Our verdict: if your website needs a compliant GDPR cookie banner that is quick to set up (SMB, startup, agency, e-commerce, media), FlowConsent is the simpler choice: public prices, free up to 25,000 sessions, then €14.99/month, and a 10-minute installation. Transcend targets a different buyer: large enterprises that want consent, data subject rights and data use rules enforced deep inside their internal systems and AI projects, with the budget and engineering team to match.
What is a CMP and why do you need one?
A Consent Management Platform (CMP) is the tool that lets a website comply with the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive, as well as other privacy laws such as the CCPA and LGPD. It allows you to:
- Display a consent banner that meets legal requirements
- Collect and record visitors' choices
- Block cookies and trackers until consent is given
- Keep proof of consent (a consent log)
- Pass choices on to marketing tools, for example through Google Consent Mode v2
Without a CMP, a site that sets non-essential trackers is exposed to fines from European data protection authorities of up to €20 million or 4% of global turnover.
Transcend and FlowConsent both address this need, but they do not play in the same category. Transcend presents itself as a real-time data decision layer for large enterprises, where the banner is only an entry point. FlowConsent is a specialist CMP, designed to be installed in minutes by a team without a dedicated developer. This comparison helps you work out which one fits your organization.
FlowConsent overview
What is FlowConsent?
FlowConsent is a French consent management solution, positioned as an accessible alternative to premium CMPs. Its goal is to make GDPR compliance available to everyone, with a professional tool hosted in Europe and sold at a clear price.
FlowConsent's philosophy
FlowConsent makes a deliberate choice: focus on cookie consent and do it well. Prices are public, in euros, and based on sessions. You do not need to talk to sales to get started: you create an account, configure your banner and paste the script.
FlowConsent's strengths
Simple installation
- Up and running in 10 minutes, without Google Tag Manager
- Intuitive interface for non-technical users
- Lightweight script served through Cloudflare's global CDN
Transparent pricing
- Free plan up to 25,000 sessions per month
- Flat price of €14.99/month excl. VAT up to 100,000 sessions
- 3 domains and subdomains included in the Pro plan
Technical automation
- Google Consent Mode v2 enabled with one toggle
- Microsoft UET Consent Mode included
- Automatic cookie scanning and classification
- Catalog of more than 7,000 known services
- Cookies blocked automatically before consent
European hosting
- Paid plans hosted on European servers
- Free plan deployed on the user's own Cloudflare account
- No data transfers outside the European Union
Transcend overview
What is Transcend?
Transcend (Transcend, Inc.) is a US company headquartered in San Francisco, founded in 2017 by Ben Brook and Mike Farrell. It raised a $25 million Series A in 2020, led by Index Ventures and Accel, followed by a $40 million Series B led by StepStone Group. Transcend counts Fortune 500 companies among its customers and has been named a Leader in IDC MarketScape for data privacy compliance software.
Transcend's philosophy
Transcend no longer presents itself as a simple CMP. Its 2026 positioning is to be the governance and decision layer that answers "can I use this data?" in real time, to unblock AI, personalization and first-party data initiatives. Consent collected by the banner is propagated across every system in the company (CRM, ad platforms, data warehouses), including "Do Not Train" signals aimed at AI models.
Transcend's strengths
Network-level blocking
- The Airgap script intercepts and blocks tracking requests at the network level until consent is given
- Events are held locally and released once consent is obtained, to limit lost analytics data
- Configurable rules to resolve conflicts across devices (most recent, most restrictive, or the logged-in account wins)
Advertising framework compliance
- Google-certified CMP, TCF ID 399, for web and apps
- Support for the IAB TCF, Google Consent Mode and Meta's Limited Data Use (LDU)
A complete platform
- Consent and preference management across web, mobile and back end
- Data subject request automation (access, deletion, Do Not Train)
- Personal data discovery and classification down to the column level
- AI governance and a Policy Engine
- MCP server and agentic assistants for governance teams
Security-first architecture
- Sombra, a self-hosted security gateway that runs in your infrastructure and keeps your API keys
- Hosting either US-only or EU-only, on AWS (Ireland, Germany, United States)
- Integrations built and maintained in-house
Transcend's limitations
Opaque pricing
- No published prices: the pricing page leads to a demo request
- The startup and mid-market plans announced in 2025 have no public price
- You cannot estimate your budget without going through a sales cycle
A tool for large organizations
- No free plan or self-serve sign-up presented on the website
- A rollout that involves engineering teams, especially for Sombra and back-end integrations
- An oversized platform if all you need is a website cookie banner
A US vendor
- Content, support and references mostly in English
- Worth noting: optional AI features rely on OpenAI, and processing may take place outside your chosen hosting region, according to Transcend's subprocessor list
Detailed pricing comparison
FlowConsent pricing
FlowConsent uses a simple, session-based price list. Full details are on the pricing page.
