Most people leaving a lightweight, open source counter want one of two things: more detail about what visitors do, or less work running it. Pick a hosted tool if you don't want to manage a server, a self-hosted one if you want the data on your own machine, and a product analytics tool if you need funnels and retention.
GoatCounter is open source and can be self-hosted or used as a donation-supported hosted service, with a focus on simple, privacy-friendly stats. Its alternatives keep that spirit to different degrees, from tiny scripts that count page views to fuller suites that follow visitors through a product. Here are ten, in no particular order, starting with a quick comparison.
Ten web analytics tools compared
| Tool | Kind of tool | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Cabin | Lightweight hosted analytics | Small sites wanting lean, low-carbon stats |
| Clicky | Real-time web analytics | Watching visitors arrive as it happens |
| Fathom | Privacy-focused hosted analytics | Simple, privacy-first stats for business sites |
| Litlyx | AI-assisted web analytics | Marketing and product stats in one place |
| Matomo | Privacy-first analytics suite | Owning your data, hosted or self-hosted |
| Pirsch | Privacy-friendly hosted analytics | Clean stats without a heavy setup |
| Piwik PRO | Analytics with a compliance focus | Larger sites with compliance needs |
| Plausible | Lightweight open source analytics | Simple dashboards with open source code |
| Simple Analytics | Privacy-first analytics | Checking Google Analytics numbers against another view |
| Umami | Open source web and product analytics | Product questions without cookies |
Tracked for you or set up by hand, and stored where?
The first thing to check in any replacement is what it records without being asked. Most tools here count page views, referrers, devices and countries the moment the script is on your site. Events, goals, funnels and retention usually need setting up by hand, either with extra code or in the dashboard. If those are the reason you're switching, test them first, not last.
The second is where the data lives. Some tools are hosted by the vendor, some can run on your own server, and a few offer both. Several vendors here say their tools don't use cookies or need a consent banner. Treat that as the vendor's claim: rules on consent and data storage vary by country, so check with your data protection regulator for your own setup.
- Which numbers appear on day one, and which need events or goals set up
- Whether the vendor hosts the data, you host it, or you can choose
- Where hosted data is stored, and whether you can export all of it
- How the script affects page weight on a slow mobile connection
Which group fits your site
Self-host so the data stays on your server
Matomo and Umami both offer self-hosting, and the second also has a vendor cloud for teams who'd rather not run their own server. Plausible describes itself as lightweight and open source as well, so it sits naturally alongside these two for anyone who wants to read the code.
Hosted, privacy-first and simple
Pirsch keeps things focused on clean, privacy-friendly stats. Fathom stresses that it's a European, sustainable company. Clicky leads with real-time numbers, and Cabin says it's carbon-conscious and works with AI agents through MCP. All four aim at people who want a privacy-friendly replacement for Google Analytics without the setup.
More than page counts
Piwik PRO is aimed at organisations that want behavioural insight with control and compliance. Litlyx adds AI insights across web, product, SEO and marketing, and Simple Analytics suggests running it next to Google Analytics to compare the traffic each records.
If you're mainly leaving Google's own tool, my list of Google Analytics alternatives covers the wider field, and these product analytics tools go deeper into funnels and retention.
All ten, alphabetically
In no particular order. Each line reflects what the vendor says about its own tool.
Cabin
Best for: Site owners wanting lightweight, cookie-free analytics with a carbon-conscious angle and native MCP support for AI agents, according to the vendor.
Clicky
Best for: People who want real-time web analytics that the vendor describes as a privacy-friendly alternative to Google Analytics.
Fathom
Best for: Businesses wanting privacy-focused website analytics from a company that describes itself as sustainable and European; a free trial is named.
Litlyx
Best for: Teams wanting cookieless analytics across web, product, SEO and marketing, with AI insights and one-click reports; the vendor says no consent banner is needed.
Matomo
Best for: Organisations wanting full ownership of their analytics data on a privacy-first platform that the vendor says sets up in minutes; a free option is named.
Pirsch
Best for: Site owners after a privacy-friendly replacement for Google Analytics that looks beyond clicks, per the vendor; a free plan is named.
Piwik PRO
Best for: Organisations turning user behaviour into revenue decisions while keeping control and compliance in view, as the vendor positions it.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Plausible
Best for: Anyone wanting lightweight, open source analytics where, the vendor says, the data is yours and visitor privacy is respected.
Simple Analytics
Best for: Teams curious about what Google Analytics misses, who want to run a second tool alongside it and compare the traffic each sees, per the vendor.
Umami
Best for: Product and web teams wanting open source analytics covering acquisition, behaviour, conversion and retention without cookies, self-hosted or in the vendor's cloud.
Advice for small sites and solo makers
If you run a blog, a portfolio or a small business site, you probably don't need funnels, cohorts or AI insights. You need to know which pages people read, where they came from and whether that's changing. A small hosted tool will tell you that on day one, and it won't slow your pages down.
Before you swap the tracking snippet
Changing analytics tools breaks your history unless you plan for it. A few steps make the move painless:
- Export your existing stats so you have a record of past traffic
- Run the old and new scripts side by side for a few weeks and compare the numbers
- Recreate any custom events and goals before you remove the old script
- Update your privacy policy to name the new tool and say where the data goes
- Tell anyone who reads the reports which date the new numbers start from
Expect the two tools to disagree a little. Different scripts count visits in different ways, and ad blockers treat them differently too. What matters is that the trend lines move together.
Do you make web or product analytics software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Do privacy-friendly analytics tools need a cookie banner?
Some vendors say their tools don't. Rules vary by country and depend on how you set the tool up, so check with your data protection regulator rather than relying on a vendor's page.
Should I self-host my analytics?
Self-hosting gives you full control of the data but means someone has to run updates, backups and security. If that's nobody's job, choose a hosted service.
Why do two analytics tools show different numbers?
They count visits in slightly different ways, and ad blockers block some scripts and not others. Compare trends rather than exact totals.
Can I keep my old stats when I switch?
Export them before you remove the old script. Most tools can't import another tool's history, so keep the export as a reference.
What's the difference between web analytics and product analytics?
Web analytics counts visits, pages and sources. Product analytics follows what signed-in users do over time, such as funnels and retention.
