Consent Management Platforms, Tools, and Software

Consent management is a core principle in data privacy and compliance, as it grants individuals the right to oversee how their personal information is collected, used, and shared by organizations. 

This concept first came to the forefront with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which mandated that organizations get explicit consent from website visitors to opt in or deny tracking cookies. Since then, other data privacy regulations have taken a similar stance, including  Canada’s Quebec Law 25, and the United States’ California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

The recent Quebec Law 25 has introduced amendments that bolster data protection rights for Quebecers and place additional requirements on all companies that process their data. This law emphasizes the need for explicit consent before an enterprise collects, uses, or discloses personal information — making it the strictest data privacy law in North America with rights similar to the GDPR. 

Similarly, the California Consumer Privacy Act gives Californians the right to opt out of any tracking, storage, or sale of their personal information. It mandates that companies provide transparent and accessible mechanisms for consumers to grant or revoke their consent.

How Do Consent Management Platforms Work?

Consent platforms enable you to track and manage user preferences for collecting personal information. The software keeps you compliant with data protection laws and compliance requirements. 

The best CMPs manage the entire personal data lifecycle — from the initial frontend consent notices all the way to data deletion requests. This lets you display compliance for data subject rights and access requests, giving regulators a clear audit trail on individual consent preferences.

A good consent management platform can:

• Perform comprehensive website scans to uncover trackers, privacy policies, and cookie notices.

• Scan and categorize cookies according to a database of pre-categorized trackers .

• Display geo-specific consent notices and consent banners.

• Collect consent based on categories (e.g., strictly necessary, analytics, targeting, etc.)

• Maintain audit logs to record and track cookie banner settings and preferences modifications.

• Build dashboards for your executive team to monitor and track consent status.

New Google CMP Requirements for Consent Managers in 2024

Google is implementing wholesale changes to how businesses run ads, requiring that they comply with two options: implement new consent mode parameters directly inside Tag Manager or use a Google-certified consent management platform to use its ads platform. Advertisers who fail to follow these guidelines will be restricted from running ads in the EU and UK.

It's important to note that only a select few consent management platforms have met Google's requirements, since this involves various technical improvements and updates. We believe it is an important differentiating factor for competitors in the consent management industry, particularly in 2024 as the landscape evolves.

Now, let's dive into our list of the best consent management platforms.

Here they are at a glance:

1. Enzuzo

2. CookieBot

3. CookieYes

4. MineOS

5. Ketch

6. OneTrust

7. Osano

8. Didomi

9. TrustArc
10. Cookie Information

The 10 Best Consent Management Software (CMP Software)

1. Enzuzo (Best All-Round Solution)

Enzuzo's global consent management solution is ideal for mid-market companies and up; those looking for a robust and feature-rich solution that won't break the bank. Enzuzo helps businesses adhere to crucial industry regulations across GDPR, CCPA, and Quebec Law 25. It can also provide support for other compliance frameworks, such as Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (LGPD) and South Africa's POPIA 

Most importantly, Enzuzo is a Google CMP-certified vendor — giving clients the surety that it makes them compliant with Google consent mode. 

Its latest update introduces a world-class cookie consent management tool that can be activated for selective, geo-targeted consent notices shown to visitors from specific regions and countries. Let's explore further why Enzuzo is our #1 pick:

Features

Enzuzo's consent manager unlocks organizations to:

• Integrate cookie banners with your tag manager and content management system.

• Establish a historical consent database to showcase compliance to regulatory bodies and auditors.

• Exhibit consent banners specific to regions & IP addresses.

• Perform comprehensive website scans to uncover trackers, privacy policies, and cookie notices.

• Conduct tests on a staging site before pushing live.

• Store cookie banner consent across multiple domains.

• Customize consent banners to align seamlessly with the company brand and visual identity.

All enterprise customers get Enzuzo's white-glove onboarding service, which ensures that engineers can assist with migration and set up technical workflows in advance. They can also offer sandbox environments and work in tandem with in-house teams to ensure everything is managed smoothly. 

Google-Certified CMP Vendor

As mentioned earlier, Google's updated its consent management guidelines from January 2024 onwards — requiring that companies must integrate with a certified vendor to deliver ads in Europe. 

