Shopify and Wix both include a cookie banner. Wix's, built with Usercentrics, adds a cookie scan, a consent log and Google Consent Mode v2 in its free version. Shopify's governs Shopify's own cookies and pixels, while scripts you add to the theme need a consent tool. For Wix and the GDPR, the free banner covers Wix-managed components, but Wix says it cannot control some App Market apps, so check those before relying on it.
The short comparison
Choosing between Shopify and Wix for an online store means inheriting two different consent set-ups. Both can collect valid consent for EU visitors, but the routes differ in cost, flexibility and technical effort. The table reflects each platform's documentation as of October 2026.
| Feature | Shopify | Wix |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in cookie banner | Yes, for Shopify's own cookies and Shopify Pixels | Yes, a Usercentrics banner, basic version free |
| Consent categories | Analytics, marketing, preferences, sale of data | Essential, functional, analytics, marketing |
| Google Consent Mode v2 | Covered in Shopify's privacy settings and pixels | Supported by the Wix banner |
| Cookie scanning | Not built in | Website Scan, monthly for all users, scheduled on premium plans |
| Script blocking before consent | Customer Privacy API and Web Pixels, a consent tool for theme scripts | Wix-managed components, categorised custom code, not every App Market app |
| Consent records | From a consent tool | Built-in consent log with export |
Wix bundles more out of the box. Shopify offers more structure for custom work through its APIs. Which matters more depends on your technical comfort and budget.
How Shopify handles cookie consent
Shopify ships a native cookie banner under Settings > Customer privacy > Cookie banner. Shopify's help page says it can show on storefront, cart, checkout and customer account pages in the regions you choose, and that it governs Shopify's own cookies and Shopify Pixels. Cookies and pixels added by hand or through apps may need a third-party banner or custom logic.
Behind the banner sit two APIs. The Customer Privacy API is the consent layer: the banner records the visitor's choice there as four signals, analytics, marketing, preferences and sale of data. Shopify's pixel manager then checks those signals before it runs a pixel, so a pixel that needs marketing consent waits until the visitor grants it.
The cookies themselves changed in 2026. Shopify's cookie policy (updated 9 October 2026) lists _shopify_analytics and _shopify_marketing, one year each, for analytics and marketing, and _shopify_essential, cart and localization as necessary. Shopify stopped setting _shopify_y and _shopify_s on 1 January 2026, according to its developer changelog, and _shopify_sa_t is no longer on its list.
For a full walkthrough of cookie consent on Shopify, including the Shopify cookies a store sets today, see the dedicated guides.
Shopify's script control: the Pixels API
Shopify's Web Pixels API is the main way to load scripts conditionally on consent. Pixels are registered as app pixels or custom pixels, and in regions where consent is required their code runs only after the visitor consents.
This is a clean split: the banner collects choices and the pixel manager enforces them. It only covers scripts registered through Shopify Pixels, though. Scripts pasted straight into theme.liquid run regardless of consent unless a consent tool on the storefront blocks them.
How Wix handles cookie consent
Wix takes a more integrated approach. Wix's help article says it has partnered with Usercentrics to offer a consent banner, added from Privacy & Cookies in the site dashboard and switched on with the Show banner toggle. The basic version is free. Translations, custom text and some placement options need a paid Usercentrics plan.
The banner sorts cookies into essential, functional, marketing and analytics, and loads only essential cookies and scripts until the visitor consents. A Website Scan reports the cookies on the site, monthly for all users and on a schedule for premium users. A consent log records choices and can be exported, and the banner supports Google Consent Mode v2 and translation into up to 60 languages on paid plans.
Wix sets a range of first-party cookies by default. Wix's cookie list marks these as essential: XSRF-TOKEN (session), svSession (12 months), SSR-caching (24 hours), bSession (24 hours), fedops.logger.sessionId (12 months) and _wixAB3 (6 months), among others. Adding Wix Analytics, Google Analytics or marketing integrations brings cookies that need consent.
Custom code and apps on Wix
The Wix banner handles Wix-managed components: with placeholders turned on, embeds such as Google Maps and Facebook wait until consent. Custom code can be given a cookie category so the banner knows its purpose. Wix also says the banner cannot control some third-party App Market apps, so it cannot guarantee their non-essential cookies are blocked.
The cookie consent for Wix guide covers both the built-in banner and third-party alternatives.
