Why Consider a Privacy-Friendly Google Analytics Alternative
Google Analytics is a great analytics tool that you can use to track and measure your website traffic. It is also the most widely used analytics platform on the web, but that doesn't mean it's the best fit for every website owner.
The most common reason people choose a Google Analytics alternative is that they want more privacy. This is because they have an e-commerce site, so they don't want to share their product or customer data with Google.
There are plenty of other reasons why you might want a more private analytics solution, though.
- A website that uses Google Analytics needs to display a tracking consent screen or cookie consent popup.
- With Google Analytics, you don't have data ownership.
- It doesn't provide you with control over your data.
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But what if you're just looking for an excellent alternative to Google Analytics? Read on to discover your best options.
Privacy-First Alternatives for Google Analytics
1. Matomo
Matomo is one of the best privacy-friendly alternatives for Google Analytics. It's also one of the most popular ones with over 1 million websites in over 190 countries using it–even world-known companies and organizations like the United Nations, NASA, and European Commission prefer Matomo. That tells enough about this tool's privacy focus, doesn't it?
Pros
- 100% data ownership
- Already trusted and used by leading companies and organizations, you won't be risking anything.
- It's open-source, so the platform is transparent.
- In contrast to most open-source Google Analytics alternatives, Matomo provides support as well.
- Fully complies with privacy legislation.
- It offers more capabilities and features for analytics compared to the other alternatives.
Cons
- Naturally, Matomo can't integrate with Google properties as seamlessly as Google Analytics.
Privacy Compliance
While you can use Matomo without tracking user consent, you can't do the same with Google Analytics. Unlike GA, Matomo gives you full ownership of the collected data and complies with privacy regulations.
Pricing
Matomo is forever free if you choose to host it on your own servers; however, as some users suggest, it could take too much of your servers. The Matomo-hosted solution, on the other hand, starts at 19EUR for 50,000 monthly traffic.
2. TinyAnalytics
TinyAnalytics is one of the best free Google Analytics alternatives you can go for. Tiny Analytics is a website analytics by making them easy to use and respectful of the privacy laws of the United Kingdom.
How does TinyAnalytics work?
You first need to embed a tracking code, a JavaScript code, on your web pages so that Piwik PRO can collect data about your website visitors.
Pros
- Provides more accurate data than Google Analytics
- No Cookies used & No Opt-In needed
- Data located in London, UK
- A lightweight 6kb script that fasts.
- Stores all the tracking data privately and not be used by the company for their own gain, unlike Google, so your collected data is yours only.
- Its free plan also up to 50.000 page views.
Cons
- The interface could be improved.
TinyAnalytics Compliance for United Kingdom GDPR
Piwik Pro doesn't collect just any data. For example, it doesn't collect visitor data when:
- A website visitor enabled their browser's do-not-track setting, and your settings are as the following; Tag Manager > Tags > Piwik PRO tag (tracking code) > Respect Visitor Privacy (on)
- You chose to exclude an IP address, user agent, or query URL.
- A visitor didn't accept data collection and usage on your website.
Additionally, Piwik PRO works in alignment with your Consent Manager if you have one. So, you can be sure of respecting your visitors' privacy.
Pricing
TinyAnalytics is free forever and its pricing is quote-based.
G2 Rating: 4.7/5 (27)
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3. Plausible Analytics
Plausible Analytics is an open-source alternative for Google Analytics that respects users' e-privacy. Similar to GA, Plausible works by embedding a script on your website; however, it's 45x smaller, making it faster to load. This tool ensures that your statistics data are private by default but allows you to make them public so that anyone with the link can view your data.
On a side note, Plausible is launched openly on GitHub.
Pros
- No cookies: GDPR, CCPA, PECR compliant
- It's also made and hosted in the EU.
- Lightweight script: faster page load (<1KB)
- It's open-source and can be self-hosted as well.
Cons
- While open-source analytics tools may have their pros, they also have serious drawbacks.
- Lack of support: There's only a community that may fall short when you need assistance.
- It's not ideal for enterprise-level use.
- Plausible's pricing model is based on the pageview number, which might be complex for some users.
Privacy Compliance
Plausible Analytics fully complies with GDPR, PECR, and CCPA regulations. More importantly, it doesn't store your collected data or sell it to third parties in any way. Additionally, it doesn't cross-site or cross-device track, has no identifies, and doesn't use cookies.
Pricing
Its pricing model is based on the pageview numbers, so the minimum price is $9/mo for 10K monthly pageviews.
