Tarteaucitron vs RGPDScan 2026 - Open source or full platform?
Tarteaucitron is the French open-source reference for cookie banners. Lightweight, respected by the CNIL, free. But it only covers one part of GDPR compliance: cookie consent.
For a developer who just needs the banner, tarteaucitron is excellent. For an SMB looking for scan + documents + banner + analytics without coding, RGPDScan brings all of that in a single tool.
Quick verdict
Choose tarteaucitron if you are a developer, with a zero budget, want total control of the code and only need a cookie banner.
Choose RGPDScan if you are an SMB or agency, without an available developer, with a need for full compliance and a goal of saving time.
1. What tarteaucitron does very well
Tarteaucitron.js is a French open-source JavaScript library, initially linked to the CNIL. Its default-blocking model — where third-party services only load after consent — is particularly robust and appreciated by privacy-conscious developers.
2. Feature-by-feature comparison
Beyond the banner, GDPR compliance covers the privacy policy, legal notice, tracker audit, dark pattern detection and remediation tracking.
3. Why choose RGPDScan over tarteaucitron
If your need goes beyond the cookie banner alone — site audit, legal documents, hidden tracker detection, privacy-friendly analytics — RGPDScan is built for that. One tool, one price, full compliance. No code to touch.
30+ point full scan
Trackers, dark patterns, third-party cookies, GDPR risks detected automatically. Tarteaucitron does not see these issues.
AI documents in 14 languages
Privacy policy, legal notice, cookie policy pre-filled by the scan.
Privacy-first analytics
Track your traffic without cookies, without consent wall, without sending data to third parties.
4. What tarteaucitron does not detect
Tarteaucitron manages what happens after consent. But it does not detect trackers that load before consent, nor dark patterns in your code (hard-to-find refuse button, unbalanced colors, pre-ticking). These elements are illegal and sanctioned by the CNIL. RGPDScan detects them automatically on every scan.
5. Pricing comparison
Tarteaucitron is free. But its integration and maintenance require a developer, which represents a real cost. RGPDScan offers a free plan with banner + 5 scans/month, and an all-inclusive Pro plan at €49/month.
Tarteaucitron
Free (MIT open-source). Cookie banner only. Integration and maintenance by a developer. No dashboard, no documents, no analytics.
RGPDScan
Free: cookie banner + 5 GDPR scans/month. Pro at €49/month: full GDPR scan, AI documents, cookieless analytics and PDF reports — all included, no dev needed.
Frequently asked questions
Is tarteaucitron GDPR compliant in 2026?
Yes for the cookie banner if well configured. But it does not detect trackers that load before consent, nor dark patterns in your code. Full GDPR compliance goes well beyond the banner.
Is tarteaucitron really free?
Yes, MIT open-source. But it requires a developer to integrate and maintain it, which has a cost. Compliance updates must be applied manually via npm or git.
Can you use tarteaucitron and RGPDScan together?
Yes: tarteaucitron for the cookie banner on the code side, and RGPDScan to scan your site, detect issues and generate your legal documents. The two are complementary.
What is the best free alternative to tarteaucitron?
RGPDScan offers a free plan with cookie banner + 5 GDPR scans/month, without technical configuration. Ideal for SMBs and agencies that want compliance without coding.
Conclusion
Tarteaucitron is probably the better choice if you are a developer, want a reliable open-source library, self-hosted, and your only need is a technically solid cookie banner.
RGPDScan is the better choice if you want to reduce the number of tools and save time: full GDPR audit, cookie and tracker detection, dark patterns, AI documents, cookie banner and cookieless analytics from a single space, without needing a developer.