The Myth of the "Free" DPDPA Consent Manager (And What You Should Use Instead)
Most "Free" DPDPA consent managers have hidden limits—capped pageviews, missing languages, and no audit logs. Here is why Consently.in's usage-based model is the transparent alternative you need.
"Free" Always Comes with a Price Tag
If you search for "Free DPDPA Consent Manager," you will find plenty of options. Global players like CookieYes, OneTrust, and Termly all offer "Free Forever" plans.
For a bootstrapped startup or a developer, this sounds perfect. You sign up, paste the code, and forget about it.
But here is the trap: These free tiers are designed to break as soon as you grow. They are not built for compliance; they are built for upselling.
The 3 Hidden Traps of "Free" Consent Managers
1. The Pageview Trap
Most free plans have strict traffic limits.
- Competitor A: Free up to 25,000 pageviews/month.
- Competitor B: Free up to 5,000 sessions.
The Reality: One viral reel or a successful product launch, and your banner disappears overnight. Suddenly, you are non-compliant exactly when you have the most eyes on you. To turn it back on, you are forced into a $20–$50/month subscription.
2. The "English-Only" Problem
The DPDPA (2023) requires you to give users the option to view the consent form in their native language (Schedule 8 languages).
The Trap: Most free tiers from global tools only support English. Multi-language support is locked behind their "Premium" or "Enterprise" tiers.
The Risk: If you show an English banner to a user in rural Maharashtra, you are technically violating the "Informed Consent" principle of the DPDPA.
3. No "Consent Artifacts" (The Legal Black Hole)
Under Indian law, if a user files a grievance, you must prove they gave consent.
The Trap: Free tools usually just toggle a cookie on the browser. They don't store a server-side log (Artifact) of the consent.
The Risk: Without a timestamped, tamper-proof log, your "free" banner is useless in a legal audit.
The Consently.in Difference: Honest Pricing
At Consently.in, we decided to kill the "Free Tier Trap." We don't limit your features. We don't hide languages behind a paywall. We don't hold your data hostage.
Instead of a crippled free plan, we offer a Usage-Based Model that is effectively free for small players and affordable for everyone else.
| Feature | Typical "Free" Plan (CookieYes/OneTrust) | Consently.in |
|---|---|---|
| Pageview Limit | Capped (e.g., 15k views) | Unlimited |
| Language Support | English Only | All 22 Indian Languages |
| Consent Artifacts | Not Included | Included & Logged |
| Data Retention | 30 Days | Indefinite |
| Cost | Free (until you hit a limit, then $20+/mo) | Pay-As-You-Go (Start for ₹0) |
Why "Pay-As-You-Go" is Better Than "Free"
With Consently, you pay ₹0.01 per consent.
Scenario A: You are a new startup with 100 visitors this month.
Cost: ₹1 (Virtually Free).
Scenario B: You have a massive festive sale and get 50,000 visitors.
Cost: ₹500.
Competitor Cost: You'd be forced to upgrade to a $30 (₹2,500) monthly plan.
You only pay for value. If you have no traffic, you pay nothing. If you grow, your costs scale linearly, not exponentially.
Conclusion: Don't Build on Shaky Ground
A "Free" consent manager that stops working when you get popular isn't a tool; it's a liability.
Choose a partner that gives you Enterprise-Grade DPDPA compliance (22 languages, artifacts, unlimited views) from Day 1, for the price of a cup of chai.
Start for free. Scale with confidence.