Finally, finished setting up your website? One more step to go! Creating a WordPress website doesn’t end with setting up.
Depending on where you’re based, you must comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
These data privacy laws impose heavy fines on violators – you wouldn’t want to be one of them!
I’ve compiled all of the cookie consent plugins I found during my own research for your use. Thank me later.
What’s the Importance of the Cookie Consent Banner?
Before explaining the cookie banner, let me briefly discuss what cookies are. Simply put, these are pieces of data that a website uses to identify the user.
Cookies can trace information such as networks, online activities, clicked ads, IP addresses, etc. Sounds scary, right? That’s why these policies were enacted to avoid malicious breaches.
But don’t worry, most of them are used for advertising purposes. Cookies allow them to know user activity and behavior and how to target them accurately. Still creepy, I know!
Cookie consent banners allow the users to decide if they want to allow or disable cookies. This way, you can control how much information is being retrieved from you.
The Top 7 Best WordPress Cookie Consent Plugins
Here are the best plugins to get for WordPress!
1) MonsterInsights (Google Analytics)
What I Liked
- Easy to integrate Google Analytics tracking code
- Responsive to mobile format
- Sophisticated tracking features
- Easy to set up; user-friendly
- Provides helpful reports
What I Didn’t Like
- On the expensive side
This is the best Google Analytics plugin for WordPress because of its affiliation. I consider MonsterInsights one of the most powerful because of its advanced features.
It’s very convenient, and unlike before, you don’t need to hire a developer to configure all the cookie plugins. You can do it yourself in a few clicks and retrieve useful data.
Plus, the tracking reports are genuinely insightful. They’re not just some recor ds of detailed information – they actually help!
Key Features
- Real-time Google analytics
- Provides the ff reports: e-commerce, user behavior, SEO ranking, etc.
- Integrates CookieBot and Cookie Notice Plugin
- Can anonymize IP in Google Analytics (disable personal data tracking)
- Plan: $399.50/year (Agency) | $199.50/year (Pro) | $99.50/year (Plus)
- Regulations Covered: EU Cookie Law (GDPR friendly)
2) Cookie Notice and Compliance
What I Liked
- Seamless integration to WordPress websites
- Easy-to-use design controls
- It covers over 100 countries
- It also supports cookie compliance (that has a web application)
- It has a free version
What I Didn’t Like
- Cases of inaccessibility on the website with this plugin
- The paid version is better
Cookie Notice and Compliance is a Consent Management Platform (CMP) that makes it easy for users to create a stylish cookie consent banner for a WordPress site.
It’s easy to integrate, too! I like how the cookie banner message is SEO-friendly and customizable based on your website’s tone and style.
But like any other “freemium” platform, the unpaid portion of the experience is a free trial only. You progressively find yourself needing the premium version.
Key Features
- Can automatically block cookies and other categories
- Can set a cookie expiry time
- Synchronized with WordPress privacy policy
- WPML and Polylang compliant
- Has cookie categories
- Plan: Free for Cookie Notice | Cookie Compliance Premium: $14.95/month
- Regulations Covered: GDPR, CCPA
3) CookieYes
What I Liked
- Cookie compliance covers many legal jurisdictions
- Cookie consent notice/banner has ‘accept’ and ‘reject’ options
- Allows use of shortcode for a list
- Has a ‘do not share’ option on cookie notice features
What I Didn’t Like
- The free version is not compatible with some major caching servers
- Only the premium version automatically controls cookies
CookieYes is a known GDPR cookie consent plugin that offers paid and free plugin options. The free version allows you to customize the cookie notice style.
However, the paid version is the real deal. It has the WordPress cookie consent plugin features such as auto-blocking scripts and wide-range compatibility.
Key Features
- Single-click scanning
- WPML compatible
- Customizable cookie notices
- Has cookie audit module
- Plan: Free | Premium: $49/year
- Regulations Covered: GDPR, CCPA, LGPD (Brazil), CNIL (France), POPIA (South Africa)
4) Complianz
What I Liked
- Full-feature privacy plugin for WordPress (not just for cookie consent)
- Automatically blocks cookies from external platforms for premium
- Has a Script Center for iFrames, scripts, and plugins
- Has cookie notification for data breach
What I Didn’t Like
- It can be tricky for newbies (but generally easy to use)
Complianz is a straightforward GDPR cookie consent plugin. It’s not too complicated to use, and it’s already complete. I like that its cookie compliance covers many regions and countries.
The cookie scanner can detect cookies fast. Plus, I appreciate that despite having a premium version, the free GDPR plugin features of this consent management plugin still work wonderfully.
Key Features
- Blocks third-party cookies (Facebook, Instagram, Google Maps, etc.)
- Uses Legal Pages for the legal requirements
- Generate proof of consent log
- Customizable consent banner
- It lets you add cookie descriptions
- Plan: $299/year (Agency) | $149/year (Pro) | $49/year (Plus)
- Regulations Covered: GDPR, CCPA, DSGVO, and PIPEDA
5) WP GDPR Compliance
What I Liked
- Automatically adds WordPress GDPR cookie consent banner
- Straightforward to use
- Free, but has paid business features
What I Didn’t Like
- Limited features
Among all the GDPR plugins for WordPress I’ve worked with, this one is the easiest to navigate. It’s a ‘no-frills‘ GDPR plugin that does the job without all complications.
The users of your WordPress website can also request what data are kept, and they can choose to anonymize it.
