Fathom Analytics alternatives: 5 open-source picks
Fathom Analytics costs $15/mo — $180 a year. These 5 alternatives replace it for $0, led by Umami, Plausible Community Edition and GoatCounter. All 5 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
Simple privacy analytics with enough events and goals to avoid paying for simplicity.
licenseMIT
runsyour machine or their cloud
installCreate an Umami Cloud account or deploy the Node application with Docker Compose and PostgreSQL
dataA self-hosted deployment stores analytics and account data in PostgreSQL; Umami Cloud stores it in Umami's managed service
the catch vs Fathom AnalyticsIt is less deliberately minimal and, when self-hosted, lacks Fathom's managed reliability and support.
setupNone for hosted signup; self-hosting requires Docker or Node hosting and a PostgreSQL database
facts verified 2026-08-10
The closest philosophical match, except you operate the Compose file.
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour server
installDeploy the Community Edition with the official Docker Compose installer
dataAccount and configuration records live in PostgreSQL and analytics events live in ClickHouse on the user's server
the catch vs Fathom AnalyticsThe philosophy is close, but the user must run PostgreSQL and ClickHouse and loses Fathom's managed operations and support.
setupDocker Compose, roughly 2 GB of RAM, a domain with DNS and TLS, and backups for PostgreSQL and ClickHouse
facts verified 2026-08-10
A smaller privacy dashboard for people who truly meant simple.
runsyour machine or their cloud
installCreate a hosted account or run the single static binary or Docker image
dataA self-hosted instance uses SQLite by default or PostgreSQL; the hosted service stores analytics on GoatCounter's infrastructure and supports JSON and CSV exports
the catch vs Fathom AnalyticsIt offers fewer polished goals, events, reports, team controls and support than Fathom's managed product.
setupNone for hosted use; self-hosting needs a reachable binary or container plus a public URL and TLS
facts verified 2026-08-10
All-in-one product analytics with session replay, feature flags, experiments, and surveys
licenseMIT (+EE)
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
The veteran GA alternative: full-fat web analytics, heatmaps, no data sampling, and the data stays on your server.
licenseGPL-3.0
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: Umami · Plausible Community Edition · PostHog · Matomo
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
how to choose a Fathom Analytics alternative
Most proven
Umami, with 38,073 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 5, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Needs real ops to self-host
PostHog is capable but expects someone to run a server, updates and backups. Budget for that before choosing it.
what you give up by leaving Fathom Analytics
- managed infrastructure
- privacy/compliance messaging
- email reports
- uptime
- support
- billing
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Fathom Analytics alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Umami | MIT | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 38,073 | 2026-08 |
| Plausible Community Edition | AGPL-3.0+ | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 28,377 | 2026-08 |
| GoatCounter | open source | docker to self-host | web, self-hosted | 5,800 | 2026-08 |
| PostHog | MIT (+EE) | self-host, real ops | self-hosted, web | 30,000 | 2026-08 |
| Matomo | GPL-3.0 | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 20,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Fathom Analytics
They pay to avoid maintaining analytics infrastructure and privacy copy themselves. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $180 a year.
questions about switching from Fathom Analytics
Is there an open-source alternative to Fathom Analytics?
Yes: Umami, Plausible Community Edition, GoatCounter and 2 more. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Fathom Analytics?
Our verdict is YES. Umami (38k stars), PostHog (30k stars), Plausible Community Edition (28k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Fathom Analytics — self-host with docker and stop paying $15/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/fathom-analytics.
What is the most popular open-source Fathom Analytics alternative?
By GitHub stars, Umami (38,073). PostHog is next with 30,000.
