GetCookies vs OneTrust: Detailed Comparison

## The $50,000 Question A startup founder told me they almost signed with OneTrust. Annual cost: $48,000. They needed cookie consent for a B2B SaaS with 5,000 monthly visitors. I showed them GetCookies. Same GDPR compliance. 5-minute setup. $348/year. They kept the $47,652. ## The Reality of Enterprise CMPs OneTrust is excellent software. They serve Fortune 500 companies. They've raised billions in funding. They have dedicated privacy teams implementing their tools. But here's what the enterprise marketing doesn't tell you: **GDPR compliance requirements are the same for everyone.** Whether you use OneTrust or GetCookies, you need: - Prior consent before tracking - Informed consent (users understand what they're agreeing to) - Granular choice (accept some, reject others) - Easy withdrawal (change preferences anytime) - Consent logging (prove compliance during audits) Both GetCookies and OneTrust meet these requirements. The €20M fines don't care which vendor you chose. ## Head-to-Head Comparison | Feature | GetCookies | OneTrust | |---------|------------|----------| | **Target Audience** | Developers, SMBs, startups | Enterprises | | **Bundle Size** | 1KB loader | 80-150KB+ | | **Setup Time** | 5 minutes | 2-8 weeks | | **Pricing** | $0-79/month | "Contact Sales" ($$$) | | **Self-Serve** | Yes | No (requires demos) | | **Consent Mode v2** | Automatic | Requires configuration | | **GTM Dependency** | Optional | Recommended | ## The Setup Experience ### GetCookies: 5 Minutes 1. Sign up (1 minute) 2. Add domain (30 seconds) 3. Copy script (30 seconds) 4. Deploy (3 minutes) Done. Consent Mode v2 works automatically. ### OneTrust: 2-8 Weeks 1. Schedule sales demo 2. Negotiate contract (days to weeks) 3. Onboarding calls with implementation team 4. Technical implementation (requires IT team) 5. Configure geolocation rules 6. Set up scanning 7. Configure GTM triggers 8. Legal team review 9. Test across regions 10. Launch **Resources required**: Compliance team, IT team, legal team, vendor management. For a 50-person startup, this is half your engineering bandwidth for a month. ## Bundle Size: The Hidden Cost ### OneTrust ``` Main script: ~80KB (gzipped) Geolocation: ~20KB UI components: ~50KB Total: 80-150KB+ ``` This loads before your page can render. On mobile 3G: - Download time: 600-1200ms - Parse time: 100-200ms - Impact on LCP: Significant ### GetCookies ``` Loader: 1KB Widget: ~15KB (async, after page render) Total blocking: 1KB ``` Impact on LCP: Negligible. For sites where SEO and performance matter, OneTrust is a performance liability. ## Pricing: The Uncomfortable Truth ### OneTrust Pricing OneTrust doesn't publish prices. Based on industry knowledge: | Segment | Approximate Annual Cost | |---------|------------------------| | Small Business | $6,000-12,000 | | Mid-Market | $24,000-60,000 | | Enterprise | $100,000+ | Plus: - Implementation fees ($10,000-50,000) - Annual contracts (no monthly option) - Per-domain pricing - Add-on features ### GetCookies Pricing | Plan | Annual Cost | Domains | |------|-------------|---------| | Free | $0 | 1 | | Starter | $108 | 3 | | Professional | $348 | 10 | | Agency | $948 | Unlimited | No hidden fees. No contracts. Cancel anytime. **The math**: GetCookies Agency ($948/year) vs OneTrust Small Business (~$6,000-12,000/year). Same compliance. 6-12x the cost. ## What OneTrust Has That GetCookies Doesn't Let's be fair. OneTrust offers: - Advanced data mapping - DSAR (Data Subject Access Request) automation - Vendor management platform - Policy generator - Enterprise SSO/SAML - Compliance dashboards - Multi-regulation support - Dedicated account management - Enterprise SLAs These features matter for enterprises with dedicated privacy teams managing hundreds of vendors across multiple jurisdictions. ## What You Actually Need For most websites, you need: - Cookie consent banner ✓ - Google Consent Mode v2 ✓ - Script blocking until consent ✓ - Consent logging ✓ - Third-party pixel handling ✓ GetCookies covers all of this. OneTrust's additional features are for enterprises with Chief Privacy Officers and compliance departments. ## Google Consent Mode v2 ### OneTrust Requires: 1. Enable in OneTrust dashboard 2. Configure GTM 3. Add consent mode template 4. Set up triggers 5. Test with Tag Assistant 6. Debug timing issues Documentation: 20+ pages. ### GetCookies Requires: 1. Add script tag Consent Mode v2 is automatic. Developer ID registered. All signals correct. ## The "Enterprise" Myth Marketing wants you to believe "enterprise = better compliance." **Reality**: Compliance is compliance. A GDPR audit doesn't check which vendor you use. Auditors verify: - Do scripts fire before consent? (Check network tab) - Are consent signals set correctly? (Check dataLayer) - Can users withdraw consent easily? (Click the preference center) - Do you have consent logs? (Show the dashboard) GetCookies passes all of these. So does OneTrust. The €1M difference in cost doesn't make one more compliant than the other. ## When to Use OneTrust Choose OneTrust if: - You're a Fortune 500 company - You have a Chief Privacy Officer - You need DSAR automation at scale (thousands of requests) - Your legal team mandates OneTrust specifically - You have a $100K+ privacy budget - You have 3+ months for implementation ## When to Use GetCookies Choose GetCookies if: - You're a startup, SMB, or indie developer - You want compliance today, not next quarter - Performance matters for your business - You don't have a dedicated compliance team - Your budget is under $1,000/year - You want self-serve, no sales calls ## The Graduation Path Start with GetCookies. Upgrade if/when: 1. **You have a Chief Privacy Officer** who mandates OneTrust 2. **You need DSAR automation** processing thousands of requests 3. **Your legal team** specifically requires enterprise features 4. **You raise Series C+** and privacy becomes a dedicated function For 99% of companies, that day never comes. ## Migration: Either Direction ### From OneTrust to GetCookies ```html ``` **Savings**: $5,000-100,000/year + IT team time. ### From GetCookies to OneTrust If you outgrow GetCookies (rare): 1. Contact OneTrust sales 2. Wait 2-8 weeks for implementation 3. Replace scripts 4. Enjoy your enterprise CMP ## Performance Comparison | Metric | GetCookies | OneTrust | |--------|------------|----------| | LCP Impact | ~10ms | 100-500ms | | TBT Impact | Minimal | Significant | | Bundle Size | 1KB | 80-150KB | | Lighthouse Impact | 0-2 points | 5-20 points | ## The Verdict **OneTrust** is excellent enterprise software for Fortune 500 companies with dedicated privacy teams and six-figure compliance budgets. **GetCookies** is excellent developer software for everyone else. Same GDPR compliance. 5-minute setup. Performance that doesn't tank your Lighthouse scores. Don't let "enterprise" marketing convince you that you need enterprise software. You probably don't. --- **Ready for enterprise compliance without enterprise complexity?** [Set up GetCookies in 5 minutes](https://getcookies.co)