This is a survey of open source web and product analytics in 2026. It covers nine options with different licenses, hosting models, and use cases — from minimalist pageview counters to full product analytics platforms.
This is a survey, not a buyer's guide. The right pick depends on what you need. If you've already decided to self-host and want a head-to-head pick among the 4 most production-ready self-hostable tools, see our self-hosted web analytics comparison. If you're replacing GA4, see our Google Analytics alternative comparison and migration guide.
Here's a quick comparison of all 9 tools:
| Tool | Type | License | Self-Host | Cloud Pricing (from) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenPanel | Web + Product | AGPL-3.0 | Free | $2.50/mo | Teams wanting Mixpanel-like analytics, open source |
| PostHog | Product + Web | MIT | Free | $0 + usage | Developers needing analytics + flags + experiments |
| Plausible | Web | AGPL-3.0 | Free | $9/mo | Simple, privacy-first pageview analytics |
| Matomo | Web | GPL-3.0 | Free | €29/mo | Google Analytics replacement with full feature set |
| Fathom | Web | Proprietary | License | $15/mo | Privacy-focused teams wanting zero maintenance |
| Umami | Web | MIT | Free | $0 + usage | Developers wanting lightweight, self-hosted analytics |
| Ackee | Web | MIT | Free | None | Minimalist self-hosted tracking |
| Pirsch | Web | AGPL-3.0 | License | $6/mo | Server-side analytics without JavaScript |
| Swetrix | Web | AGPL-3.0 | Free | $5/mo | Cookieless analytics with performance monitoring |
Now let's go deeper on each tool.
What does "open source" actually mean for analytics?
"Open source" covers tools with very different licenses, governance models, and feature gates. Three things to check before picking:
License. Tools here split across permissive (MIT: Umami, PostHog, Ackee) and copyleft (AGPL: OpenPanel, Plausible, Pirsch, Swetrix; GPL: Matomo). MIT lets you fork and ship a closed-source product on top. AGPL requires you to release your modifications if you offer the modified tool as a network service. EUPL (GoatCounter) is its own thing, similar to copyleft. Fathom is here as a popular alternative but is fully proprietary, with no public source. If you care about license obligations, this matters.
Single-vendor sponsorship vs community. Most of these are single-vendor projects: one company funds development and offers a paid cloud version. That's true for OpenPanel, Plausible, Matomo, PostHog, Umami, Pirsch, and Swetrix. Ackee is closer to a community project. Single-vendor projects move faster, but the bus-factor risk is concentrated.
Hosted vs self-host-only. Most tools here offer both a self-host option and a paid cloud: OpenPanel, Plausible, Matomo, PostHog, Umami, Pirsch, and Swetrix. Ackee is self-host-only with no first-party cloud. Fathom is the inverse — proprietary cloud first, with a self-host license for purchase. One footnote on PostHog: full self-hosting is now community-build-only and missing some cloud features.
Feature parity between self-hosted and cloud. This varies. OpenPanel, Plausible, Matomo, and Umami match features across self-hosted and cloud. PostHog does not. Matomo gates advanced features (heatmaps, A/B tests) behind paid plugins even on self-hosted. Always check before assuming "open source = full features".
What to look for in open source analytics
Before picking a tool, consider these factors:
- Web analytics vs product analytics — Do you just need pageviews and traffic sources, or also event tracking, funnels, retention, and user journeys?
- Self-hosted vs cloud — Self-hosting gives you full data control and is often free, but you maintain the server. Cloud is easier but costs money.
- Privacy and compliance — Does the tool track without cookies? Is it GDPR/CCPA compliant by design?
- Ease of setup — Some tools deploy in minutes, others need real DevOps work.
- Community and maintenance — Is the project actively maintained? How large is the community?
- Pricing model — Event-based, pageview-based, or flat fee? How does cost scale with growth?
OpenPanel
Summary
OpenPanel combines web analytics and product analytics in one open source tool. You get event tracking, customizable charts, an overview dashboard, individual user and session views, funnels, retention analysis, and SDKs for the major frameworks. AGPL-3.0 license, cookieless tracking, GDPR compliant by design. Self-host free, or use OpenPanel Cloud with a 30-day free trial. (Disclosure: this is our product. We've tried to position it fairly against the alternatives below, but read all the options before you pick.)