Enzuzo worked with regulators in Europe to obtain the IAB Europe Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) certification, followed by Google CMP vetted status just a few weeks later.

This is an important differentiating factor, putting Enzuzo in the top tier of consent management platforms. 

👉 Here's how to comply with Google Consent Mode using Enzuzo

User Experience (UX)

Enzuzo offers a swift setup and installation process, engineered for speed and simplicity. All standard compliance workflows and legal pages are embedded with just a few lines of Javascript. Built-in dashboards and DSAR status requests give you a 360 degree view of data compliance activities, including warnings and error reports.

Enzuzo's UX shines in many of its reviews:

Multilingual Display & Consent

Enzuzo's consent management systems allow for the display of cookie notices and preference management in 25 different languages. This builds trust and makes it easier to communicate your policies in a language that's familiar to a global audience. Moreover, each consent notice can be customized to match brand guidelines, including colours, fonts, etc. 

Advanced Data Privacy Features

Companies looking for the entire gamut of data privacy solutions are covered under Enzuzo's enterprise plan. This offers advanced features such as data governance, data mapping, privacy impact assessments, Records of Processing Activities (RoPA), vendor risk management, and more. 

Customer Support & Onboarding

Swift customer support is a valuable differentiating factor, particularly in sensitive industries like data privacy. Software environments can break unexpectedly, and top-tier companies prioritize swift remediation of customer concerns.

Enzuzo's world-class customer support is available across Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern time zones.

Pricing

Some consent managers on this list are expensive. For example, OneTrust, Osano, and Mine all are priced at several hundred dollars per domain. Enzuzo gives you a world-class consent management tool priced at $5/domain (agency plan, paid annually). 

With features at par with industry-leading software and competitive pricing, it's clear why we affirm that Enzuzo is the best all-in-one package. 

Lean and Agile Web Application

Apps shouldn't drag down website performance. If so, they hurt core web vitals and impact SEO rankings, conversion, and provide a frustrating user experience.

Enzuzo has worked 1-1 with multiple web design and SEO agencies to test its apps, strengthening its codebase to build a lightweight app that doesn't impact website load time.    

Overall Thoughts

Enzuzo's consent management software offers many forward-thinking features, simplifying compliance with laws like GDPR, CCPA, Quebec Law 25, and more. What's more, it also offers seamless integrations across various web platforms, with native apps for Shopify and Webflow, and easy-to-implement install guides for Wix, Wordpress, and headless CMS environments. 

If you're looking for the trifecta of robust features, competitive pricing, and seamless onboarding and integration, we recommend Enzuzo as your top choice.

Learn how Enzuzo can be your preferred consent management solution. Book 1-1 time with our CEO here! 👇

2. CookieBot

Developed by Usercentrics, the Cookiebot platform gives business owners control over website cookies and trackers. Its robust scanner conducts monthly checks to identify these elements, automatically categorizes and blocks them until visitors grant consent, and provides users with various pre-built templates and banners to ensure transparency across data collection.

Like other tools, CookieBot leverages automation to help companies stay compliant. Its scanning technology detects cookies and trackers and offers international customization for languages and regulations. It presents clear and accurate messaging to ensure valid consent collection.

However, CookieBot does have some drawbacks, largely related to functionality:

Pros of CookieBot:

• Simple setup
• Affordable pricing
• Variety of plans, including a free option

Cons of CookieBot:

• Poor customer support
• Users report challenges with plugin use
• Lack of flexibility in deployment

Overall Thoughts

CookieBot is a simple, compact solution that gets the job done but doesn't offer all the bells and whistles of some of the more advanced solutions on this list. It's better suited for small businesses that need a quick fix without state-of-the-art features. 

On the plus side, the platform offers a variety of subscription plans, including a free plan. Businesses of all types should be able to find a tier that fits their budget. It's also simple to deploy and relatively straightforward as far as cookie consent tools are concerned.

We've monitored reviews that report implementation issues. Users also feel that the platform’s basic features are less competitive than other cookie compliance tools in the market, with unresponsive and unhelpful customer support also proving to be a worry. 

While CookieBot may be a viable starting point for smaller businesses, enterprise clients may want to give it a pass. 

3. CookieYes

CookieYes is similar to Cookiebot because it's a simple, no-frills platform that does the job. Its features include generating a fully customizable cookie banner, recording user consent, and managing all consent management needs in one place. Other notable features include historical consent logs, advanced website scanning, script blocking, and even generators to create free legal policies.