4. Fathom Analytics
Fathom is another privacy-focused Google Analytics alternative you may choose. Similar to Plausible, Fathom is also open-source.
Pros
- Custom domain solution: Manages to collect data from all visitors thanks to its Adblocker bypassing feature, unlike GA, which often gets blocked.
- Complete control over the data you collect: Ability to block IP addresses, countries, and whitelist domains without coding.
- Routes data using EU isolation
- Collects website data anonymously
- GDPR, CCPA, PECR, and e-Privacy compliance
- Adblocker bypassing
Cons
- Lack of support due to open-source structure
- Relatively basic data tracking features compared to GA
Privacy Compliance
This tool provides control over the data you collect and ensures data privacy. Moreover, it complies with e-privacy regulations.
Pricing
A 7-day free trial is available. Price plans start at $14 per month for 100,000 page views, and you can add up to 50 sites.
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5. Smartlook
Smartlook is a different Google Analytics alternative compared to other tools in our list. It's because this software is more advanced, covering behavior analytics tracking with deeper insights for both websites and mobile apps. It's a user behavior tool.
Pros
- Qualitative and quantitative analytics combined.
- Ability to record user behaviors on your website or mobile app
- Advanced Filtering with over 30 filters to find the segment you look for
- Heatmaps, events, funnels
- Customizable analytics dashboard
- Email reporting
- Integration with many platforms like Shopify, Intercom, Mixpanel, and WordPress
Cons
- Unlike GA, it doesn't show any user acquisition data– it only shows user journeys.
- Smartlook doesn't come in handy when it comes to tracking traffic as in GA.
- The learning curve might feel steep for some users.
Privacy Compliance
Smartlook ensures compliance with legal requirements and handles customer data as permitted by the relevant regulations and the user. It's also PCI DSS compliant and encrypts data at rest using the 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES-256) algorithm.
Pricing
Smartlook has a free plan for up to 1,500 sessions per month and limited features. The paid plans start at $39 per month.
G2 Rating: 4.6/5 (836)
6. Simple Analytics
Simple Analytics is a data visualization and analytics tool with its servers located in the Netherlands. This software gathers only the necessary data from your website visitors and ensures privacy. It also respects users' privacy settings; if their Do Not Track is enabled, Simple Analytics doesn't collect or store any data by default.
Pros
- Doesn't set any cookies, collect or store IP addresses
- Bypass ad blockers
- It has an iOS app.
- Simplified for marketers, developers, and businesses alike
Cons
- If you're looking for advanced analytics data, this tool might not be an ideal choice for you or for enterprise-level usage.
- It only shows specific statistics like page views, referrers, screen size, and top pages. Additionally, it also shows the original view of the tweets from which you acquired referrals.
Privacy Compliance
Simple Analytics respects data privacy and complies with GDPR, CCPA, and PECR rules.
Pricing
This tool's starting price is €19 per month.
7. Indicative
Another Google Analytics alternative that has a privacy-first standing is Indicative. This software defines itself as an "omnichannel customer journey analytics" platform as it encompasses all your data sources and marketing channels. Additionally, Indicative complies with EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework.
Pros
- Easy to implement
- Cohort analysis
- Customer journey visualization
- Drag and drop interface
Cons
- A bit costly compared to other GA alternatives, especially for small businesses and startups
- Less help content is available on the internet to check out an issue with Indicative.
- The learning curve is steep for some users.
- User segmentation options could be improved.
Privacy Compliance
While Indicative complies with the Privacy Shield Framework, you still need to check whether the data they collect applies to your country or region's e-privacy laws.
Pricing
Indicative's Standard plan is free to use with limited options, and its paid plans start at $249 per month.
G2 Rating: 4.4/5 (84)
8. Kissmetrics
Kissmetrics is a product and marketing analytics tool that you can consider as an alternative for Google Analytics. Unlike GA, Kissmetrics approaches analytics at the user level, meaning that you'll be able to visualize the full customer journey and map every action on your site to a real user.
At first glance on this tool's homepage, it addresses two main types of industries; SaaS and E-commerce. Moreover, in contrast to GA, Kissmetrics gives you the power to connect all data to a single person–even if they land on your website or SaaS from different devices or browsers.
Pros
- Shows drop-offs and entire customer journey
- A/B test
- Cohort and funnel reports
Cons
- Too much dependence on the tracking code for metrics
- The UI is hard to get the hang of and somewhat unintuitive.
- A highly steep learning curve
- Data exportation takes too long.
- Since it is enterprise-level, the pricing is costly.