- Homepage: https://openpanel.dev
- GitHub: https://github.com/Openpanel-dev/openpanel
- License: AGPL-3.0
- Rating: 5/5
- Discount: 30% off (first 3 months): Use discount code GOOGLE
Pricing
OpenPanel Cloud has a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. After the trial, you pick the tier that matches your monthly event volume. Self-hosting is free; you provide the infrastructure.
| Events per Month | Price (USD/month) |
|---|---|
| Up to 5,000 | $2.50 |
| Up to 10,000 | $5 |
| Up to 100,000 | $20 |
| Up to 250,000 | $30 |
| Up to 500,000 | $50 |
| Up to 1,000,000 | $90 |
| Up to 2,500,000 | $180 |
| Up to 5,000,000 | $250 |
| Up to 10,000,000 | $350 |
| Up to 20,000,000 | $530 |
| Up to 30,000,000 | $680 |
| Up to 40,000,000 | $800 |
| Up to 50,000,000 | $900 |
All Cloud plans include unlimited websites, unlimited dashboards, unlimited team members, email & Discord support, and 5 years of data retention. No add-ons or hidden costs.
Pros
- Open source and self-hostable — you control your data
- Combines web and product analytics in one platform (replaces both GA and Mixpanel)
- Real-time tracking, no processing delays
- Cookieless, GDPR/CCPA compliant by design — no consent banners
- 30-day free trial and usage-based pricing
- All features included at every tier, no add-ons
Cons
- Cloud costs grow as event volume increases
- Self-hosting requires server setup and maintenance
- Project is newer with a smaller community than Matomo or PostHog
- No built-in heatmaps (yet)
FAQ
Alternative to OpenPanel
Plausible Analytics
- Open source, privacy-focused web analytics with flat pricing
- Lightweight, cookieless tracking and simple dashboards
- Predictable monthly cost starting at $9 for 10,000 pageviews
- A fit if you need core web metrics without product analytics
PostHog
See our detailed comparison: OpenPanel vs PostHog
Summary
PostHog is an open source platform for product analytics, session replay, feature flags, A/B testing, error tracking, and surveys, all in one place. It's developer-focused, with both self-hosting and a free cloud tier (1 million events per month). If you want one tool that does everything for product development, PostHog covers the most ground.
- Homepage: https://posthog.com
- GitHub: https://github.com/PostHog/posthog
- License: MIT
- Rating: 4/5
Pricing
PostHog's free tier includes 1 million analytics events per month, plus 5,000 session recordings, 1M feature flag requests, and more. Past the free limits, pricing uses volume-based step-down rates:
| Monthly Events | Cost per Event | Example Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| First 1M | Free | $0 |
| 1-2M | $0.00005 | ~$50 |
| 2-15M | $0.0000343 | ~$396 (at 12M) |
| 15-50M | $0.0000295 | Declining rate |
| 50-100M | $0.0000218 | Declining rate |
| 100-250M | $0.000015 | Declining rate |
Anonymous events are 55-80% cheaper than identified events, which can significantly reduce costs.
Pros
- Open source and self-host friendly — you keep full data control
- All-in-one suite: analytics, replays, flags, experiments, errors, surveys
- 1M-event monthly free tier for smaller projects
- Active developer community and frequent releases
Cons
- Usage-based pricing is hard to predict as you grow
- Running a self-hosted instance takes real ops work
- Self-hosting and cloud are not feature-equivalent
- The number of features can overwhelm smaller teams
FAQ
Plausible
See our detailed comparison: OpenPanel vs Plausible
Summary
Plausible is an open source, privacy-friendly web analytics tool built as a lightweight alternative to Google Analytics. It tracks pageviews and custom events without cookies or personal data. You get real-time reports, goals, custom events, email/Slack reports, and GDPR/CCPA compliance out of the box. Pick it if you want simple analytics without the complexity.
