Plausible Alternative
Love Plausible's simplicity and privacy focus? OpenPanel adds product analytics capabilities - funnels, cohorts, retention, and user identification - while staying lightweight and cookie-free by default.
- Open-source
- Privacy-first
- Product Analytics
- Cookie-free
OpenPanel vs Plausible: Which is right for you?
Both are privacy-focused analytics platforms. Plausible focuses on simple web traffic metrics. OpenPanel adds product analytics with user identification.
Choose OpenPanel if...
SaaS products needing user-level analytics and retention tracking
Teams outgrowing simple web analytics needing product features
Apps requiring user identification for logged-in users
Choose Plausible Analytics if...
Simple content sites and blogs wanting traffic stats only
Teams valuing the sub-1KB script size above all else
Users wanting Google Search Console integration in dashboard
Key differences at a glance
Here's how OpenPanel and Plausible compare on key factors.
| Feature | OpenPanel | Plausible Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| Analytics Depth | Web + Product Analytics | Web Analytics Only |
| User Identification | Yes - Track individual users | No - Anonymous aggregate only |
| SDK Size | 2.3 KB | < 1 KB |
| Cookie-Free | Yes (by default) | Yes (by default) |
| Self-Hosting Complexity | Single Docker container | Docker with PostgreSQL + ClickHouse |
| Page Views & Visitors | ||
| Traffic Sources | ||
| Geographic Data | Both offer country, region, and city-level data | |
| Device & Browser | ||
| UTM Campaign Tracking | ||
| Real-Time Dashboard | ||
| Custom Event Tracking | Plausible calls these 'Goals' | |
| Funnel Analysis | Plausible added funnels (2-8 steps) in 2022 | |
| Retention Analysis | Plausible focuses on aggregate metrics, not user retention | |
| User Profiles | Plausible intentionally doesn't track individual users | |
| Cohort Analysis | Plausible's anonymous model doesn't support cohorts | |
| User Path Analysis | Plausible shows entry/exit pages but not user journeys | |
| A/B Testing | Plausible is analytics-only, no experimentation | |
| Revenue Tracking | Plausible added revenue goals for e-commerce | |
| Custom Properties | Both support custom dimensions/properties | |
| Email/Slack Reports | Both offer scheduled reports and alerts | |
| Google Search Console | Plausible has native GSC integration | |
| Google Analytics Import | Plausible can import historical GA data | |
| Cookie-Free by Default | Both are cookieless by default | |
| No Consent Banner Required | Both claim no consent needed for basic analytics | |
| GDPR Compliant | ||
| EU Data Hosting | Plausible hosted in Falkenstein, Germany (Hetzner) | |
| Self-Hosting Option | Plausible Community Edition is free and open-source | |
| IP Anonymization | Plausible hashes IPs for counting, never stores them | |
| REST API | Plausible has Stats API and Events API | |
| Data Export | CSV export available on both | |
| WordPress Plugin | Plausible has official WordPress plugin | |
| NPM Package | plausible-tracker package available |
Feature comparison
Both are privacy-focused, but with different capabilities and depths.
Page Views & Visitors
Traffic Sources
Geographic Data
Device & Browser
UTM Campaign Tracking
Real-Time Dashboard
Custom Event Tracking
Funnel Analysis
Technical comparison
For developers evaluating analytics tools, here's the technical breakdown.
| Feature | OpenPanel | Plausible Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| SDK Size | 2.3 KB (gzipped) | < 1 KB (gzipped), modular extensions available |
| Platforms |
|
|
| Open Source | Yes - MIT License | Yes - AGPL-3.0Both are open source. Plausible is AGPL-3.0 licensed. |
| Self Hosting | Docker (simple single-container setup) | Docker Compose with PostgreSQL + ClickHouse (2GB RAM minimum) |
| Database | ClickHouse | PostgreSQL (user data) + ClickHouse (analytics data) |
| Data Retention | Unlimited (self-hosted), configurable (cloud) | Unlimited on cloud, configurable for self-hosted |
| Language | TypeScript/Node.js | Elixir |
Pricing comparison
Plausible has no free tier for cloud. OpenPanel offers free cloud and self-hosting.
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.
Plausible Analytics
Pageview-based with 30-day trial
10K pageviews: $9/month. 100K: ~$19/month. 1M: ~$69/month. 10M: ~$299/month.
All features included.
Annual billing saves 2 months.
No free tier for cloud (except self-hosted).
Migrating from Plausible to OpenPanel
Both use lightweight scripts and similar event tracking, making migration straightforward.
Install OpenPanel SDK
Add the OpenPanel SDK to your application. Both use lightweight scripts, so the transition is minimal.
Map Your Goals to Events
Plausible 'Goals' become OpenPanel events. Custom events translate directly - plausible('signup') becomes op.track('signup').
Set Up User Identification (New)
Unlike Plausible, OpenPanel can identify users. Add op.identify() calls to unlock retention, cohorts, and user profiles.
Configure Funnels and Dashboards
Recreate your Plausible funnels in OpenPanel. You'll now have access to additional product analytics features.
Remove Plausible Script
Once verified, remove the Plausible tracking script. Both are cookie-free so no consent changes needed.
SDK Compatibility
Both use event-based tracking with similar APIs.
Historical Data Import
Most teams start fresh with OpenPanel and run both tools in parallel briefly.
Where OpenPanel is a better fit than Plausible
Choose OpenPanel when you need product analytics beyond simple web traffic.
SaaS Products Needing User Analytics
Plausible shows aggregate website traffic. If you need to understand individual user journeys, retention, and behavior within your product, OpenPanel adds these capabilities while staying privacy-friendly.
Teams Outgrowing Simple Web Analytics
Started with Plausible for its simplicity but now need funnels with more steps, cohort analysis, or A/B testing? OpenPanel provides these without the complexity of enterprise tools.
Apps Requiring User Identification
Plausible intentionally doesn't identify users. If you need to track logged-in users, analyze customer segments, or measure retention, OpenPanel lets you do this while respecting privacy.
Mobile App Analytics
Plausible is primarily designed for websites. OpenPanel offers native SDKs for iOS, Android, and React Native with full product analytics capabilities.
Simpler Self-Hosting
Plausible CE requires PostgreSQL and ClickHouse. OpenPanel runs in a single Docker container, making self-hosting more straightforward.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about switching from Plausible to OpenPanel.
Related resources
Explore more comparisons and guides to help you choose the right analytics tool
Ready to make the switch?
Test OpenPanel free for 30 days, you'll not be charged anything unless you upgrade to a paid plan.
Start with OpenPanel