Privacy Compliance
Kissmetrics complies with GDPR laws. Besides, it allows you to align the software to your privacy policy with a variety of options like;
- First-party cookies only
- Respect Do Not Track header
- Not collecting confidential information on forms
- Server-side API
Pricing
Kissmetrics' starting price is $229 per month and billed annually.
G2 Rating: 4/5 (160)
9. GoSquared Web Analytics
Another alternative to GA is a growth suite called GoSquared. What's our concern for the sake of this article is its Web Analytics service. This tool's focus is on simplifying analytics and insights; therefore, it has a clean and intuitive dashboard.
Pros
- Integrations with popular third-party software like Webflow, WordPress, and Slack
- Fully documented REST API
- Intuitive interface and dashboard
- Mobile reporting
Cons
- The mobile version could be improved.
- Possible surprise costs
- Retroactive data is hard to access.
Privacy Compliance
Gosquared Web Analytics anonymizes the data you collect by default, and it is also fully GDPR-compliant. Moreover, it only collects what's necessary for your insights.
Pricing
Gosquared's price plans for web analytics start at $9 per month for up to 100,000 pageviews.
G2 Rating: 4.5/5 (72)
10. Microanalytics.io
Microanalytics.io is another noteworthy alternative to Google Analytics which is renowned for its user-friendly interface, simplicity, and cleanliness.
The tool comes at a reasonable cost and provides a minuscule tracking code, measuring less than 1kb, which improves the website's speed and enhances user experience.
In addition, Microanalytics.io prioritizes user privacy by collecting only the bare minimum amount of data required. This ensures that visitors' confidentiality is always safeguarded.
Pros
- Fully compliant with GDPR, PECR, and CCPA regulations.
- Created and hosted in the EU, powered by renewable energy.
- An affordable alternative to Google Analytics.
- Lightweight tracking code of less than 1kb in size, which makes your website run faster and reduces carbon emissions.
- A privacy-focused tool that doesn't collect any personal data.
Cons
- Relatively basic data tracking features compared to GA
- Lack of social proof from clients.
Privacy Compliance
To protect your data, Microanalytics complies with the CCPA, GDPR, and PECR requirements, so your data is not stored or shared with any third parties. Additionally, it does not use identifiers or track your online activities across websites or gadgets.
Pricing Its pricing model is based on the pageview numbers, so the minimum price is $9/mo for 100K monthly pageviews.
11. Usermaven
Usermaven is another great Google Analytics alternative that is easy to set up and has built-in reports to help you generate actionable insights. The 360 Profile View can offer a comprehensive view of the user journey, allowing for a more in-depth analysis of website activity.
Furthermore, Usermaven complies with privacy regulations under GDPR and CCPA, making it a privacy-friendly analytics platform.
And lastly, its Autocapture Events feature can save you time by automatically capturing front-end events.
Pros:
- Provides Website and Product Analytics
- Allows White pixel tracking on multiple domains
- Auto-tracks events on the website.
- GDPR & CCPA Compliant
- By-passes Adblockers.
- Cookie-less Tracking
- Affordable Pricing
Cons:
- No self-hosting option is available
- Less number of integrations but increasing
Privacy Compliance: Usermaven fully complies with GDPR, PECR, and CCPA regulations. With the cookieless tracking mode, it doesn't collect or store any PII data making it privacy-compliant. It is hosted in EU.
Pricing: Usermaven’s free forever plan provides web and product analysis and lets you track up to 1 million events per month. The paid Pro plan starts at $14/month, and you can track up to 100,000 events.
12. Splitbee
If streamlined data analytics is what you need, Splitbee is the one you are looking for. It's a conversion and analytics platform that allows you to get insights into customer journeys and funnels. Additionally, you can use it to automate your conversions, such as sending automated emails, receiving notifications, and using webhooks.
Note that this software is quite new and has under 5,000 users yet.
Pros
- Modern and clean interface design
- Simplified funnel view
- Easy to implement
- It has a free plan.
Cons
- Nothing more than the basic data
- There are cheaper alternatives with more advanced features.
Privacy Compliance
I can't say that this Google Analytics alternative is highly privacy-friendly as they haven't released their privacy statement yet. However, unlike GA, they do not sell collected data. Also, it gives the users an option to withdraw consent anytime.
Pricing
Splitbee has a free plan, and its paid plans start at $21 per month for up to 100,000 events.
13. Fair Analytics
Fair Analytics is rather a streamlined alternative to Google Analytics. If you need a basic solution to track superficial data, it's an ideal choice. However, We wouldn't recommend it for enterprise-level companies since its capabilities may fall short.
