Review/Consent management platform (CMP)/No. 3 of 10
Cookiebot review
Copenhagen-born consent platform, now part of Usercentrics, built around a thorough cookie and tracker scanner.
In this article
Cookiebot started in Copenhagen in 2012 and is now operated by Usercentrics A/S as a consent management platform. Its scanner behaves like a visitor across as many as 10,000 subpages and finds HTTP and JavaScript cookies, HTML5 local storage, IndexedDB, pixel tags and beacons, which it turns into a cookie declaration showing type, duration, provider and purpose. Consents are logged and downloadable. One domain with up to 50 subpages is free; paid use begins with Premium Lite at €7 per domain per month excluding VAT, and the price rises with the number of subpages found. A free one-off Cookie checker sends its report by e-mail.
01In detail
Cookiebot was created in Copenhagen in 2012 by Cybot, which merged with Germany’s Usercentrics in 2021; the Danish company behind it is Usercentrics A/S. It concentrates on a single task and does it thoroughly: tracing everything a site stores on, or sends about, its visitors, and placing it behind a consent banner.
Its scanner imitates visitors on up to 10,000 subpages, following links and buttons, playing media and watching network traffic. Alongside HTTP and JavaScript cookies, it picks up HTML5 local storage, IndexedDB, Flash and Silverlight storage, pixel tags and ultrasound beacons. The findings feed a cookie declaration with each item’s type, duration, provider and purpose, and the banner keeps the scripts blocked until consent is given. Each consent is logged with an anonymised IP address, a timestamp and the consent state, kept for a year, and can be downloaded or retrieved through an API. Cookiebot is a Gold Tier Google-certified CMP registered with the IAB, the banner comes in 47+ languages, and the company says it holds ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 certification.
For a quick look, the free Cookie checker on the website scans a URL once and e-mails the result. Privacy-policy content, the imprint, e-shop duties and accessibility are not examined; Usercentrics offers a privacy policy generator separately, in four languages.
Prices are per domain and month, in euro and excluding VAT. Free covers one domain and 50 subpages but no automated monthly scans. Premium Lite is €7 for up to 50 subpages, Premium Small €15 for 350, Medium €30 for 3,500, Large €50 for 7,000 and XLarge €90 beyond 7,000. The plan is set automatically by the highest number of subpages found, and the www and non-www versions of a site count as two domains. Paid plans include monthly scans; daily scans are an extra €99 a month. A 14-day trial is available without a credit card.
For the cookie side of compliance Cookiebot is a well-established choice: it detects storage types many rivals overlook, and its banner blocks what it detects.
02What it checks
Of the 7 areas we track, Cookiebot’s published materials cover 2: cookies in browser storage and third-party trackers. It does not check consent banner behaviour, the privacy policy, the imprint, e-shop consumer information or accessibility.
What it inspects
- Cookie and storage scanYes
- Consent banner behaviourNo
- Tracker and third-party request detectionYes
- Privacy policy reviewNo
- Imprint (legal notice) checkNo
- Consumer-law information (e-commerce)No
- Accessibility checkNo
What you get
- Exportable evidence reportYes
- Fix guidanceNot published
- Continuous monitoringYes
- Consent management platform includedYes
- Certificate or sealNo
Languages: Banner in 47+ languages (vendor homepage); interface languages not published. Countries covered: Global (GDPR/ePrivacy and US state law templates).
03Pricing
The free plan covers one domain with up to 50 subpages and one language, keeps consent records for up to 12 months and runs no automated monthly scans. Paid tiers, per domain per month and excluding VAT, are Premium Lite €7 (up to 50 subpages), Small €15 (up to 350), Medium €30 (up to 3,500), Large €50 (up to 7,000) and XLarge €90 (over 7,000). The tier follows the number of subpages scanned, and subdomains are billed as separate domains. Daily scans cost €99 a month extra, Usercentrics Advanced is sold through sales, and a 14-day trial needs no credit card.[1]
Prices as published by the vendor, checked in . Source: cookiebot.com/en/pricing. Prices change; check the vendor’s page before you buy.
04How it scores
Cookiebot ranks No. 3 of 10 in our 2026 ranking, with an overall score of 6.5 out of 10 (Good). The table shows the score on each criterion and the weight it carries; the method is explained on how we review.
| Criterion | Weight | Score bar | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breadth of legal checks | 25% | 3.1 | |
| Quality of evidence | 20% | 7.5 | |
| Guidance on fixing | 15% | 7.5 | |
| Fit for European law | 15% | 8.0 | |
| Clear prices and value | 15% | 7.5 | |
| Time to first result | 10% | 8.0 | |
| Weighted overall | 100% | 6.5 |
05Pros and cons
What we like
- Finds more than cookies, including HTML5 local storage, IndexedDB, pixel tags and beacons, across as many as 10,000 subpages
- One domain with up to 50 subpages is free, with no cap on page views
- Premium Lite costs €7 per domain per month excluding VAT, and paid plans include monthly scans
- Free and paid plans keep a consent log that can be downloaded or read through an API
- Gold Tier Google-certified and registered with the IAB; the banner is available in 47+ languages
What could be better
- Limited to cookies and consent: privacy-policy content, the imprint, consumer-law duties and accessibility are not checked
- The free plan has one banner language and no automated monthly scans, and daily scans cost an extra €99 a month
- The plan is chosen automatically by the number of subpages found, and www and non-www are billed as separate domains
- Privacy policies come from a separate Usercentrics generator that offers four languages
06Verdict
Our score: 6.5/10Good
For the cookie side of compliance Cookiebot is a well-established choice: it detects storage types many rivals overlook, and its banner blocks what it detects. Because it ignores privacy-policy content, provider information and e-shop duties, its score for breadth of legal checks trails the broader checkers.
Best for: Websites that need a dependable consent banner plus a detailed inventory of cookies, trackers and other storage types.
07Sources
Every factual statement in this review is taken from the pages below. Where a page did not state something, we say “not published” rather than guess.
- Pricing (cookiebot.com)
- Cookie scanner (cookiebot.com)
- Free cookie checker (cookiebot.com)
- Legal notice (cookiebot.com)
- About (founded 2012) (cookiebot.com)
- IAB TCF (cookiebot.com)
- Privacy policy generator (cookiebot.com)
Sources checked in .