Plausible
PaidLightweight, privacy-friendly analytics — no cookies needed.
Pros
- +Privacy-first, no cookies
- +Tiny script
- +Simple dashboard
Cons
- −Less deep than GA4 explorers
- −Paid (no huge free cloud)
- −Fewer marketing funnels
Best for: Indie hackers and EU sites that want simple ethical analytics.
Pricing notes: Paid cloud by pageviews; self-host CE available.
Visit website →Umami
Open SourceSimple, fast, open-source web analytics.
Pros
- +Simple OSS analytics
- +Easy self-host
- +Privacy friendly
Cons
- −Fewer advanced reports
- −You run the box
- −Cloud is newer
Best for: Devs who want GA-lite they can deploy in minutes.
Pricing notes: OSS free; Umami Cloud paid. Self-host = VPS cost.
Self-host tip: spin up containers on Railway or DigitalOcean (our referral links).
Visit website →Matomo
Open SourceFull-featured open-source analytics you own.
Pros
- +GA-depth on your infra
- +Privacy controls
- +Plugins/marketplace
Cons
- −Heavier to run
- −UI denser
- −Plugin costs possible
Best for: Orgs needing serious analytics with data ownership.
Pricing notes: OSS On-Premise free; Matomo Cloud paid. Some plugins paid.
Self-host tip: spin up containers on Railway or DigitalOcean (our referral links).
Visit website →Fathom
PaidSimple privacy-first analytics with a clean dashboard.
Pros
- +Dead-simple privacy analytics
- +Fast UI
- +Cookie-free positioning
Cons
- −Paid only (cloud)
- −Limited advanced analysis
- −Less customizable than OSS
Best for: Agencies/sites that want Plausible-like simplicity with Fathom brand.
Pricing notes: Paid by pageviews; no free forever cloud tier.
Visit website →PostHog
FreemiumProduct analytics, feature flags, and session replay in one.
Pros
- +Product analytics + flags + replay
- +Generous free cloud
- +Self-host option
Cons
- −Broader than “web stats”
- −Can be overwhelming
- −Resource-heavy if self-hosted
Best for: Product teams replacing GA + separate event tools.
Pricing notes: Generous free tier then usage-based; OSS self-host possible.
Visit website →GoatCounter
Open SourceSimple open-source web statistics, privacy-friendly.
Pros
- +Ultra-simple privacy stats
- +OSS
- +Low overhead
Cons
- −Minimal feature set
- −Not product analytics
- −Sparse UI
Best for: Personal blogs and tiny sites that just need counts.
Pricing notes: Free for non-commercial; paid/commercial and self-host options.
Self-host tip: spin up containers on Railway or DigitalOcean (our referral links).
Visit website →