CookieYes, a popular provider of cookie consent management solutions, has announced significant updates to its Free plan. The changes, effective December 1, 2024, aim to align with evolving data privacy standards and improve the platform’s overall offerings. Existing users will notice new limitations on features and functionality, while new users signing up from October 15, 2024, will see the updated Free plan structure immediately.
Key Changes to the CookieYes Free Plan
Here’s a detailed look at the upcoming changes to the Free plan:
Feature | Current Plan | New Free Plan |
---|---|---|
Pageviews | 25,000/month | 15,000/month |
Cookie scans | Unlimited | 5 scans/month |
Languages | 170+ supported | 1 default language |
Subdomain consent sharing | Available | No longer available |
Multi-user access | Available | No longer available |
Chat support | Available | Email support only |
What Stays the Same?
Existing Free plan users will retain their current settings for languages, subdomain consent sharing, and multi-user access. However, these features will be locked, preventing any further updates or changes after December 1, 2024.
For example:
- If multiple languages are currently enabled, they will remain active, but you cannot add or modify them.
- Subdomain consent sharing and multi-user access will continue functioning for existing configurations, but no new users or subdomains can be added.
What Are the Alternatives?
CookieYes is encouraging users who want to maintain full functionality to upgrade to its Basic plan, priced at $100/year per domain. The Basic plan retains access to features like multi-language banners, subdomain consent sharing, and chat support.
However, it’s worth noting that other providers in the cookie consent management space offer free or lower-cost plans with similar features. Exploring alternative options may help users save costs while meeting GDPR and other privacy requirements.
Impact on Cookie Compliance Management
For businesses relying on CookieYes to ensure GDPR and ePrivacy Directive compliance, these changes could mean adjusting strategies to stay within the reduced limits or paying for an upgraded plan. Smaller websites may be particularly affected by the reduced pageview and scanning limits, potentially requiring them to explore new tools or budget for premium services.
Is This a Trend in the Industry?
The move by CookieYes reflects a broader trend in the cookie consent management market, where providers are balancing free offerings with revenue-driven upgrades. As privacy laws like the GDPR continue to evolve, compliance tools are adapting to the increasing complexity of requirements, often leading to feature restrictions on free-tier plans.
For websites with moderate traffic or more complex compliance needs, these changes highlight the importance of re-evaluating consent management solutions to ensure they remain effective and affordable.
CookieYes users should carefully review the new plan structure and evaluate whether the updated Free plan still meets their needs. Exploring alternatives or upgrading to a paid plan are key steps to maintaining uninterrupted compliance management.