Installing a consent tool on Shopify, Wix and WordPress
Many store owners compare consent tools across platforms, and the install step differs on each. On WordPress, a consent tool usually comes as a plugin. Shopify stores use either an App Store app or a script in theme.liquid. On Wix, it is a script added under Settings > Custom Code. Kukie.io uses the same line of embed code on all three, and a WordPress plugin for sites that prefer one.
Google Consent Mode v2 on Shopify and Wix
Google Consent Mode v2 passes consent signals to Google's tags, including ad_user_data and ad_personalization. Both platforms support it, by different routes.
On Wix, the help article lists Google Consent Mode v2 as supported by the banner, so choices made in the banner reach Google's tags once you connect Google Analytics or Google Ads.
On Shopify, the help centre says event data sent to Google from EEA customers is not used for personalised advertising unless Consent Mode v2 is active and valid consent is obtained. Google tags added as a custom pixel need a Consent Mode snippet of their own.
Where each platform leaves gaps
Neither platform covers every script on a typical store by default.
On Shopify, the native banner has to be turned on for the regions you sell to, and it governs only Shopify's own cookies and Shopify Pixels. Tracking code in the theme, such as a pasted Meta Pixel, still runs before consent unless a consent tool blocks it, which goes against Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive for EU visitors.
A Wix site starts closer to the mark because the free banner is one toggle away and essential-only cookies load before consent. You must actually switch it on, though, and check the App Market apps Wix says it cannot control.
Regulators treat these gaps seriously. In 2025 the CNIL sanctioned 21 organisations over trackers, including SHEIN, fined 150 million euros on 1 September 2025 for placing advertising cookies before visitors made a choice.
Consent storage and proof
| Aspect | Shopify | Wix |
|---|---|---|
| Consent records | Kept by the consent tool you install | Built-in consent log |
| Export | Depends on the tool | Export from the Wix dashboard |
| Cookie scanning | External tool | Website Scan included |
Flexibility, cost and practical differences
Shopify suits merchants who want full control. Shopify Pixels, Checkout Extensibility and deep theme customisation let you build a consent set-up tailored to your stack. The trade-off is complexity: someone has to configure it, test it and maintain it.
Wix suits site owners who want consent handled without a development project. The Usercentrics banner covers scanning, banner display, consent logging and Consent Mode in one place. The trade-off is flexibility: some apps sit outside its control, and design options are limited compared with standalone consent tools.
Cost differs too. Shopify's own privacy settings are included in Shopify plans, and consent apps or separate tools are priced by their providers. Wix includes the basic Usercentrics banner at no extra charge. For stores comparing Shopify with other platforms, the Shopify vs WooCommerce and Shopify vs Squarespace comparisons add context, and the e-commerce cookie rules page covers what online stores must do.
Which platform needs less consent work
There is no universal winner. Wix makes a basic consent set-up quicker and cheaper for small sites. Shopify gives larger or more complex stores the tools for a precise, scalable consent system. Either way, the platform's tools collect and record consent. Meeting the GDPR, the CCPA or the ePrivacy rules still depends on how you configure them.
A simple Wix store with standard integrations can start with the built-in banner. A high-traffic Shopify store with custom pixels, server-side tagging and several regions benefits from Shopify's Customer Privacy API plus a consent tool for theme scripts. Kukie.io for Shopify describes the one-line install in theme.liquid.
Shopify and Wix consent questions
Does Wix have a free built-in cookie consent banner?
Yes. Wix offers a Usercentrics consent banner whose basic version is free. It includes a Website Scan, a consent log and Google Consent Mode v2 support, while translations and custom text need a paid plan.
Does Shopify set cookies without consent by default?
Shopify's analytics and marketing cookies wait for consent where its banner is turned on. Scripts and pixels you paste into the theme are not covered and run unless a consent tool blocks them.
Do Shopify and Wix both support Google Consent Mode v2?
Yes. Wix lists Consent Mode v2 support in its banner. Shopify covers it in its privacy settings for Google tags, and custom pixels need their own Consent Mode snippet.
Can I use a third-party consent tool on Wix instead of the built-in banner?
Yes. You can install a consent tool from the Wix App Market or add one as custom code under Settings > Custom Code. This helps if you need features the built-in banner does not offer.
How does Shopify's Customer Privacy API work with cookie consent?
The banner records the visitor's choice in the Customer Privacy API as four signals. Shopify's pixel manager reads them, so pixels that need analytics or marketing consent run only after the visitor grants it.
Check what your Shopify or Wix store loads before consent
Built-in banners handle each platform's own cookies, not every app or pixel you added. The Cookie scanner loads your store like a visitor and lists every cookie it finds by name and category, so you can see what still runs before a choice.
