A CMP (Consent Management Platform) shows the cookie banner, blocks trackers before consent, and keeps proof of the visitor’s choice. In 2026, the serious options for sites in Romania and the EU include FewCookies, Cookiebot, OneTrust, CookieYes, Termly and iubenda — each with a different price and complexity profile. Below is an honest shortlist, plus the criteria to choose by.
What is a CMP and why do you need one?
A CMP (Consent Management Platform) is the tool that handles the three things GDPR and Romanian Law 506/2004 require before trackers fire:
- Shows the banner with real accept and reject options (not just "OK").
- Actually blocks non-essential cookies and scripts until the visitor accepts — rather than just showing a message over them.
- Keeps proof of consent (who chose what, when) and sends the Google Consent Mode v2 signals to Analytics and Ads.
A banner that merely appears while trackers fire before the click does not make you compliant — it makes you look compliant. The difference shows in the browser's Network tab or in a free scan.
How to choose: the criteria that matter
Beyond price, four criteria separate a CMP that keeps you compliant from one that just ticks a box:
| Criterion | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Real pre-consent blocking | Without it, trackers fire anyway and the banner is decorative. Test with a scan, not on trust. |
| All four Consent Mode v2 signals | ad_storage, analytics_storage, ad_user_data, ad_personalization — required for Google Ads and Analytics in the EEA. |
| Right policies and language | A Romanian site needs a banner and policies in Romanian, not only English. |
| Predictable price | Some platforms move to "enterprise" pricing as traffic or subdomain counts grow. Check the thresholds first. |
The shortlist: 6 platforms compared
Each row has an honest, head-to-head comparison page with pricing and feature detail. Here we just summarize who each one fits.
| Platform | Best for | Detailed comparison |
|---|---|---|
| FewCookies | Sites in Romania and the EU that want real compliance, in Romanian and English, at a fixed price (€6/month, tax included, 7-day trial without a card). | — |
| Cookiebot | Teams that want an established name with automatic scanning; priced per domain/subpage. | FewCookies vs Cookiebot |
| OneTrust | Large companies with data-governance needs beyond cookies. | FewCookies vs OneTrust |
| CookieYes | Small sites that want a generous free tier and fast setup. | FewCookies vs CookieYes |
| Termly | Anyone who also wants policy generators, not just a banner. | FewCookies vs Termly |
| iubenda | Freelancers and agencies managing many sites from one account. | FewCookies vs iubenda |
Looking specifically for an alternative to the best-known name? See the honest Cookiebot alternative, with the full feature table.
Verdict: how to decide in 5 minutes
There is no "best CMP" in the abstract — there is the best fit for your site. Three questions get you to the answer:
- What trackers fire right now, before consent? Run a free scan — if you find trackers firing before the click, whatever CMP you pick must genuinely block them.
- Do you need Romanian? If your audience is in Romania, a Romanian banner and policies are not optional.
- What predictable budget do you have? Compare a fixed price against models that grow with traffic.
If you want a starting point with real blocking, all four Consent Mode v2 signals and bilingual policies at a fixed price, FewCookies is built for exactly this case. Whatever you choose, start from a scan — a decision based on what you see in the Network tab beats any brochure.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a CMP if I only use Google Analytics?
Yes. Google Analytics sets cookies and, in the EEA, needs consent and the Consent Mode v2 signals before it collects data. Without a CMP that blocks and sends the signals correctly, you are collecting data with no legal basis.
Is a free banner enough for GDPR?
It can be, if it actually blocks trackers before consent, makes rejecting as easy as accepting, and keeps proof of the choice. Many free banners only show a message and let scripts run — those do not make you compliant. Verify with a scan, not by looks.
What is the difference between a CMP and Google Consent Mode?
Consent Mode v2 is the mechanism by which Google receives consent signals; the CMP is the tool that shows the banner, blocks trackers and sends those signals. Consent Mode without a CMP that truly blocks means you send correct signals about trackers that fired anyway.
Want to see which cookies and trackers fire on your site before consent? The scan is free and needs no account. Check your site for free →