Key Features
- Compatible with WooCommerce, Gravity Forms, and Contact Form 7
- It has a ‘Forget Me Not’ feature
- Compatible with WordPress comments
- Can anonymize data
- Plan: Free
- Regulations Covered: GDPR and CCPA
6) GDPR Cookie Compliance
What I Liked
- Customizable cookie consent popup
- User-friendly
- SEO-friendly
- Users can save cookies
What I Didn’t Like
- N/A
GDPR Cookie Compliance is one of the least problematic GDPR plugins I’ve worked with. I rarely encountered issues, and if there were, they were easily resolved.
The free plugin for WordPress version only entails the customization of the cookie consent notification bar (or cookie banner). The premium features are more impressive!
Key Features
- Block third-party scripts and cookies
- Geo-location
- Auto-accept when the user scrolls
- Analytics
- Compatible with QTranslate, WPML, Polylang
- Plan: Free | Premium: ~$61/year
- Regulations Covered: GDPR, CCPA, European Cookie Law
7) Everest Forms
What I Liked
- Easy to use
- Requires explicit consent from users
- Allows enabling/disabling of data storage
What I Didn’t Like
- N/A
Yes, creating a cookie consent banner can be as easy as drag-and-drop! I was surprised that everything seemed so simple with this cookie consent plugin, and I continue to use it today.
Like most WordPress cookie notification plugin options, there are free and premium versions. Both work great.
Key Features
- Generates various forms (survey, payment, contact, etc.)
- Exports CSV data
- Integrates with GoogleSheet
- Supports multiple languages
- Plan: Free | Premium: $48.3/year
- Regulations Covered: GDPR
Why Are the GDPR and CCPA Important When Dealing With a Cookie Notice?
So, why are these WordPress plugins so important? You can tell by the many options that they’re essential to website creation.
GDPR and CCPA are crucial considerations because these are laws meant to protect users in the European Union and California in particular.
But since websites can’t anticipate when, for instance, European Union users will access their site, they need WordPress GDPR cookie plugins for everyone.
The cookie notice bar isn’t just a fancy pop-up. It must be GDPR compliance that follows the legal cookie consent regulations.
That’s why these platforms come in handy because they already have automated compliance features to help you craft your cookie bar or WordPress cookie notification following the requirements and cookie policy.
Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the cookies policy; the ones I’ve listed are the best WordPress plugins and best practice cookie policies that can help!
How Do I Add Cookie Consent in WordPress?
It’s easy to install plugins for WordPress websites! Here’s a step-by-step.
1. Install the Cookie Consent Plugin
First, go to your WordPress page. Go to Plugins, then Add New.
You’ll see many plugins for WordPress available. Click on the cookie consent plugins of your choice. Once you find it, install and activate the WordPress cookie notification plugin.
2. Setting Up the Cookie Notice Plugin
Once installed, you’ll need to configure the WordPress plugins based on your settings. Go to settings to change.
You can select the regulations covered that you want and if there are customizations you wish to implement. Don’t forget to click Update Settings once done!
3. Enable the Cookie Bar
After the configurations, it’s time to customize the cookie notice banner! Here, you can craft the messaging and select designs for the banner.
The following steps will be self-explanatory. You can explore the settings and options more as you go.
4. Give the Cookie Notice Banner a Test Run
Run the banner to see how it looks. You can freely customize and design the pop-up in the settings, so don’t hesitate to conduct a little trial-and-error based on your preference.
Things to Consider for Best WordPress Plugin
So, what should you look out for when choosing the best WordPress plugin? Here are some suggestions.
1. Ease of Use
Not everyone is techy when it comes to website building. When starting my own page, I struggled to comprehend the technicalities.
It was the easy-to-understand plugins that helped me navigate the configurations and eventually allowed me to build well-crafted websites!
For beginners, I highly suggest choosing easy plugins. These are the drop-and-drag and no-frills software that beginners can use without problems.
2. Scope of Compliance
Usually, plugins that comply with the EU cookie law are sufficient. But of course, if your audience is broad and international, you’d want plugins that support them.
Besides GDPR, there are:
- California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
- Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD) for Brazil
- Commission Nationale Informatique & Libertés (CNIL) for France
- Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) for South Africa
These are the most common ones. But there are more data privacy laws for other jurisdictions as well.
3. Plans and Features
As you notice, many of these plugins are free for the simple cookie consent banner with the messaging.
But if you want the reports, analytics, and other advanced features, you need to upgrade to premium versions. It’s only fair since most of these are technical tools.
Assess what you need for your website. If you don’t need the other consent management features for now, you can enjoy the free version and upgrade later!
Different platforms have varying technical features, so it’s pretty challenging to compare them directly.
I suggest assessing your website needs first, then looking through the specific features to find what you need. You can start with my reviews above and go from there.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are the most frequently asked questions about the topic!
Is There a Free Cookie Consent for WordPress?
Yes. Most WordPress plugins offer cookie consent banner features for free. Meaning you can customize and design the pop-ups without pay.
It’s only the advanced features (i.e., tracking reports, analytics, etc.) that need upgrading!
Does My Website Need Cookie Consent?
Yes, mainly if your audience will be from countries with data privacy laws. And even so, you won’t know how, when, and who will access your site.
That’s why many websites today must integrate these plugins to ensure that all users will be safe. The law may be specific to some places, but it affords protection for most users.
What Is Required for Cookie Consent?
The necessary information is as follows:
- Informing users of the presence of cookies
- Explain the purpose of the cookies and how they work
- Ask for the user’s consent to accept the cookie on their devices
You can read more about the cookie consent requirements and get assistance from cookie policy generators if needed.
Conclusion
The next time you see a cookie notification when accessing a website, you’ll appreciate the efforts behind that banner!
Website building is more than the UI/UX design and layout. Don’t neglect the legal requirements to protect your users and yourself.