Protecting your customer data is more than just good business practice, it’s a legal requirement under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
This regulation applies to all businesses with websites and applications that collect personal data from visitors who are based in the European Union (EU), regardless of the business’ location. It exists to protect those individuals’ privacy rights and mitigate the misuse of their data.
Simply adding a cookie consent banner to your website won’t automatically equal compliance. You’ll also need to implement specific technical and organizational measures to meet the GDPR’s stringent requirements.
Fortunately, there are a number of GDPR compliance software options that will help you to do just this. We’ll take a look at some of the best solutions out there.
Our top picks for GDPR compliance software:
GDPR compliance software options
Software | Key feature | Recommended for | Price* |
Usercentrics | Extensive database of legal templates: Over 2,200 templates to help enable compliance and save time and resources | Businesses of all sizes | From USD 60/month after 30-day free trial |
Osano | “No Fines, No Penalties” Pledge: Receive compensation of up to USD 200,000 if you receive a fine related to data privacy while using Osano | Medium-sized businesses | Custom pricing, available on request |
OneTrust | Data intelligence: Identify sensitive data and understand data risks | Large corporations | Custom pricing, available on request |
Didomi | Site scanner: Obtain a Health Score for your website to determine GDPR compliance level | Multinational companies | Custom pricing, available on request |
Cookie Information | Website and app consent management: Collect user consent across different platforms | Small businesses | From EUR 15/month |
CookieYes | Cookie Policy Generator: Create a custom cookie policy in a few minutes | Freelancers | From USD 0/month |
Borlabs Cookie | Dashboard statistics: See the past 10,000 cookie consents on your website in one place | Agencies | From EUR 49/month |
*As of July 2024
Why GDPR compliance software is a must in 2024
Failing to comply with the GDPR’s requirements will expose your business to significant risks, including hefty fines and reputational damage. Robust GDPR compliance software can help you streamline a variety of privacy compliance operations.
- Effectively handle sensitive data: ensure the proper collection, management, and protection of personal data.
- Manage data processing activities: integrates with the tools in your marketing stack to ensure consent information is obtained and communicated to control tag firing and cookie use that collects personal data.
- Support your data protection officer: Aid your data protection officer (DPO) in executing their responsibilities, with mechanisms for granular consent management, detailed consent logs, automated updates, and more.
- Map customer data: Provide clear visualizations of data flow and storage locations.
- Clearly communicate with visitors: Automate collection of information like which cookies are in use, and provide it on the consent banner and your privacy policy. All data privacy laws, including the GDPR, require companies to provide clear, comprehensive information about the data they collect, for what purposes, who may access it, and more.
Our picks of the 7 best GDPR compliance software platforms
Meeting GDPR requirements is crucial for businesses that want to protect personal data to avoid penalties, develop their privacy-led marketing operations, and build trust with their customers.
We highlight the top 7 GDPR compliance software platforms to help your business continually meet the regulation’s requirements.
1. Usercentrics
Usercentrics offers market-leading compliance software that helps enable businesses to comply with the GDPR and other data privacy regulations. Organizations in 195 countries have relied on Usercentrics to effectively manage user consent requirements since 2012.
Usercentrics is available as an out of the box solution. However, it also enables extensive customization of visual elements, data processing services, and regulatory coverage for websites, apps, and other connected platforms.
Although mastering this consent management platform’s (CMP) advanced tools may involve a bit of a learning curve, say G2 users, the end result is invaluable for building trust with users.
Key features
- Dynamic consent notices: Display banners and other notices in more than 60 languages, covering relevant regulations, to help enable compliance with local regulations (like the GDPR), based on the user’s location.
- DPS database: Over 2,200 legal templates are available to help you categorize and describe your data processing services, saving time and resources.
- EU servers: Store consent records on servers in European data centers to comply with regulatory requirements and alleviate international data transfer concerns. (Usercentrics is headquartered in the EU.)
- Granular consent management: Give website visitors and app users complete control over the data they share, which can be easily changed or revoked at any time.
- Consent storage: Document consent records over time in the event of regulatory inquiries, or to provide user consent history in the event of a data access request by a user.