All of its plans feature a free trial period, so companies can test the services before they commit. 

However, its feature set is minimal compared to others on this list, and some customers report challenges customizing cookie banners to their preferences.

Pros of CookieYes:

• User-friendly and simple to use
• Affordable price point
• Helpful customer support

Cons of CookieYes:

• Limited feature set
• Poor customization potential
• Unsuitable for enterprises

Overall Thoughts

CookieYes is another cmp that doesn’t attempt to compete with enterprise-level compliance solutions. It's a simple, straightforward tool focusing on its core consent management processes. 

CookieYes offers a quick path to compliance without excessive price tags or lengthy onboarding for startups, small businesses, and other cash-strapped companies.

4. MineOS

MineOS is a respected platform used by privacy professionals worldwide. It offers features beyond consent management, including data mapping, governance, and more. This tool helps users find hidden data silos, categorize personal data, and generate reports, ensuring that organizations stay compliant with regulations all in one platform.

Furthermore, MineOS offers no-code API integration as a value-added feature. It's innovative and early to the AI revolution but lacks a focus on UX and customer support.

Users have reported a steep learning curve and difficulties when they try to implement specific aspects of the platform's functionality:

MineOS Pros:

• Comprehensive features for data mapping and consent management
• Strong integration potential with a no-code API
  
  

MineOS Cons:

• Steep learning curve requires extensive onboarding and training
• Users report challenges with some functions
• Poor customization potential
• Expensive

Overall Thoughts

MineOS offers advanced features suited for the modern enterprise. However, its consent manager is only accessible via an expensive, long-term contract. This may suit some requirements, but will probably be out of reach for many.

Moreover, MineOS will entail onboarding and integration costs, but its strong feature set is a plus point. 

5. Ketch

Ketch boasts many capabilities, including data usage and storage functions, consent management, risk assessment, DSARs, and more. There's a limited free plan but that won't appeal to most other than small businesses.

Consent management is only included in the advanced plan, alongside data and AI governance. Naturally, these are high-ticket items with long contracts. 

Ketch is a solid choice, but there are some drawbacks as users have reported:

Ketch Pros:

• Many advanced features and tools
• Custom APIs available
• Free option available

Ketch Cons:

• Expensive plans
• Long contracts required
• Complex onboarding and difficult to customize

Overall Thoughts

Ketch has a great set of features. Enterprise users will find value in its AI-based approach to data privacy, enabling agile adaptation to rapidly changing privacy regulations. These features empower larger businesses to manage compliance at scale and reduce operational and privacy engineering costs.

With that in mind, Ketch is particularly suitable for larger enterprises. While Ketch does offer a free version that small businesses can utilize, these basic functionalities may take them only so far. The true strength of Ketch's value proposition lies in its programmatic privacy solutions that harness AI and automation. 

Ketch is a good fit for companies with advanced requirements and privacy budgets to match.

6. OneTrust

Most readers will already be familiar with OneTrust – a leading name in data privacy.

OneTrust's consent management solution has world-class features, but is by far and away the most expensive solution on this list. OneTrust's suite of features includes ESG reporting, cyber threat management, operational resilience, and more. Few platforms are as comprehensive as OneTrust, and its reputation is well deserved. 

Of course, as a behemoth enterprise solution, OneTrust has some drawbacks: The platform comes at a high price point (albeit one expected from a compliance solution of this size), and users will need to commit to long contracts. 

We've been informed that OneTrust contract sizes can start at north of $50,000, renewed yearly. 

OneTrust is a complex software application that is difficult and cumbersome to integrate with in-house systems. Customer support isn't the best at responding to complaints, either. That leaves many users stranded, forced to tackle the platform on their own:

OneTrust Pros:

• Comprehensive feature set for a variety of uses
• Excellent for enterprise and corporate businesses
• Strong integration potential with other business intelligence platforms

OneTrust Cons:

• Long-term contracts with expensive plans
• Unresponsive customer support
• Complex platform that is difficult to set up and integrate

Overall Thoughts

OneTrust is a versatile privacy management platform best suited for larger enterprises and industries subject to stringent regulations. Its extensive feature set makes it a robust choice for such organizations. However, its considerable cost and complexity might render it less suitable in this challenging economic environment.