Free plan (€0)
- Up to 25,000 sessions per month, with the banner deployed on your own Cloudflare account
- 1 domain included
- Google Consent Mode v2 and Microsoft UET Consent Mode
- 13-month consent log
- Cookie scan (1 scan per week)
- 7-day consent statistics
- Visible FlowConsent branding
Pro plan (€14.99/month excl. VAT)
Everything in Free, plus:
- Up to 100,000 sessions per month
- 3 domains and subdomains included
- 90-day consent statistics
- 1 cookie scan per day
- Up to 5 languages
- 3 banners and 10 users per workspace
Enterprise plan (custom quote)
- Sessions billed according to your traffic
- Domains on request
- Unlimited banners, scans and users
- Setup handled by our team
- Priority support with a dedicated CSM
Transcend pricing (checked on October 2, 2026)
Transcend publishes no prices. Its pricing URL redirects to a contact form offering a meeting with a solutions engineer.
- Consent & Preference Management: quote only
- DSR Automation, data discovery, AI governance: quote only
- Startup and mid-market plans: announced in April 2025, bundling consent, data subject request automation and the core platform; amounts not published
What this means for you
Comparing amounts is impossible without a Transcend quote. You can, however, compare how you buy:
With FlowConsent
- You know the price before you sign up: €0, €14.99/month excl. VAT, or an Enterprise quote above 100,000 sessions
- You can start the same day, with no annual commitment on the Pro plan
- For a site with 50,000 sessions per month, the annual cost is €179.88
With Transcend
- The budget is set after a demo and a scoping phase
- The price depends on the modules and scope you choose
- It is a standard way to buy an enterprise platform, suited to a formal procurement process rather than a one-off need
If you are an SMB or an agency, this criterion is often enough to decide. If you are a large group running an RFP, request a Transcend quote and compare it with a FlowConsent Enterprise offer on the banner scope alone.
Installation and setup
Installing FlowConsent
Step 1: create your account (2 minutes)
- Sign up for FlowConsent
- Confirm your email address
- Create your first project
Step 2: configure the banner (5 minutes)
- Pick a banner template
- Customize colors and copy
- Set up cookie categories
- Turn on Google Consent Mode v2 (a single toggle)
Step 3: install the script (3 minutes)
- Copy the script generated for you
- Paste it into your site's
<head>tag - Publish and test
Total: about 10 minutes. The quick install guide walks through each step.
Rolling out Transcend
Transcend does not publish a typical deployment time. Based on its documentation and product pages, a rollout usually involves:
- Scoping with the pre-sales team, then the onboarding team
- Installing the Airgap.js script on your sites and configuring blocking rules
- Defining purposes, regional legal regimes and conflict resolution rules
- If you use it, deploying the Sombra gateway in your infrastructure
- Connecting downstream integrations (CRM, ad platforms, data warehouses)
- For mobile apps, integrating the relevant SDKs
This is an enterprise project led by an engineering team, not a self-serve installation. It is also what allows Transcend to enforce consent far beyond the browser.
Using Transcend? Check what is really running on your site. FlowConsent scans your site to detect every active third-party service, then turns the result into a compliant cookie banner in one click. Scan my site for free: no installation, no commitment, results in 1 to 3 minutes.
Feature comparison
Compliance and regulations
| Feature | FlowConsent | Transcend |
|---|---|---|
| GDPR and ePrivacy compliance | Yes | Yes |
| Consent log | Yes (13 months) | Yes, with audit trail |
| Google Consent Mode v2 | Yes (toggle) | Yes |
| Microsoft UET Consent Mode | Yes | Not specified |
| IAB TCF | Coming soon | Yes (Google-certified CMP, ID 399) |
| Mobile apps | SDK in beta (Android, iOS) | Yes |
| Hosting in Europe | Yes | Yes (EU-only option) |
Verdict: Transcend covers more channels and already holds IAB TCF certification. Both can host data in Europe.
Tracker blocking
FlowConsent
- Cookies blocked automatically before consent
- Automatic scan (weekly on Free, daily on Pro)
- Automatic classification
- Catalog of more than 7,000 known services
Transcend
- Network-level blocking through Airgap.js
- Events held locally until consent
- Consent enforced server-side and in downstream systems
Verdict: Transcend takes a deeper technical approach that reaches the back end. FlowConsent covers browser-side blocking with more automation at setup, and its server SDK lets your backend read the same consent decision.