Pricing
- Free trial: 30 days’ access to the Starter package.
- Starter: USD 60/month for up to 50,000 sessions with one configuration on one domain.
- Advanced: USD 175–1,150/month for 50,000+ sessions, with no limit to configurations and domains.
- Premium: Custom pricing for all Advanced features, plus premium support.
✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
Provides compliance notices in 60+ languages | Analytics data only available for 90 days |
2,200+ legal templates | |
Detailed analytics and reporting |
Simplify GDPR compliance with Usercentrics
Stay ahead of regulations with a flexible and scalable consent management platform tailored to your business
2. Osano
Osano software advertises numerous features that help enable GDPR compliance, including the option to use Osano as a third-party, EU-based DPO, and to assess vendor privacy risk.
Osano also offers a bold pledge to pay any fine or penalty — up to USD 200,000 — that a business incurs due to noncompliance with data privacy regulations while using its CMP. However, this only applies to customers on Premium plans or higher who have implemented products in line with Osano’s documentation.
Key features
- Data mapping: Identify potential data management risks and opportunities with an interactive map of your data.
- Data protection officers: Meet GDPR requirements with a third-party DPO based in the EU. (Osano is headquartered in the US.)
- Regulatory notifications: Get updates about upcoming regulatory and legislative changes.
Pricing
Contact Osano for a custom quote.
✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
Free, self-service cookie consent available | No A/B testing |
Provides dynamically generated policies based on the location of each user | |
Easy to set up (G2 users report) |
3. OneTrust
OneTrust comes with an extensive set of data privacy management tools for websites and apps, including cookie scanners, functionality for cookie consent management, and autoblocking functionality.
OneTrust also touts that it works with a network of lawyers and legal experts to provide relevant updates via the platform, to help enable and maintain GDPR compliance.
Key features
- Data intelligence: Identify sensitive data and understand data risks.
- Streamlined workflows: Automate repetitive tasks to save time and reduce errors in processes such as DSAR fulfillment.
- Vendor risk management: Identify and manage risks associated with vendors.
Pricing
OneTrust uses custom pricing based on user needs. Contact OneTrust for a quote.
✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
In-depth support and documentation via the Knowledge Base (G2 user reviews) | Non-transparent pricing |
Includes incident and breach management | |
A system for automating compliance assessments |
4. Didomi
Didomi provides a cloud-based CMP that offers data privacy tools, including cross-device consent management, supporting over 50 languages. While it does support multiple data privacy laws and regulations, there are no self-serve solutions, and customers must go through a consultation process. Nonetheless, G2 users praise Didomi’s customer support.
Key features
- Site scanner: Obtain a Health Score for your website to determine GDPR compliance.
- Powerful integrations: Can be easily added to your existing tech stack.
- Language support: Display banners and policies in 50+ languages.
Pricing
Pricing only available on request.
✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
Based in the EU | No self-serve solution |
Robust integration framework | |
Customer support via live chat and email |
5. Cookie Information
Cookie Information enables businesses to deploy cookie banners that comply with the GDPR, Digital Markets Act (DMA), and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Although the platform provides its customers with cookie policies and banners that can meet the latest regulatory requirements, it lacks features such as A/B testing.
Key features
- Website and app consent management: Collect user consent across different platforms.
- Data Discovery: Find and categorize data collected and stored across your tech stack.
- Compliance check: Run a free compliance check of your website to assess compliance with the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive.
Pricing
- Essential: From EUR 15/month
- Professional: From EUR 34/month
✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
Google-certified CMP partner | No geotargeting |
Personal account manager | |
Free 30-day trial |
6. CookieYes
CookieYes aims to simplify the consent management process with a claim of “foolproof consent management” and a cookie banner that can be launched in just a few minutes. G2 users praise the platform’s intuitive interface that makes it easy to set up and manage consent banners. However, advanced features such as geotargeting are only available on the two most expensive paid plans.
Key features
- Cookie Policy Generator: Create a custom cookie policy in a few minutes.
- Cookie Scanner: Identify and categorize all cookies on your website.
- CSS customization: Use CSS coding to tailor the appearance of your cookie banner.