We recommend OneTrust for those with large budgets and in-house personnel. However, implementation can be complex and difficult to manage. Contracts are long, necessitating significant investment. 

7. Osano

Osano offers a comprehensive array of tools and solutions to conform to data protection regulations, user consent management, and more. 

We like its "No Fines, No Penalties Pledge," which covers fines of up to $200,000 for those utilizing Osano's legal workflows. The company puts its money where its mouth with a risk-free guarantee. However, that's only available on Osano's highest-priced plan. 

Osano's consent management feature has the same features as our top pick, Enzuzo, but starts at $549/month, compared to $79/month for Enzuzo. 

Osano Pros:

• Strong value-added services to analyze and reduce risk in third-party vendors
• Risk-free guarantee
• Customizable cookie consent banners

 Osano Cons:

• High cost for the features you get
• Restrictions on website traffic
• Cut and paste legal templates

Overall Thoughts

Osano is reliable and backed by robust engineering and an impressive commitment to its legal policy management. However, there are certain areas where Osano falls short.

The free plan imposes a monthly cap on site traffic of 5,000 visitors. And certain essential features required for GDPR and CCPA compliance, including consent management, are accessible only through the Premier Plan, which starts at $549 / month.

Another drawback is that Osano does not offer customized legal policies. Instead, it includes templatized agreements that companies can modify to their requirements. The absence of things like a privacy policy generator is irksome, when you're spending hundreds of dollars a month. 

Overall, Osano's feature set is robust and competitive, but it comes with high costs and certain service limitations that may pause prospective buyers. Nonetheless, it deserves its place in the top consent management tools list.

8.  Didomi

Didomi is another established player, based in France. It offers many of the same mid-market features as others on this list and plenty of integrations. 

From a features and product standpoint, Didomi delivers on all fronts. We also like that it emphasizes quality UX and compliance with major data privacy laws.

However, Didomi is known to be technical and difficult to set up. The consent management app can also significantly impact website load speeds, which hurts SEO and conversion. 

Didomi Pros:

• Strong integration potential with other business systems
• Solid features
• Suitable for advanced users

Didomi Cons:

• The integration process can be challenging
• The platform may degrade website performance
• Long contracts required

Overall Thoughts

Didomi provides a robust platform that caters to advanced users who can harness its customization options and third-party integration capabilities. Nevertheless, online reviews express concerns about the platform’s complexity, as well as the potential negative impact of Didomi on website performance.

Depending on the size and complexity of your website and the volume of traffic it receives, this issue may pose challenges that affect the overall user experience for your audience. Additionally, Didomi's pricing structure involves long contractual commitments, further limiting its suitability as an all-in-one platform. While Didomi remains a robust data tool, its drawbacks earn it a lower spot in our assessment.

9. TrustArc

TrustArc is an established player in this space, offering a robust platform that will keep you compliant across major privacy legislation worldwide. It also offers various managed support services to back up its core offerings. 

However, TrustArc is not without its drawbacks, as noted in some less-than-favourable user reviews:

Pros of TrustArc:

• Comprehensive platform for compliance, cookie management, and privacy
• Good reporting tools and transparency into operations
• Strong library of supplementary compliance and privacy resources

Cons of TrustArc:

• Expensive plans
• Subpar customer support for problems
• User reports of a frustrating, challenging UX

Overall Thoughts

TrustArc is a solid platform for and its suite of additional managed services provides a strong backbone for a company’s ongoing compliance goals. 

On the flip side, users should expect to pay high costs for TrustArc, particularly once additional managed services are added in. 

Some users have reported a less-than-ideal user experience (UX) and subpar customer support, which could concern certain business owners. This means that, despite TrustArc’s powerful feature set, users should know it’s not the easiest platform to deploy. The lack of transparency in pricing may give prospective buyers pause. 

10. Cookie Information

Rounding up our list is Denmark-based Cookie Information.

It's a no-frills consent management solution that lets businesses deploy a compliant cookie banner and updated cookie policy. It ensures that companies remain fully transparent about cookies and data collection practices.

Cookie Information helps you comply with the legal, marketing, and IT side of consent management without breaking the bank.

