanning and auto-blocking for smaller sites, and the WordPress plugin, which makes installation quick. The dashboard is friendly for non-technical people.
Watch out for: the free plan has a page view limit. If your traffic grows, you'll need to move up a tier, so check where your site sits before you rely on it.
2. Cookiebot
Cookiebot, part of Usercentrics, is one of the best-known consent tools. It scans your website regularly, finds cookies and trackers, and blocks them automatically until the visitor gives consent. It supports Google Consent Mode and describes itself as a Google-certified CMP.
Who it suits: businesses that want thorough, automatic scanning and don't want to maintain a cookie list by hand.
What stands out: the automatic scanning and blocking. It keeps a record of consents and updates your cookie declaration as your site changes, which is useful if lots of people add scripts to your site.
Watch out for: the free plan is only for very small sites, and pricing is based on the number of pages. A blog with hundreds of posts will need a paid plan.
3. Termly
Termly combines a consent management platform with generators for privacy policies, terms and conditions and other legal documents. Its cookie banner scans your site, blocks scripts and supports Google Consent Mode.
Who it suits: small businesses that need a cookie banner and also don't yet have a decent privacy policy or terms page.
What stands out: having the banner and the policies in one place. The generators walk you through questions about your business rather than handing you a template to fill in. There's a free plan to get started.
Watch out for: the free plan has limits on features and traffic, and the generated documents are only as accurate as your answers. Read them before you publish.
4. iubenda
iubenda is a privacy compliance suite. Its cookie solution sits alongside a privacy and cookie policy generator, terms generator and consent records. It supports multiple languages and a range of privacy laws.
Who it suits: businesses selling across several countries, and those who want policies, banner and consent records managed by one provider.
What stands out: the breadth of the suite and the multi-language support. If you have customers in several EU countries, that saves a lot of translation work.
Watch out for: the free plan is limited, and the number of options can feel like a lot at first. Give yourself time to set it up carefully.
5. Complianz
Complianz is a privacy plugin for WordPress. It runs a cookie scan, sets up a consent banner that adapts to the visitor's region and configures your site's scripts to respect consent. There's a free version and a premium version.
Who it suits: WordPress site owners who want the whole thing managed inside their dashboard.
What stands out: it's built for WordPress, so it understands common plugins and embeds like YouTube and Google Maps. The free version is self-hosted with no traffic cap, which is great value for a small site.
Watch out for: it's WordPress only. If you move platforms, you'll need another tool. Some features, like extra region support and records of consent, sit in the premium version.
6. CookieScript
CookieScript is a consent management platform that scans websites, categorises cookies and blocks third-party scripts until consent is given. It supports Google Consent Mode and a range of privacy laws.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Who it suits: small businesses and freelancers who look after more than one website and want a simple, lightweight banner.
What stands out: the free plan is one of the more generous permanent options, and the banner designs are easy to customise so it doesn't look out of place on your site.
Watch out for: the free plan has limits on page views and features. Agencies with many client sites will need a paid plan.
7. Enzuzo
Enzuzo is a privacy platform with a cookie consent banner, privacy policy tools and data request handling. It's available on the Shopify App Store and supports Webflow and other site builders. Enzuzo says it's a Google-certified CMP and a Google Consent Mode partner.
Who it suits: ecommerce stores, especially on Shopify, that want consent, policies and customer data requests in one app.
What stands out: the Shopify integration. You can install it from the app store without code and manage the banner and policies from your Shopify dashboard. There's a free plan for businesses just starting out.
Watch out for: the free plan covers the basics. More advanced features and higher traffic levels sit on paid plans.
8. Osano
Osano is a privacy platform whose cookie consent tool covers banners, script blocking and consent records, with larger modules for data requests and vendor management. Its open-source cookie consent code has been widely used for years.
Who it suits: growing businesses that expect to need a fuller privacy programme in future and want to start with a provider that can grow with them.
What stands out: there's a free tier for a single small site, and the path from a simple banner to a full privacy setup is all in one company.
Watch out for: the jump from the free tier to paid plans is steep, and the bigger modules are aimed at mid-sized companies. Check what the free tier blocks before relying on it.
9. OneTrust
OneTrust is an enterprise privacy and trust platform. Its consent management covers cookie banners, preference centres and consent records at scale, alongside a large range of other privacy and security products.
Who it suits: larger companies with legal and compliance teams, or small businesses selling into enterprise clients that expect a recognised name.
What stands out: the depth. If you have many sites, brands and regions, OneTrust has the controls to manage them all in one place.
Watch out for: it's far more than most small businesses need, and setting it up usually needs technical help. If you're a small team, start with one of the simpler options above.
How to choose a consent management platform
Start with your website platform and your traffic, because those rule out options quickly.
- You're on WordPress: Complianz or CookieYes.
- You run a Shopify store: Enzuzo, or CookieYes and Osano, which both list Shopify support.
- You also need a privacy policy and terms: Termly or iubenda.
- You want scanning to happen automatically: Cookiebot.
- You look after several small sites: CookieScript.
- You're a larger business with a legal team: OneTrust.
Then check four things during your trial:
- Does it block before consent? Open your site in a private window, don't click anything, and use your browser's developer tools to check which cookies are set. If analytics or ad cookies appear before you've agreed, the setup isn't right.
- Is reject as easy as accept? UK and EU regulators have criticised banners that make rejecting harder.
- Does it support Google Consent Mode? If you use Google Ads or Analytics, this keeps your measurement working within the visitor's choices.
- Is it on Google's list of certified CMPs? If you show Google ads to visitors in the UK or Europe, Google requires a certified CMP. Check Google's current list, since it changes.
Consent isn't only a website question either. If you use AI tools with customer data, my guide to which AI tools are GDPR compliant for UK businesses is worth a read, and if you're unsure about analytics specifically, see whether you need visitor consent for Google Analytics.
Common mistakes with cookie banners
- Installing a banner that doesn't block anything. It looks compliant and does nothing. Always test.
- Pre-ticked boxes. Consent needs a clear action from the visitor. Pre-ticked marketing cookies don't count.
- Forgetting new scripts. Every time you add a chat widget, pixel or embed, rescan your site.
- Hiding the settings. Visitors should be able to change their mind later, usually through a small link or icon.
Building a tool in this space? Here's how tools get considered for my roundups.
Frequently asked questions
What is a consent management platform?
A consent management platform is software that collects, stores and applies visitors' cookie choices on your website. It shows the banner, blocks non-essential cookies until people agree, records their consent and passes that choice to tools like Google Analytics and Google Ads.
Do small businesses need a consent management platform?
If your website uses non-essential cookies, such as analytics or advertising, and has visitors from the UK or EU, you'll usually need to collect consent first. A CMP is the simplest way to do that properly. Check your own situation with a qualified adviser, as rules vary by country.
Is there a free cookie consent tool?
Yes. CookieYes, Cookiebot, Termly, iubenda, CookieScript, Enzuzo and Osano all list free plans with limits, and Complianz has a free WordPress plugin. Free plans usually cap traffic, pages or features, so check them against your site.
What is Google Consent Mode?
Google Consent Mode is a way for your consent banner to tell Google tags whether a visitor agreed to analytics and ad cookies. The tags then adjust how they behave. Most of the platforms in this list support it, and it's important if you run Google Ads for audiences in Europe.
Can I just use a free cookie banner plugin?
You can, as long as it blocks cookies before consent, records choices and makes rejecting as easy as accepting. Many basic banners only display a message. Test any tool in a private browser window before you rely on it.
