Simple Analytics alternatives: 5 open-source picks
Simple Analytics costs $20/mo — $240 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.
Privacy analytics without cookies, personal profiles or a monthly invoice.
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 Simple AnalyticsIt exposes more configuration and dashboard complexity while offering fewer of Simple Analytics' reporting conveniences.
setupNone for hosted signup; self-hosting requires Docker or Node hosting and a PostgreSQL database
facts verified 2026-08-10
A nearly identical promise, delivered from a Compose file you own.
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 Simple AnalyticsThe core promise is similar, but the user operates the stack and Community Edition does not include every hosted-cloud extra.
setupDocker Compose, roughly 2 GB of RAM, a domain with DNS and TLS, and backups for PostgreSQL and ClickHouse
facts verified 2026-08-10
The spartan version: useful traffic numbers and very little else to argue about.
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 Simple AnalyticsIt is much more spartan and lacks Simple Analytics' polished reports, automations and privacy-focused workflow conveniences.
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 Simple 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 Simple Analytics
- managed hosting
- privacy/legal positioning
- bot filtering
- reports
- uptime
- support
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Simple 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 Simple Analytics
They pay for low-maintenance analytics they can put in a privacy policy with confidence. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $240 a year.
questions about switching from Simple Analytics
Is there an open-source alternative to Simple 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 Simple Analytics?
Our verdict is YES. Umami (38k stars), PostHog (30k stars), Plausible Community Edition (28k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Simple Analytics — self-host with docker and stop paying $20/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/simple-analytics.
What is the most popular open-source Simple Analytics alternative?
By GitHub stars, Umami (38,073). PostHog is next with 30,000.