Pros:

• Value for money
• Easy to get started with
• No-frills

Cons:

• Limited feature set
• Unsuited for enterprise needs

Overall Thoughts

Cookie Information gets the job done, but with subpar UX and integrations. Expect a no-frills app, that won't include the bells and whistles of some of the other ones on this list. Regardless, it's a decent solution for small businesses that don't have any fancy requirements.  

Things to Consider When Choosing Consent Management Software

We reviewed several top criteria that companies should assess when selecting a CMP. Here's our framework:

• User-Friendly Interface and Dashboards: We assessed CMPs based on the intuitiveness of their user interfaces and dashboards. Additionally, we examined whether these platforms offer analytics, multi-user support, and other forward-thinking features. 
• Comprehensive Customer Support: We considered whether the providers on this list offered reliable customer support, complimentary onboarding, and additional training resources. 
• Customization Options: Some companies have individual needs and requirements. The ability to cater to feature requests and customizations was an important factor in our list. 
• Cost-Effectiveness: We analyzed whether each provider offered value in relation to their cost. 
• Analytics & Scanning Capabilities: One of the main requirements of a consent management platform is the ability to track and categorize cookies effectively. As such, we prioritized CMPs that offer analytics, fast scanning, and audit logs. 
• Related Data Privacy Functions: While consent management is important, that's usually not the only thing that folks look for when it comes to data privacy. Hence, we opted for providers that offer a multi-faceted platform.  
• Multi-Language Options: Companies operating in global markets must display consent banners in multiple languages. Hence, we opted for providers with a multilingual experience for their audience.
• Google CMP certification: Being a Google-certified cmp provider helps meet consent mode requirements, giving customers a trusted option to deliver ads in Europe safely. Like we said above, it's a value-added feature for consent management companies and a significant differentiating factor.  

Consent Management Legislation Around the World

The earliest and most significant legislation that mandated consent for capturing personally identifiable information (PII) was the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). 

Under the GDPR is the ePrivacy Directive, also an EU standard. This directive lays down the law for businesses by giving them an exact framework of what they can and cannot do. For example:

In Article 12 of the GDPR, Businesses must clearly define what data is being collected, why it’s being collected, and how consumers can contact your business to access, amend, or request that you delete it. 

And Article 18 of the GDPR states that consumers have the right to refuse to allow cookies that would track them or to restrict a data transfer to third parties for further processing. This explicitly allows them to “opt out” if they wish. Moreover, businesses cannot restrict website access just because a user opts out of the tracking request.

Next, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) covers the use of PII extensively except financial and healthcare sectors with their own legislation. 

Under the CCPA, websites must inform visitors what data will be collected by its cookies and trackers and how that information will be used. The act also includes frameworks for managing the storage and use of PII records. 

Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), has the same consent requirements as the CCPA. 

The local data privacy law in Brazil is known as the Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD). While it doesn’t specifically discuss cookies, the LGPD does similarly treat PII as CCPA.

In Canada, the new Quebec Law 25 has imposed similar stringent consent management requirements. This makes it mandatory for businesses to explicitly collect and store user consent, or risk heavy fines if not compliant. 

Main Functions of Consent Tools

Consent management centers around explicity approval from users for storing PII and other actions, such as transferring data from one location to another. For example, internet companies like Facebook regularly stored data of EU residents on servers in North America. This act required explicit user approval and was given legal framework under Privacy Shield.  

The best CMPs identify the right data types and categorize each cookie & tracker in relevant groups. Since some sites may have hundreds of cookies, listing them under subgroups is preferable for better scannability. 

Once all cookies are categorized, the CMP should create an appropriate consent popup notification allowing users to accept or deny cookies. 

All responses must be stored and kept in valid log files for audit purposes. Advanced CMPs can also store consent across several websites all owned by the same entity. 

Cookie consent systems must also block trackers if visitors do not give consent. 

If users wish to inquire about specific data held by an organization, they will submit a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) form. This is similar to GDPR's 'Right to be Forgotten' and is a mandatory requirement. Users must be allowed to ask for their data to be deleted from servers or modified, if required. Businesses can also withdraw their service if retention of PII is necessary to allow them to function. 

We're happy to assist with your search if you’re unsure which platform best suits your needs. Book 1-1 time with our CEO here! 👇