Best Pirsch Analytics Alternative

Love Pirsch's German privacy focus and developer-friendly approach? OpenPanel adds product analytics capabilities - funnels, cohorts, retention, and user identification - plus free self-hosting without enterprise pricing.

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Open-source
Privacy-first
Free Self-Hosting
Product Analytics

This is our web analytics dashboard, its an out-of-the-box experience so you can start understanding your traffic and engagement right away.

Why consider OpenPanel over Pirsch Analytics?

Pirsch Analytics is a privacy-focused web analytics tool built in Germany with strong server-side tracking, excellent white-label capabilities, and developer-friendly features. It's particularly popular with agencies and developers who need affordable, GDPR-compliant analytics with good backend integration. But Pirsch is primarily a web analytics tool — it tracks pageviews and basic funnels without deeper product analytics capabilities.

OpenPanel extends beyond web analytics into full product analytics territory. While Pirsch gives you traffic sources, pageviews, and simple conversion goals, OpenPanel adds user identification, multi-step funnels, retention analysis, cohort breakdowns, and detailed user profiles. These features let you understand not just how much traffic you get, but how users engage with your product over time.

Self-hosting is where OpenPanel offers a major advantage. Pirsch requires an enterprise license for self-hosting, making it inaccessible for most teams. OpenPanel provides free, unlimited self-hosting with a simple Docker deployment — no enterprise contract needed. The free cloud tier also includes 10,000 events per month with full data retention, while Pirsch has no free tier at all.

If you've been using Pirsch for privacy-friendly web analytics and now need to understand user behavior at a deeper level — especially for SaaS products or mobile apps — OpenPanel provides that upgrade path while keeping the same privacy-first principles.

OpenPanel vs Pirsch: Which is right for you?

Both are privacy-focused analytics tools. Pirsch focuses on affordable web analytics with agency features. OpenPanel adds product analytics with user identification.

Choose OpenPanel if...

SaaS products needing user-level analytics and retention tracking

Teams wanting free self-hosting without Enterprise license fees

Startups needing a permanent free tier (10K events/month)

Choose Pirsch Analytics if...

Agencies managing many client websites with white-labeling needs

Developers preferring Go/backend server-side integration

European businesses prioritizing German-hosted data

Comprehensive analytics dashboard with real-time insights and customizable views.

Key differences at a glance

Here's how OpenPanel and Pirsch compare on key factors.

Feature	OpenPanel	Pirsch Analytics
Analytics Depth	Web + Product Analytics	Web Analytics + Basic Funnels
Free Self-Hosting	Free Docker deployment	Enterprise license required
Free Tier	10,000 events/month free	30-day trial only
User Identification	Yes - Track individual users	No - Anonymous fingerprinting only
Server-Side Integration	Yes - Multiple backends	Yes - Excellent Go/backend focus
Page Views & Visitors
Traffic Sources		Both track referrers and UTM parameters
Geographic Data
Device & Browser
UTM Campaign Tracking
Real-Time Dashboard
Custom Event Tracking		Pirsch supports events with custom metadata
Funnel Analysis		Pirsch funnels require Plus plan ($12/month)
Retention Analysis		Pirsch's anonymous model doesn't support retention
User Profiles		Pirsch doesn't track individual users
Cohort Analysis		Pirsch provides aggregate data only
Session Replay		Pirsch has session analysis (not full replay)
A/B Testing		Pirsch A/B testing requires Plus plan
Conversion Goals		Both support conversion tracking
Email Reports		Both offer scheduled email reports
Dashboard Sharing		Both support public and private sharing
Google Analytics Import		Pirsch has a GA import tool
URL Shortener		Pirsch has built-in URL shortener with tracking
Cookie-Free by Default		Both are cookieless by default
No Consent Banner Required		Both claim no consent needed for basic analytics
GDPR Compliant		Pirsch is hosted in Germany with strict EU compliance
Schrems II Compliant		Pirsch emphasizes Schrems II compliance
Self-Hosting Option		Pirsch self-hosting requires Enterprise license
Open Source Core		Both have open source cores (Pirsch MIT, OpenPanel open source)
REST API		Pirsch has comprehensive RESTful API
Google Search Console		Pirsch has GSC integration in dashboard
WordPress Plugin		Both have WordPress plugins
Server-Side SDKs		Pirsch: Go, Laravel. OpenPanel: Node, Python, PHP, Go, Rust

Feature comparison

Both are developer-friendly with privacy focus, but different in depth and pricing.