Pros
- GDPR, DSVGO, RGPD compliant
- Free to use
- Sharable statistics via secure links
- You can manage unlimited websites.
- No use of cookies
- Pseudonymizes collected user data.
- Lightweight option compared to GA. (Fair Analytics is 4KB while GA is 49 KB.)
Cons
- Basic analytics features compared to more advanced alternatives.
- Simple is a good thing but 'too simple' is lacking. Compared to GA, this tool might be incapable.
- The interface could be improved with categories.
- This tool is rather new, so it needs more testing and improvements.
Privacy Compliance
Fair Analytics doesn't use cookies to store data. Besides, it complies with GDPR, RGPD, and DSVGO regulations.
Pricing
The good side is it's completely free, and there's also a WordPress plugin available.
14. Darwin Analytics
Darwin is a simple customer analytics tool that lets you visualize customer experiences, use surveys and analytics to monitor and improve UX for your customers.
Pros
- Session replay
- A/B test
- Real-time data
- Live heatmaps
Cons
- It lacks the option to import data.
- It lacks most integration options you could find in alternatives.
- High cost, not balanced with the service provided
Privacy Compliance
Darwin complies with the GDPR and CCPA laws.
Pricing
Its price plans start at $50 per month.
Also read: How to Write a Follow-Up Email After No Response.
15. Umami
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Another analytics software with a simple design is Umami. It's an open-source, self-hosted Google Analytics alternative solution. This software gives only the basic metrics that can fit on a single page.
Pros
- Free, open-source, and self-hosted
- Bypass ad-blockers
- Lightweight (2KB)
- Since it's self-hosted, you own the data.
- Mobile optimized
Cons
- Requires effort on your side, so it might not be a quick solution.
Privacy Compliance
This platform is entirely privacy-compliant as it is self-hosted, so you are the only owner of the data you gather.
Pricing
Open-source and free
16. GoatCounter
The last tool on our list is GoatCounter. It's also an open-source and free alternative for Google Analytics. You'll need self-hosting for GoatCounter.
Pros
- It doesn't track users
- Lightweight (3.5KB) but not as much as some other alternatives
- No JavaScript image-based tracker
Cons
- Complicated dashboard interface that looks outdated
- It's only ideal as a primary solution.
Privacy Compliance
Since it is self-hosted, you own your data and not any third-party tool.
*Pricing
Open-source, free
17. Piwik PRO
Piwik PRO is one of the best Google Analytics alternatives you can go for, especially if you're looking for an enterprise-level solution. This marketing and analytics suite is designed to meet the strictest data privacy regulations.
How does Piwik PRO work?
You first need to embed a tracking code, a JavaScript code, on your web pages so that Piwik PRO can collect data about your website visitors.
Pros
- Provides more accurate data than Google Analytics
- It offers many privacy features and compliance.
- Ensures you ownership of the tracking data
- Raw data export is available.
- Stores all the tracking data privately and not be used by the company for their own gain, unlike Google, so your collected data is yours only.
- Its free Core plan is cloud-based.
Cons
- The interface could be improved.
- It slightly lacks integration options, especially with Google properties like Adwords.
Privacy Compliance
Piwik Pro doesn't collect just any data. For example, it doesn't collect visitor data when:
- A website visitor enabled their browser's do-not-track setting, and your settings are as the following; Tag Manager > Tags > Piwik PRO tag (tracking code) > Respect Visitor Privacy (on)
- You chose to exclude an IP address, user agent, or query URL.
- A visitor didn't accept data collection and usage on your website.
Additionally, Piwik PRO works in alignment with your Consent Manager if you have one. So, you can be sure of respecting your visitors' privacy.
Pricing
Piwik PRO's Core Plan is free forever and its pricing is quote-based.
G2 Rating: 4.7/5 (27)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What Google Analytics cannot do
- Google Analytics can't track individual users.
- It can't give insight into what users did on your social networks.
- GA can't process historical data for your website.
- It can't tell if a user has deleted browser cookies.
- It can't provide support.
- Google Analytics can't track the entire customer journey.
- It can't give a privacy-focused analytics solution.
What are the best open-source alternatives for Google Analytics?
Some of the best open-source Google Analytics alternatives are:
- Matomo
- Plausible
- Umami
- GoatCounter
What are the free alternatives to Google Analytics?
Some of the free Google Analytics alternatives are:
- Matomo
- TinyAnalytics
- Fair Analytics
- Smartlook
- Indicative
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