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Legal · head to head

Cookiebot vs TrustArc

Cookiebot logo

Cookiebot

Legal

Automated cookie scanning and consent banner for websites, owned by Usercentrics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TrustArc logo

TrustArc

Cybersecurity

Privacy management platform with regulatory research and the TRUSTe certification programme

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cookiebot has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cookiebot pricing is per domain and banded by subpage count, so an organisation with many brand domains or a large content site pays many multiples of the 7 euro headline, and the bands are counted from the scan rather than from what you think you publish.; TrustArc the software layer is generally shallower than OneTrust, particularly automated data discovery across large heterogeneous estates, so organisations with sprawling infrastructure often still need a separate discovery tool.
  • They diverge on capability: Cookiebot covers Automated cookie scanning, TrustArc covers Nymity Research.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cookiebot and TrustArc actually diverge.

Attributes where Cookiebot and TrustArc differ
AttributeCookiebotTrustArc
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer domain per month by subpage countquote
Free tierYesNo
CategoryLegalCybersecurity

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Cookiebot

  • Automated cookie scanning
  • Prior blocking
  • Google Consent Mode v2
  • IAB TCF support
  • Consent logging
  • Cookie declaration
  • Multi-language banners
  • Geotargeting

Only in TrustArc

  • Nymity Research
  • TRUSTe certification
  • Consent and preference management
  • Privacy assessments
  • Data inventory and mapping
  • Individual rights requests
  • Cookie consent manager
  • Privacy programme benchmarking

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cookiebot

  • A marketing team that needs a defensible consent record for European visitors without adding privacy engineering headcountnot TrustArc
  • A site using Google Ads and Analytics that must send Consent Mode v2 signals or lose conversion measurement in the EEAnot TrustArc
  • An agency managing many small client sites that wants per-domain billing it can pass through at costnot TrustArc
  • A content-heavy publisher needing IAB TCF signals passed to advertising partnersnot TrustArc

TrustArc

  • A consumer brand that needs an independent privacy seal on its website because enterprise customers or app stores ask for third-party verificationnot Cookiebot
  • A multinational privacy team that needs a maintained answer to what a given jurisdiction requires without retaining outside counsel for every questionnot Cookiebot
  • An organisation running DPIAs at volume that wants templates tied to a maintained regulatory library rather than to a consultant word documentnot Cookiebot
  • A privacy programme being audited that needs documented maturity benchmarking against a recognised framework of programme activitiesnot Cookiebot

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cookiebot

  • Pricing is per domain and banded by subpage count, so an organisation with many brand domains or a large content site pays many multiples of the 7 euro headline, and the bands are counted from the scan rather than from what you think you publish.
  • Enterprise features such as single sign-on, banner A and B testing and a dedicated account manager sit on Usercentrics Web CMP rather than on Cookiebot, so growing out of Cookiebot means migrating to a sibling product with its own dashboard and contract.
  • Prior blocking depends on Cookiebot recognising the script, and custom or first-party tags frequently need manual tagging, which means a site can believe it is blocking trackers when it is not until someone audits it.
  • Scans crawl a limited number of subpages per band, so trackers that only appear on deep or gated pages can go undiscovered and unblocked between scans.
  • The free tier carries Cookiebot branding and is limited to one domain and 50 subpages, which makes it a demonstration rather than a workable option for anything but a brochure site.

TrustArc

  • The software layer is generally shallower than OneTrust, particularly automated data discovery across large heterogeneous estates, so organisations with sprawling infrastructure often still need a separate discovery tool.
  • The integration catalogue is smaller than the market leader, which means more of the data inventory is maintained by hand and drifts out of date between reviews.
  • Certification services are sold separately from the platform subscription, so the seal that is often the reason for choosing TrustArc is an extra line item and an extra annual renewal.
  • Reported contract values vary enormously by module mix and organisation size, and the absence of published pricing means smaller buyers have no anchor and routinely discover the entry price is higher than expected.
  • TrustArc stays inside privacy, so organisations that later want third-party risk, security compliance or ethics reporting on the same platform will be running a second vendor anyway.

Pricing, plan by plan

Cookiebot

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 domain, up to 50 subpages
    • Automated scanning
    • Google Consent Mode
  • Premium Lite$7/month
    • 1 domain, up to 50 subpages
    • Custom banner design and logo
    • Multi-language banners
  • Premium Small$15/month
    • Per domain
    • Up to 350 subpages per domain
    • Multiple domains supported
  • Premium Medium$30/month
    • Per domain
    • Up to 3,500 subpages per domain

TrustArc

On request
  • TrustArc Privacy Platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted by module, entity count and data volume
    • TRUSTe certification and assessment services priced separately from platform subscription
    • Nymity Research licensed as a separate module

Which should you pick?

Choose Cookiebot if

  • You need automated cookie scanning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want prior blocking.
Cookiebot review

Choose TrustArc if

  • You need nymity research.
  • You also want truste certification.
TrustArc review

Questions people ask

Is Cookiebot or TrustArc better?
Neither clearly leads. Cookiebot starts at Free and TrustArc at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cookiebot or TrustArc?
Cookiebot has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cookiebot and On request for TrustArc.
Does Cookiebot or TrustArc run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Cookiebot for free?
Yes. Cookiebot has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. TrustArc starts at On request.
What is Cookiebot best used for?
Cookiebot is most often used for a marketing team that needs a defensible consent record for european visitors without adding privacy engineering headcount, a site using google ads and analytics that must send consent mode v2 signals or lose conversion measurement in the eea, an agency managing many small client sites that wants per-domain billing it can pass through at cost, a content-heavy publisher needing iab tcf signals passed to advertising partners. Of those, a marketing team that needs a defensible consent record for european visitors without adding privacy engineering headcount and a site using google ads and analytics that must send consent mode v2 signals or lose conversion measurement in the eea are not what TrustArc is typically brought in for.
What can Cookiebot do that TrustArc cannot?
Cookiebot covers Automated cookie scanning, Prior blocking, Google Consent Mode v2, IAB TCF support. TrustArc covers Nymity Research, TRUSTe certification, Consent and preference management, Privacy assessments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cookiebot: Who owns Cookiebot?

Usercentrics, which acquired the Danish developer Cybot in September 2021. It is sold as Cookiebot by Usercentrics alongside the separate Usercentrics Web CMP.

TrustArc: What does TrustArc have that OneTrust does not?

Nymity Research, a maintained regulatory intelligence library acquired in 2019, and the TRUSTe third-party certification and seal programme.

Cookiebot: What does a real deployment cost?

Between 7 and 90 euros per domain per month depending on subpage count. Ten domains on the medium band is 300 euros a month, not 7.

TrustArc: How much does TrustArc cost?

Not published. Reported enterprise agreements range widely depending on modules and organisation size, and certification services are quoted on top of the platform subscription.

Cookiebot: Does it support Google Consent Mode v2?

Yes, and Cookiebot is in Google CMP partner programme, which matters if you run Google advertising into the EEA.

TrustArc: Is TRUSTe the same company?

Yes. TrustArc is the renamed TRUSTe business and still operates the TRUSTe certification programme as a subsidiary.

Cookiebot: Is the free plan usable in production?

Only for a single very small site. It caps at one domain and 50 subpages and shows Cookiebot branding on the banner.

TrustArc: Does it handle cookie consent for Europe?

Yes, it includes a consent manager with scanning and banner delivery, though pure-play consent vendors are cheaper if that is all you need.

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