Ketch, priced by monthly unique users
Ketch is a privacy platform where consent management is one part of a wider suite, and it does two things that deserve credit. It publishes its prices, which much of the enterprise privacy market still refuses to do. And its free plan is a real plan rather than a trial: $0 a month for up to 5,000 monthly unique users, no card required, and Ketch says it doesn't expire while you stay under that number. If you run one small site and want a capable banner without a sales call, that is a genuinely good starting point.
The thing to look at before you commit is the shape of the ladder. Ketch counts monthly unique users across your web and app properties, and the steps are wide: free to 5,000, then $150 a month up to 30,000, then $499 a month up to 100,000, then custom pricing above that. Crossing a threshold isn't a gentle increase — it's a move to the next rung. There is a second thing worth pinning down in writing. Ketch's public pages set out the pricing clearly, but they are much quieter on the technical detail a marketing or compliance owner usually needs: we could not find a public statement naming the IAB TCF version it implements, or confirming Google Consent Mode v2. Ask for both before you sign.
Conzent vs Ketch at a glance
| Conzent | Ketch | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per site, not per visitor — from a few euros per site per month, and the price per site drops as you add sites. Traffic never changes it. See current tiers | Per monthly unique user across web and app properties. Free to 5,000, $150/mo to 30,000, $499/mo to 100,000, custom pricing above |
| What happens when you grow | Nothing — no visitor allowance to exceed and no re-quote after a good quarter | You move up a rung — the jumps from free to $150 and from $150 to $499 are steps, not gradual increases |
| GDPR / IAB TCF / Consent Mode v2 | ✓ GDPR, CCPA & 25+ regional laws ✓ IAB TCF v2.4 ✓ Consent Mode v2 (Basic & Advanced) — all included, every plan | Privacy-law templates for major jurisdictions are listed on every tier. The public pages we reviewed do not name an IAB TCF version or confirm Consent Mode v2 — worth requesting in writing |
| CMS & platform integrations | 6 native integrations: WordPress, Wix, Joomla, Drupal, TYPO3, Umbraco — plus a universal script tag for anything else | Integrations exist, and the free plan is capped at two no-code integrations. No published CMS-by-CMS list found |
| Self-hosted / open source | ✓ Yes — OCI, Apache 2.0, one-line installer, unlimited sites and pageviews | ✗ Not published — the public materials describe a hosted product, with no self-hosted or open-source edition on offer |
| EU data residency | ✓ Yes — managed cloud data hosted in Germany; self-host it and it never leaves your own server | Not published — we found no public statement on where consent data is stored |
| Free tier | ✓ Free forever if self-hosted; free trial on managed cloud | Yes — $0/mo up to 5,000 monthly unique users, and Ketch says it doesn't expire below that |
Ketch figures are taken from public 2026 sources, including its own pricing page. Pricing changes — confirm the numbers with Ketch before you switch. See Conzent's current plans.
Switching from Ketch? Here's what to expect
Moving CMPs follows the same shape whichever vendor you leave. Install the new script alongside the old one for a short test window, run a fresh scan to rebuild your cookie categories, configure and preview the banner, then switch the live script and remove the old one. Historical consent records stay with the vendor that collected them and don't transfer — that's normal for any CMP migration rather than anything specific to Ketch, so plan to start your consent log fresh. Check your renewal date first: Ketch notes that its Plus tier is billed annually. If you use Ketch for privacy work beyond consent, such as data subject requests, map which of those jobs you still need before you unplug anything, because a CMP alone will not cover them.
Why teams switch from Ketch to Conzent
A bill that doesn't follow your audience
Visitor-metered pricing means a campaign that lands, a post that travels, or a seasonal peak all arrive on the invoice. Conzent charges for the number of sites you run, so the cost of your consent banner is the same in a quiet month and a record one.
The compliance detail is on the page
IAB TCF v2.4 and Google Consent Mode v2, Basic and Advanced, are included on every Conzent plan, and we say so in public rather than leaving it to a sales conversation. Consent Mode is a technical signal to your Google tags, not a substitute for legal advice — but you should at least be able to see which version you're getting before you buy.
An exit that doesn't cost anything
Conzent's core is open source under Apache 2.0. If the commercial relationship ever stops working for you, you can run the same platform on your own server for free instead of starting a vendor search.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Ketch cost?
Its public pricing lists a free plan up to 5,000 monthly unique users, $150 a month up to 30,000, $499 a month up to 100,000, and custom pricing above that. The meter counts unique users across your web and app properties, so the number to forecast is your monthly audience rather than your pageviews.
Is the Ketch free plan really free?
Yes, within its limit. Ketch lists it at $0 a month for up to 5,000 monthly unique users, with no card required, and says it doesn't expire while you stay under that number. Above it you move to a paid tier. Conzent's self-hosted edition is free with no visitor limit at all, and its managed cloud starts from a few euros per site per month.
Can I self-host Ketch?
Not as far as its public materials show — they describe a hosted product with no self-hosted or open-source edition. Conzent's core is Apache 2.0, installs on your own infrastructure with a single command, and carries no limit on sites or pageviews.
What's the best alternative to Ketch?
If the visitor meter is the problem, look for pricing set by site count instead. Conzent is built that way, states IAB TCF v2.4 and Consent Mode v2 on every plan in public, hosts managed cloud data in Germany, and can be self-hosted at no cost if you'd rather own the whole thing.