- Homepage: https://plausible.io
- GitHub: https://github.com/plausible/analytics
- License: AGPL v3
- Rating: 4/5
Pricing
Plausible uses traffic-based plans billed monthly or yearly (2 months free on annual). All plans include unlimited data retention, unlimited team members, Google Analytics import, and all core features.
| Plan | Pageviews per Month | Price (Monthly) | Price (Yearly) | Sites | Data Retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Up to 10,000 | $9 | $90 | 1 | Unlimited |
| Growth | Up to 100,000 | $14 | $140 | 3 | Unlimited |
| Business | Up to 200,000 | $19 | $190 | 10 | Unlimited |
| Enterprise | 200,001+ | Custom | Custom | 10+ | Unlimited |
Pros
- Privacy by design — no cookies, no personal data tracking
- Simple dashboard that anyone can read
- Open source with a free self-host option and clear pricing
- Lightweight script (~1 KB) that doesn't slow your site
Cons
- No free tier beyond self-hosting
- Costs can rise quickly as traffic grows
- No product analytics features (no funnels, retention, or user-level tracking)
- No session replay or heatmaps
FAQ
Alternative to Plausible
Umami
- Umami is almost a 1-to-1 alternative to Plausible with an MIT license
- Free cloud tier with 1M events/month
OpenPanel
- Similar to both Umami and Plausible but also adds product analytics to the mix
Matomo
See our detailed comparison: OpenPanel vs Matomo
Summary
Matomo (formerly Piwik) is the most established open source web analytics platform, around since 2007 and positioned as a Google Analytics alternative. You can track web and mobile visits, build charts and dashboards, set goals, run A/B tests, record sessions, view heatmaps, and more. You own all your data and can self-host for free or use Matomo Cloud.
- Homepage: https://matomo.org
- GitHub: https://github.com/matomo-org/matomo
- License: GNU GPL v3
- Rating: 4/5
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Hits per Month | Support | Websites | Data Retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-Premise | €0 | Unlimited | Free community support or paid subscriptions | Unlimited | Forever |
| Cloud (50K) | €29/month or €290/year | Up to 50,000 | Email support & Customer Success Manager | 30 | 24 months |
For higher volumes (100K, 300K, 1M+ hits), contact sales for enterprise pricing.
Pros
- Most mature open source analytics platform (since 2007)
- Full data ownership and GDPR/CCPA compliance
- Rich feature set: dashboards, A/B tests, heatmaps, session recordings, funnels
- Free self-hosted option with no limits on hits or users
- Large plugin library
Cons
- Self-hosting requires server setup, maintenance, and PHP knowledge
- Cloud costs rise sharply beyond the base 50K tier
- Many advanced plugins (A/B testing, heatmaps, etc.) require paid subscriptions even on self-hosted
- UI can feel dated compared to newer tools
FAQ
Alternative to Matomo
Fathom Analytics
- Privacy-focused, simple analytics with no cookies or personal data
- Flat monthly pricing (starts at $15/month) for unlimited sites
- Easy setup with minimal interface for core metrics
Fathom
See our detailed comparison: OpenPanel vs Fathom
Summary
Fathom is a privacy-focused web analytics tool that tracks pageviews and events without cookies or personal data. You get real-time reports, unlimited data retention, unlimited sites, and simple dashboards. Fathom isn't truly open source (it's proprietary with a self-host license available), but it's here because it's a popular privacy-first alternative.
- Homepage: https://usefathom.com
- GitHub: No public repository (proprietary)
- License: Proprietary (self-host license available)
- Rating: 4/5
Pricing
Fathom bills by monthly data points (pageviews + events). All plans include unlimited sites, data retention, email reports, exports, and support.
| Plan | Data Points / Month | Price (Monthly) | Price (Yearly, 17% off) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Up to 100,000 | $15 | $150/yr |
| Growth | Up to 200,000 | $25 | $250/yr |
| Business | Up to 500,000 | $45 | $450/yr |
| Scale | Up to 1,000,000 | $60 | $600/yr |
| Scale+ | Up to 2,000,000 | $100 | $1,000/yr |
| Enterprise Small | Up to 5,000,000 | $140 | $1,400/yr |
| Enterprise Medium | Up to 10,000,000 | $200 | $2,000/yr |
| Enterprise Large | Up to 15,000,000 | $290 | $2,900/yr |
| Enterprise X-Large | Up to 20,000,000 | $380 | $3,800/yr |
| Enterprise Custom | Over 25,000,000 | Contact sales | Contact sales |
Pros
- No cookies or personal data collection by design
- Real-time, simple dashboard with core metrics
- Unlimited sites and data retention on every plan
- EU-isolation option available for GDPR compliance
Cons
- Not open source — proprietary platform with no public code
- Costs rise linearly as traffic grows
- No product analytics features (no funnels, retention, or user tracking)
- No session replay or heatmaps
FAQ
Alternative to Fathom
Simple Analytics
- Privacy-first, cookie-free analytics under a flat fee model
- Tracks pageviews only with a focus on simplicity
- No free tier but predictable pricing by site count
- Clean dashboard and easy setup with no code changes
Umami
See our detailed comparison: OpenPanel vs Umami
Summary
Umami is an open source, privacy-friendly web analytics tool. It tracks pageviews and basic events without cookies or personal data. The lightweight script (~2 KB) loads fast and is GDPR/CCPA compliant by default. It's one of the simplest open source tools to self-host, which is why developers reach for it as a quick Google Analytics replacement.