Page Views & Visitors

Traffic Sources

Geographic Data

Device & Browser

UTM Campaign Tracking

Real-Time Dashboard

Custom Event Tracking

Funnel Analysis

Track events in real-time as they happen with instant updates and live monitoring.

Technical comparison

For developers evaluating analytics tools, here's the technical breakdown.

Feature	OpenPanel	Pirsch Analytics
SDK Size	2.3 KB (gzipped)	~4 KB (about 30x smaller than GA)
Platforms	JavaScript/TypeScript React Next.js Vue React Native iOS Android Node.js Python PHP Go Rust	JavaScript Go (native) Laravel/PHP WordPress Drupal Caddy Various backend integrations
Open Source	Yes - MIT License	Partial - Core MIT, SaaS proprietaryPirsch core is open source under MIT license. SaaS features are proprietary.
Self Hosting	Docker (free single-container setup)	Enterprise license required (custom pricing)
Database	ClickHouse	ClickHouseBoth use ClickHouse for analytics queries
Data Retention	Unlimited (self-hosted), configurable (cloud)	Unlimited on all plans
Language	TypeScript/Node.js	Go (Golang)

Pricing comparison

Pirsch offers affordable web analytics. OpenPanel adds a permanent free tier with all features.

OpenPanel

Event-based, transparent

Simple pricing with 10,000 free events per month.

All features included at every tier.

Self-host for free with unlimited events.

Free tier:Self-hosting (unlimited events)

Free trial:30 days

Pirsch Analytics

Pageview-based with 30-day trial

Standard: $6/month for 10K pageviews, 50 websites.

Plus: $12/month - unlimited websites, funnels, A/B testing.

Enterprise: Custom pricing for on-premise and SSO.

No free tier, just 30-day trial.

Free tier:No free tier (30-day trial only)

View pricing

Migrating from Pirsch to OpenPanel

Both use lightweight scripts and similar event tracking, making migration straightforward.

Difficulty:easy

Estimated time:30 minutes to 2 hours

Install OpenPanel SDK

Add the OpenPanel SDK to your application. Both use lightweight scripts and server-side options.

Map Events

Pirsch events with metadata translate directly to OpenPanel's op.track() calls.

Set Up User Identification (New)

Unlike Pirsch, OpenPanel can identify users. Add op.identify() calls to unlock retention, cohorts, and user profiles.

Configure Product Analytics (New)

Set up retention reports, cohorts, and user journey analysis. Pirsch has basic funnels but not these features.

Remove Pirsch Script

Once verified, remove the Pirsch tracking script. Both are cookie-free so no consent changes needed.

SDK Compatibility

Both use event-based tracking with simple APIs.

Historical Data Import

Most teams start fresh with OpenPanel and run both tools in parallel briefly.

Where OpenPanel is a better fit than Pirsch

Choose OpenPanel when you need user-level analytics, free self-hosting, or a permanent free tier.

SaaS Products Needing User Analytics

Pirsch shows aggregate website traffic and basic funnels. If you need to understand individual user journeys, retention, and behavior within your product, OpenPanel adds these capabilities while staying privacy-friendly.

Teams Who Want Free Self-Hosting

Pirsch requires an Enterprise license with custom pricing for on-premise deployment. OpenPanel provides free self-hosting in a single Docker container with no restrictions.

Startups Needing a Free Tier

Pirsch has no free option - just a 30-day trial before requiring a $6/month subscription. OpenPanel offers 10,000 free events monthly, perfect for early-stage products.

Mobile App Analytics

Pirsch is designed for websites with a backend focus. OpenPanel offers native iOS, Android, and React Native SDKs with full product analytics capabilities.

Teams Needing Cohort & Retention Analysis

Pirsch's anonymous fingerprinting model doesn't support retention or cohort analysis. If understanding user behavior over time matters, OpenPanel provides these capabilities.

Generate detailed reports and insights with customizable metrics and visualizations.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about switching from Pirsch to OpenPanel.

Related resources

Explore more comparisons and guides to help you choose the right analytics tool.

Ready to make the switch?

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