GoatCounter vs Umami
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
GoatCounter is an open-source web analytics platform positioned as a privacy-conscious alternative to Google Analytics and Matomo. It identifies unique visits without cookies or unique tracking identifiers and does not persistently store personal data, which the project says avoids the need for a GDPR consent notice. The tracking script adds roughly 3.5KB to a page and can be installed via a JavaScript tag, an image-based tracker, backend middleware, or log file import. The hosted service at goatcounter.com is free for reasonable use on personal sites and small-to-medium businesses, funded by GitHub Sponsors donations, while the fully open-source codebase is available for anyone who wants to self-host it for complete control over their data. It reports standard metrics like browser, location, screen size, referrers, and campaigns in a simple, no-frills dashboard.
Umami is a simple, easy-to-use analytics solution that helps you track website data without compromising user privacy. It's a self-hosted, open-source alternative to Google Analytics.
- Genuinely free for reasonable personal and small business use
- Fully open source with a self-hosting option for total data control
- Minimal, lightweight tracking script
- No cookie consent banner needed
- Easy to set up and use
- Respects user privacy
- Customizable and flexible
- Cost-effective
- Dashboard and reporting are much more basic than commercial analytics tools
- Self-hosting requires technical setup and server maintenance
- Larger sites are expected to self-host rather than use the free hosted tier
- Limited scalability
- Requires technical expertise
- Limited support for advanced analytics
More alternatives & similar tools
Alternatives to GoatCounter
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Privacy-focused, cookie-free web analytics that skips consent banners entirely.
Privacy-friendly web analytics that sees the traffic Google Analytics misses.
Alternatives to Umami
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The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataBoth GoatCounter and Umami are free, open‑source, privacy‑focused analytics, but GoatCounter offers a hosted option and a lighter script, while Umami provides richer real‑time dashboards and more customization at the cost of self‑hosting complexity.
Key differences
- •GoatCounter has a free hosted SaaS tier; Umami is only self‑hosted.
- •Umami’s UI is more customizable with real‑time dashboards; GoatCounter’s reporting is basic.
- •GoatCounter’s script is ~3.5 KB and cookie‑free; Umami also avoids cookies but script size isn’t specified.
- •Umami lists many integrations (Next.js, Gatsby, React) and storage options; GoatCounter lists generic JavaScript/tag integrations only.
Pricing & value
Both are free, but GoatCounter adds a hosted service for small sites, giving extra value without self‑hosting.
Ease of use / learning curve
GoatCounter offers a hosted option and simple tag setup; Umami requires full self‑hosting and technical expertise.
Features & depth
Umami provides real‑time data, custom events/goals, and customizable dashboards; GoatCounter’s reports are basic.
Integrations & ecosystem
Umami lists specific framework integrations (Next.js, Gatsby, React) and multiple storage back‑ends; GoatCounter lists only generic tag and log import.
Support
GoatCounter offers GitHub and documentation; Umami relies on community support only.
Scalability
GoatCounter expects larger sites to self‑host, implying better scalability path; Umami notes limited scalability.
Security & privacy
Both are open‑source, cookie‑free, and privacy‑aware; no differences specified.
Choose GoatCounter if…
Small‑to‑medium sites that want a quick, hosted solution with minimal setup.
Choose Umami if…
Tech‑savvy teams needing customizable dashboards and framework‑specific integrations.
Common questions
Can I use either tool without hosting it myself?
GoatCounter offers a free hosted tier; Umami does not provide hosted service, only self‑hosted.
Which provides more detailed, real‑time analytics?
Umami includes real‑time data, custom events, and customizable dashboards; GoatCounter’s reporting is basic.
Do both avoid cookies for privacy?
Yes, both claim cookie‑free tracking and focus on privacy.