- Homepage: https://umami.is
- GitHub: https://github.com/umami-software/umami
- License: MIT
- Rating: 4/5
Pricing
Self-hosted Umami is free with unlimited sites and events, managed by you with community support.
Umami Cloud is free for the first 1 million events per month. Beyond that, you pay $0.00002 per additional event.
| Plan | Price | Monthly Free Limits | Support | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-host | $0 | Unlimited events & sites | Community forum | Unlimited |
| Cloud | $0 + $0.00002 per event over 1M | 1,000,000 events | Email support | 5 years |
Pros
- Open source (MIT); self-host for full data control
- Privacy-first — no cookies or personal data collection
- Lightweight tracking script that won't slow your site
- Simple to self-host with Docker Compose
Cons
- Limited to basic web metrics; no product analytics, session replay, or heatmaps
- Running your own server means maintenance and updates
- Cloud costs can add up at high event volumes
- Fewer advanced features compared to OpenPanel or PostHog
FAQ
Alternative to Umami
GoatCounter
- Open source, privacy-focused analytics with simple pageview and event tracking
- Self-host for free or use hosted plans starting at €5/month
- Lightweight script, no cookies required, GDPR compliant
- Very simple setup and predictable flat pricing
Ackee
See our detailed comparison: OpenPanel vs Ackee
Summary
Ackee is an open source, self-hosted web analytics tool that focuses on privacy and minimalism. It runs on your own server with Node.js and MongoDB, tracks pageviews and custom events without cookies or personal data, and presents stats in a minimal interface. It uses a GraphQL API and keeps all tracked data anonymized by default.
- Homepage: https://ackee.electerious.com
- GitHub: https://github.com/electerious/Ackee
- License: MIT
- Rating: 4/5
Pricing
Ackee is completely free to self-host. You download the code, run it on your server, and there are no limits on sites, pageviews, team members, or data retention.
Note: There is no official Ackee-hosted service. Some third-party providers (like Elestio) offer managed Ackee hosting, but pricing varies by provider.
Pros
- Open source and free to self-host — you control all your data
- Privacy-first: no cookies, anonymized tracking, GDPR/CCPA compliant
- Minimal UI with fast load times
- GraphQL API for custom integrations and flexible querying
Cons
- Limited to basic metrics (no funnels, session replay, or heatmaps)
- Requires server setup, maintenance, and security updates
- No official hosted offering — managed hosting depends on third parties
- Minimal feature set won't suit teams needing advanced analytics
- Requires MongoDB, which adds complexity
FAQ
Alternative to Ackee
GoatCounter
- Open source and privacy-focused, with GDPR-compliant, cookieless tracking
- Self-host free or use hosted plans starting at €5/month
- Simple pageview and basic event metrics, predictable flat pricing
Pirsch
See our detailed comparison: OpenPanel vs Pirsch
Summary
Pirsch is a server-side, cookieless, privacy-focused web analytics tool built in Go. It generates anonymized visitor fingerprints, works even with ad blockers, and is GDPR, CCPA, and PECR compliant. Because tracking is server-side, client-side blockers don't affect it.
- Homepage: https://pirsch.io
- GitHub: https://github.com/pirsch-analytics/pirsch
- License: AGPL-3.0
- Rating: 4/5
Pricing
Pirsch offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. After that, plans are usage-based on monthly pageviews:
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price | Pageviews Included | Websites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $6 | $60 | Up to 10,000 | Up to 50 |
| Plus | $12 | $120 | Custom | Unlimited |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom |
Plus plan adds funnels, A/B testing, custom domains/themes, white-labeling, priority support, and event goals.
Pros
- Server-side tracking works around ad blockers — get more complete data
- Privacy-focused with no cookies and anonymized data by default
- Lightweight Go library and multiple SDKs (JS, PHP, Laravel, etc.)