Pricing
- Free: USD 0
- Basic: USD 10/month or USD 100/year
- Pro: USD 20/month or USD 200/year
- Ultimate: USD 40/month or USD 400/year
✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
Banners available in 30+ languages | Geotargeting only available on two most expensive plans |
Available as a WordPress plugin | |
Responsive support team (G2 user reviews) |
7. Borlabs Cookie
A quarter of a million websites use Borlabs Cookie to display GDPR- and ePrivacy-compliant cookie banners. The platform comes with an extensive library of templates for popular services and compatibility patches for plugins, as well as automatic translation, and geotargeting. However, as a WordPress plugin, this tool does not provide cross-platform consent management.
Key features
- Statistics: See the past 10,000 cookie consents on your website in one place.
- Cookie Box: Customize the layout and components of your cookie consent banner using 150+ templates.
- Powerful scanner: Scan your site, then install features from an extensive library based on your compliance requirements.
Pricing
All Borlabs Cookie plans are priced per annum and come with one year of Borlabs Service (the license needed to use the library, geotargeting, IAB TCF, scanner, translation service), free updates and free support.
- Personal: EUR 49 for 1 website
- Business – Medium: EUR 109 for 5 websites
- Agency – Small: EUR 229 for 25 websites
- Agency: EUR 499 for 99 websites
✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
Includes auto-blocking | WordPress-only plugin |
Geotargeting | |
Flexible pricing based on number of websites |
Must-have features for GDPR compliance management software
To ensure your business is able to meet data privacy requirements — and help the person or team who is responsible for GDPR compliance to execute their duties effectively — your software must:
- Simplify the collection and management of user consent
- Enable granular consent collection
- Signal consent information to third-party partners, such as Google
- Provide robust data and account protection protocols for security
- Help with the identification and mitigation of compliance risks
- Meet GDPR data storage requirements
Maintain GDPR compliance with a top software solution
Understanding the capabilities of these GDPR compliance software solutions will help you to choose a platform that suits your budget and business needs and get you on a path to GDPR compliance.
Each platform that we’ve outlined in this article will help you to fulfill at least some of the GDPR’s requirements. However, if you’re looking for an all-in-one solution that helps streamline achieving and maintaining GDPR compliance, consider Usercentrics.
Trusted on over 2.2 million websites and apps by businesses in 195 countries, Usercentrics is a market-leading CMP that enables businesses to gain access to the data insights they need to bolster their marketing performance while staying on the right side of privacy law and building user trust.
GDPR compliance made easy
Ensure your business meets all GDPR standards with our all-in-one compliance platform — obtain granular, explicit consent with ease.
FAQs
Do I need a consent management platform to be GDPR-compliant?
A consent management platform (CMP) is crucial for GDPR compliance. It helps manage user consent for data processing activities, ensuring that consent is freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous — in line with the regulation’s specific requirements.
CMPs enable your business to collect, store, and manage consent, and maintain detailed records that make it easier to demonstrate compliance if you’re audited.
Although they’re not mandated by the GDPR, using a trusted CMP significantly reduces the risk of noncompliance.
Do I have to comply with regulations other than the GDPR?
Depending on your business’s location and operations, you may need to comply with multiple data protection regulations in addition to the GDPR.
These could include the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the U.S., the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in Canada, the Brazilian General Data Protection Law (LGPD), or the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) in South Africa, and others.
Each of these regulations has specific requirements and compliance with one does not guarantee compliance with others. This makes it essential to understand the data protection laws applicable in all regions where your business operates and to have a consent management platform (CMP) that enables your business to meet their diverse requirements.
It’s also important to remember that if your business operates across Europe, you’ll have to consider the differences between GDPR vs FADP, as Switzerland isn’t part of the EU and therefore has its own data privacy requirements.
Is there GDPR compliance software that stores data in the EU?
Many GDPR compliance software platforms offer data storage within the EU to meet the regulation’s stringent data protection requirements.
Storing data within the EU ensures that data handling adheres to GDPR standards, including data transfer rules and protection measures. Usercentrics stores all consent data on EU servers.