If you need to implement Consent Mode v2 and you are evaluating which consent management platform to use, you will quickly land on three names: Cookiebot, OneTrust, and Usercentrics. They dominate the EU market and all support Consent Mode v2. But they are not the same product, and the right choice depends on your setup, your technical resources, and your budget.
Here is a direct comparison based on working with all three in client implementations.
What they all have in common
All three are certified Google CMP partners, which means they have verified integrations with Google Consent Mode v2. All three can:
- Scan your site for cookies and trackers
- Serve a consent banner and manage user preferences
- Push consent signals to the data layer for Google's Consent Mode
- Store consent records for audit purposes
- Integrate with Google Tag Manager
The differences are in how they do it, how customizable they are, and what they cost.
Cookiebot
Cookiebot (owned by Usercentrics since 2022, but still a separate product) is the most common CMP I encounter in mid-market EU client setups. It has become the default choice for many agencies and IT teams.
What it does well:
Setup is fast. A typical Cookiebot implementation via GTM takes 2-4 hours. The auto-blocking feature (data-blockingmode="auto") scans the site and automatically blocks recognized tracking scripts before consent is given, without manual configuration per-script.
The Consent Mode v2 integration works out of the box. Enable it in the dashboard and Cookiebot pushes the right data layer events. This is the most friction-free path to Consent Mode compliance.
Pricing is transparent and low. Plans start at around 10-15 EUR/month for small sites, with pricing based on page views. For most SMBs and mid-market businesses, the cost is not a meaningful factor.
Where it falls short:
The UI customization is limited compared to OneTrust. If your brand has strict visual guidelines and you want a fully customized banner experience, Cookiebot's templates may feel restrictive.
Compliance features for large enterprise setups (complex multi-jurisdiction requirements, vendor management workflows, privacy program management) are not what Cookiebot is built for.
Best for: SMBs, mid-market businesses, agencies managing client accounts, anyone who needs Consent Mode v2 working quickly without extensive configuration.
OneTrust
OneTrust is an enterprise-grade privacy management platform. Consent management is one module in a broader suite that includes data mapping, DSAR management, risk assessment, vendor management, and more.
What it does well:
For organizations with real enterprise compliance needs, OneTrust is comprehensive in a way that Cookiebot and Usercentrics are not. If you need to manage data subject requests at scale, maintain a record of processing activities, or run a cross-functional privacy program, OneTrust has dedicated modules for each.
Highly customizable banners. You can build pixel-perfect consent experiences that match your brand guidelines.
Strong support for complex multi-domain, multi-jurisdiction setups. Large organizations with different regulatory requirements across regions can manage these from a single OneTrust configuration.
Where it falls short:
It is expensive. OneTrust pricing is not published but typically starts at several thousand EUR per year for basic consent management, with enterprise contracts running significantly higher. It is priced for enterprise procurement, not for teams with marketing budgets.
The setup complexity matches the feature depth. Implementing OneTrust correctly takes longer and often requires their professional services team. Getting Consent Mode v2 working from a fresh OneTrust installation is more involved than Cookiebot.
It is often overkill. Most businesses buying OneTrust for Consent Mode v2 are paying for features they will never use.
Best for: Enterprise organizations with dedicated privacy and legal teams, complex multi-region regulatory requirements, or businesses that need consent management as part of a broader privacy program.
Usercentrics
Usercentrics (the parent company of Cookiebot) has a separate product aimed at the mid-market to enterprise space. It competes more directly with OneTrust than Cookiebot does.
What it does well:
The consent layer is highly configurable. Usercentrics has strong template customization, flexible consent grouping, and a clean admin UI for managing which services require which consent categories.
Good support for service-based consent management. Instead of just blocking cookies, Usercentrics manages consent at the service level (GA4, Meta Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag each as a separately consented service). This is more granular than Cookiebot's approach.
Solid Consent Mode v2 integration with GTM. Works reliably for standard setups.
Pricing is more accessible than OneTrust for mid-market businesses. Plans typically start around 50-100 EUR/month depending on sessions and features.
Where it falls short:
The setup is more involved than Cookiebot. Getting Usercentrics configured correctly, especially with the service-level consent approach, takes longer. If you are managing it yourself without technical resources, the learning curve is steeper.
Auto-blocking is less seamless than Cookiebot's implementation. You often need to manually categorize scripts rather than relying on automatic detection.
Best for: Mid-market businesses that want more control over consent UX and service-level consent grouping, teams with some technical capacity for configuration, or businesses that have outgrown Cookiebot's customization limits.
Side-by-side summary
| Cookiebot | OneTrust | Usercentrics | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup speed | Fast (2-4 hours) | Slow (days to weeks) | Medium (half day to 2 days) |
| Consent Mode v2 | Out of the box | Configurable | Configurable |
| Auto-blocking | Yes, automatic | Manual configuration | Partial |
| UI customization | Limited | Full | Good |
| Pricing | 10-80 EUR/mo | Enterprise (thousands/yr) | 50-200 EUR/mo |
| Best fit | SMB / mid-market | Enterprise | Mid-market |
My recommendation for most businesses
For 90% of the EU businesses I work with, Cookiebot is the right choice. It supports Consent Mode v2 out of the box, it is fast to implement, it is affordable, and it handles the core compliance requirements without requiring significant technical resources.
If you have specific brand requirements, service-level consent grouping needs, or have outgrown Cookiebot's UI, look at Usercentrics.
Only look at OneTrust if you have enterprise-level privacy compliance needs and a dedicated team to manage it.
If you want help evaluating which CMP fits your specific setup, or if you need Consent Mode v2 implemented correctly after choosing one, get in touch.
