Klaro
Berlin-built CMP whose client-side core is open source under a BSD licence, free forever to self-host
Quick Overview
| Company | KIProtect GmbH |
|---|---|
| Category | consent management |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany |
| Founded | 2019 |
| EU Presence | EU (Germany) |
| Open Source | Yes |
| Pricing | Open-source client-side version free forever; paid Startup €19/month billed annually (€25 billed monthly); Company €79/month annually (€99 monthly); Group €239/month annually (€299 monthly) |
| Free Option | 7-day free trial, no card required |
| Replaces | Cookiebot, OneTrust, Osano |
Detailed Review
Klaro is the one CMP in this category you can read the source code of before you trust it: the client-side widget is BSD-3-Clause licensed on GitHub, maintained by KIProtect GmbH in Berlin, and free to run indefinitely with no server dependency. For a technical team that wants to verify exactly what a consent tool does rather than take a vendor's word for it, that is a different kind of guarantee than any certification in this list.
KIProtect GmbH was founded in Berlin in 2019 (HRB 208395B) by Dr Andreas Dewes, and sells hosted tiers on top of the same open-source core for teams that want scanning and server-side consent records without running their own: Startup at €19 a month billed annually (€25 billed monthly), up to Group at €239 a month for large agencies, all with a 7-day free trial.
The trade-off is scale: this is a small, developer-oriented vendor next to Usercentrics or Didomi, with no IAB TCF registration and no published data-residency statement for the hosted tiers.
What Klaro does well
- Client-side core is open source (BSD-3-Clause) on GitHub
- Free forever for a self-hosted, self-configured site
- German company, hosted tiers add scanning and server-side records
- 7-day free trial on paid tiers, no card required
Where Klaro falls short
- Self-hosted use needs basic JavaScript knowledge to configure
- No IAB TCF registration
- Small vendor; hosted-tier data residency is not published
Standout feature. The only CMP in this directory whose consent-blocking code you can actually read before you install it, under a BSD licence.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Client-side core is open source (BSD-3-Clause) on GitHub
- Free forever for a self-hosted, self-configured site
- German company, hosted tiers add scanning and server-side records
- 7-day free trial on paid tiers, no card required
Cons
- Self-hosted use needs basic JavaScript knowledge to configure
- No IAB TCF registration
- Small vendor; hosted-tier data residency is not published
Alternatives to Klaro
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Klaro?
Klaro is the one CMP in this category you can read the source code of before you trust it: the client-side widget is BSD-3-Clause licensed on GitHub, maintained by KIProtect GmbH in Berlin, and free to run indefinitely with no server dependency. For a technical team that wants to verify exactly what a consent tool does rather than take a vendor's word for it, that is a different kind of guarantee than any certification in this list.
Where is Klaro based?
Klaro operates from Berlin, Germany, which places it under EU (Germany).
What does Klaro cost?
Open-source client-side version free forever; paid Startup €19/month billed annually (€25 billed monthly); Company €79/month annually (€99 monthly); Group €239/month annually (€299 monthly). 7-day free trial, no card required.
Who is Klaro best for?
Developers who want an open-source consent widget they can inspect. The only CMP in this directory whose consent-blocking code you can actually read before you install it, under a BSD licence.
What are the drawbacks of Klaro?
Self-hosted use needs basic JavaScript knowledge to configure. No IAB TCF registration. Small vendor; hosted-tier data residency is not published.
Is Klaro a good alternative to Cookiebot?
Klaro is built as a European alternative to Cookiebot: Berlin-built CMP whose client-side core is open source under a BSD licence, free forever to self-host. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does Klaro compare to other consent management tools?
Klaro is one of several European consent management tools we cover. It is most often compared with Cookiebot, OneTrust, Osano.