Why not just use a free plugin?
For many small sites the real competitor is not a paid tool — it is the free plugin. It is a fair question, and it deserves a straight answer.
A banner is not proof of blocking
A banner alone is not proof that anything is blocked. Test the implementation: some free setups work; others display a choice after the trackers have already fired — before and after the click. It looks compliant; the only way to know is to check.
The 30-second test anyone can run
01
Open a private window
Load the site with your browser’s DevTools open on the Network tab.
02
Filter for a tracker
Type google-analytics, googletagmanager, connect.facebook.net or analytics.tiktok.com into the Network filter.
03
Watch before you click
If requests appear before you press “Accept”, the banner is decorative. You just found the problem yourself.
What "free" actually costs
The price is paid somewhere else.
Reduced measurement
Without Consent Mode v2, your Google measurement and remarketing in the EEA can be reduced — right where your campaigns run.
Compliance risk
A decorative banner does not implement consent. The exposure is real, not theoretical.
Your time
Manual configuration and maintenance you do yourself, every time a script or a rule changes.