Customization and ease of use
FlowConsent
- Custom colors, fonts, copy and positions
- Several banner formats
- Live preview
- Up to 5 languages on the Pro plan, 28 languages available
- Built for marketing teams without a developer
Transcend
- Region-specific consent experiences
- Preference center and communication preference management
- Built for engineering, legal and data teams
Verdict: FlowConsent is more accessible for a small team. Transcend gives more control to organizations with dedicated developers.
Statistics and proof
FlowConsent
- Consent statistics dashboard
- Acceptance rate by category
- CSV data export
- 7-day (Free) or 90-day (Pro) statistics
Transcend
- Timestamped logging of every choice with a full audit trail
- Addressable audience analysis by purpose
Verdict: both keep proof of consent. Transcend aims for company-wide traceability.
Beyond the banner
| Feature | FlowConsent | Transcend |
|---|---|---|
| Data subject requests (DSR) | No | Yes |
| Data discovery and classification | No | Yes |
| AI governance (Do Not Train) | No | Yes |
| Self-hosted gateway | No | Yes (Sombra) |
| MCP server | Yes (MCP server) | Yes |
Verdict: if you need a data governance platform, Transcend plays in another category. FlowConsent does not claim to replace it.
Use cases: who should choose what?
Choose FlowConsent if...
- You need a cookie banner, not a governance platform. A compliant CMP, a consent log and Google Consent Mode v2 are enough for most websites.
- You want to know the price right away. Free up to 25,000 sessions, €14.99/month up to 100,000.
- You have no dedicated engineering team. 10-minute setup, without Google Tag Manager.
- You manage several sites. 3 domains and subdomains included in the Pro plan.
- You prefer a European vendor. Hosting in Europe and a French team.
Typical profiles:
- SMBs and startups
- Web agencies
- Mid-volume e-commerce
- Blogs and media
- Webflow and no-code sites
Choose Transcend if...
- You are a large enterprise. Several brands, several countries, many data systems to keep in sync.
- You need consent enforced beyond the browser. CRM, ad platforms, data warehouses and back end.
- You need the IAB TCF right now. Transcend is Google-certified.
- Your AI projects require data governance. Use rules, Do Not Train, personal data discovery.
- Your security policy requires a self-hosted gateway. Sombra runs in your own infrastructure.
Typical profiles:
- Large enterprises and Fortune 500 companies
- Multi-brand groups
- Regulated industries (healthcare, finance)
- Companies scaling AI on customer data
Final verdict: our recommendation
For most websites: FlowConsent
Why?
- Public pricing: free up to 25,000 sessions per month, then €14.99/month excl. VAT up to 100,000 sessions
- Self-serve: instant sign-up, no demo or sales cycle
- Fast onboarding: 10-minute setup, no technical skills required
- Multi-domain included: 3 domains in the Pro plan
- European hosting: no data transfers outside the European Union
For large organizations: Transcend
Choose Transcend if:
- Data governance is a company-wide program, not just a banner
- You must cover web, apps and back end
- A certified IAB TCF CMP is essential today
- You have the budget and engineering team for this kind of rollout
Transcend is an ambitious, well-recognized platform built for companies that want consent to be a rule enforced in every system. For a site that simply needs a compliant banner, it is out of proportion.
Summary table
| Criterion | FlowConsent | Transcend |
|---|---|---|
| Public pricing | Yes | No (quote only) |
| Free plan | Up to 25,000 sessions | None presented on the website |
| Price for 100,000 sessions | €14.99/month excl. VAT | Quote only |
| Above 100,000 sessions | Custom quote (Enterprise) | Quote only |
| Self-serve sign-up | Yes | No (demo) |
| Setup | 10 min | Deployment project |
| IAB TCF | Coming soon | Certified (ID 399) |
| Mobile apps | SDK in beta | Yes |
| Data subject rights and data discovery | No | Yes |
| Hosting in Europe | Yes | Yes (option) |
| Headquarters | France | United States |
Conclusion
Transcend and FlowConsent do not solve the same problem:
- Choose FlowConsent if you want a GDPR-compliant cookie banner, hosted in Europe, with public prices and a ten-minute installation.
- Choose Transcend if you are a large organization that wants consent, data subject rights and data use rules enforced across all its systems, and you have the budget and team to do it.
For most SMBs, startups, agencies and e-commerce sites, FlowConsent is the more relevant choice. For a large group building out its data governance, Transcend deserves a thorough evaluation.
Ready to get started?
- See FlowConsent plans: free up to 25,000 sessions per month.
- Migrate from your current CMP with our step-by-step guide.
Need help choosing? Book a demo for a free audit of your site and a personalized recommendation.