- Hosted in the EU on German servers (Hetzner)
Cons
- Self-hosting requires an enterprise license (not free)
- Usage tiers can get costly as traffic grows
- No session replay or heatmaps
- Smaller community compared to Plausible or Matomo
FAQ
Alternative to Pirsch
Plausible Analytics
- Open source, cookieless web analytics with a flat pricing model
- Simple dashboard, real-time data, and GDPR/CCPA compliance
- Self-host for free or use hosted plans starting at $9/month for 10,000 pageviews
Swetrix
Summary
Swetrix is an open source, cookieless web analytics platform built around privacy and ease of use. You can track pageviews, custom events, user flows, and performance metrics, all without cookie banners. It also includes web performance monitoring, which most other tools here don't offer.
- Homepage: https://swetrix.com
- GitHub: https://github.com/Swetrix/swetrix
- License: AGPL-3.0
- Rating: 4/5
Pricing
Swetrix offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. After that, you pick a plan based on monthly events:
| Plan | Events per Month | Price (USD/month) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Up to 10,000 | $5 |
| Growth | Up to 100,000 | $15 |
| Pro | Up to 200,000 | $25 |
| Business | Up to 500,000 | $45 |
| Premium | Up to 1,000,000 | $59 |
| Enterprise Small | Up to 2,000,000 | $84 |
| Enterprise Medium | Up to 5,000,000 | $110 |
| Enterprise Large | Up to 10,000,000 | $150 |
| Enterprise X-Large | Over 10,000,000 | Contact sales |
Pros
- Open source and self-hostable for full data control
- Cookieless tracking, GDPR/CCPA compliant by design
- Includes web performance monitoring (page load times, Core Web Vitals)
- Simple dashboard with user flows, alerts, and exports
Cons
- Hosted plans use usage-based tiers, so costs rise with traffic
- Self-hosting requires setup, maintenance, and hosting infrastructure
- No session replay or heatmaps
- Smaller community compared to more established tools
FAQ
Alternative to Swetrix
Plausible Analytics
- Open source, privacy-first web analytics with flat pricing
- Tracks pageviews and goals with no cookies required
- Self-host for free or start hosted plans at $9/month for 10,000 pageviews
- Simple setup and predictable costs
Pricing comparison: all 9 tools at a glance
Here's how the cloud/hosted pricing compares across all tools at common event volumes:
| Monthly Events | OpenPanel | PostHog | Plausible | Matomo Cloud | Fathom | Umami Cloud | Pirsch | Swetrix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10K | $5 | $0 | $9 | €29 | $15 | $0 | $6 | $5 |
| 100K | $20 | $0 | $14 | €29 | $15 | $0 | ~$12+ | $15 |
| 500K | $50 | $0 | ~$19+ | Custom | $45 | $0 | Custom | $45 |
| 1M | $90 | $0 | Custom | Custom | $60 | $0 | Custom | $59 |
| 5M | $250 | ~$187 | Custom | Custom | $140 | ~$80 | Custom | $110 |
| 10M | $350 | ~$393 | Custom | Custom | $200 | ~$180 | Custom | $150 |
PostHog and Umami include 1M free events/month. Plausible prices by pageviews, not events. Matomo prices by "hits." Exact pricing varies — check each provider for current rates.
How to choose the right open source analytics tool
Choose OpenPanel if you want product analytics (funnels, retention, user tracking) plus web analytics at an affordable price. Best for startups and growing companies.
Choose PostHog if you need an all-in-one developer platform with analytics, feature flags, experiments, error tracking, and surveys. Best for engineering-heavy teams.
Choose Plausible if you want the simplest privacy-first web analytics. Just clean traffic data. Best for blogs, marketing sites, and simple web projects.
Choose Matomo if you need a mature, full-featured Google Analytics replacement with heatmaps, session recordings, and A/B testing. Best for enterprises moving away from GA4. See our full Google Analytics alternative comparison for a detailed breakdown.
Choose Umami if you want a lightweight, MIT-licensed tool to self-host with minimal setup. Best for developers who want basic analytics on personal projects.
Choose Fathom if you want simple privacy analytics without any self-hosting. Best for businesses that want zero maintenance.
Choose Pirsch if you need server-side tracking that works around ad blockers. Best for sites where tracking accuracy is critical.
Choose Swetrix if you want web analytics plus performance monitoring in one tool. Best for teams focused on web performance.
Choose Ackee if you want the most minimal self-hosted option. Best for personal projects or developers who want the least to maintain.
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