TL;DR:

If you're replacing Google Analytics with something privacy-first in 2026:

  1. Plausible — Best for simplicity. Lightweight script, no cookie banner in EU, clean metrics. Great for content sites and blogs.
  2. PostHog — Best for product analytics. Session replay, feature flags, A/B tests, user paths. Steeper setup if you only want pageviews.
  3. Umami — Best self-hosted. Open source, lightweight, you own the data. Great if you want control.
  4. Fathom — Polished paid option. Simple, reliable, good UX. Less flexible than PostHog.
  5. Pirsch — The outlier. No JS snippet — server log analysis only. Good for privacy-maximal setups.

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How We Tested

We ran each analytics tool on real properties (including byjtt.com and several test sites) for at least 2 weeks. We evaluated:

  • Script size — KB added to the page
  • Privacy compliance — GDPR/CCPA fit, cookie requirement
  • Metrics quality — what you actually get out of it
  • Dashboard UX — clarity, speed, mobile
  • Pricing — free tier, paid tiers, overage
  • Self-hosted option — availability, difficulty

We did not test enterprise SSO, team permissions, or heavy custom events at scale.

The Comparison Table

Tool Script Size Cookie Banner GDPR-Friendly Free Tier Pricing (started) Self-Hosted Best For
Plausible ~1KB No Yes 30-day trial ~$9/mo (100K events) No (cloud only) Content sites, blogs, simple metrics
PostHog ~4KB+ No (configurable) Yes 1M events/mo free Free tier, then usage-based Yes Product analytics, session replay, A/B
Umami ~1KB No Yes Free (self-hosted) Free self-hosted, cloud $15/mo Yes Privacy-maximal, self-hosters
Fathom ~1KB No Yes 14-day trial ~$15/mo No Simple, reliable, paid
Pirsch 0KB (log-based) No Yes 14-day trial ~$19/mo No (cloud), self-hosted option? Log-based, no-JS setups

Plausible — Best for Simplicity

Script size: ~1KB
Cookie banner needed: No (GDPR-friendly without cookies)
Pricing: Free 30-day trial, then ~$9/month for up to 100K pageviews
Self-hosted: No (cloud only)

Plausible is the lightest analytics you can add. The script is tiny, it doesn't use cookies, and in the EU it doesn't require a cookie banner in most interpretations (consult your DPO if unsure). The dashboard is clean and fast — pageviews, sources, top pages, bounce rate, screen sizes.

What we liked:

  • Tiny script, fast load
  • No cookie banner in most EU cases — huge DX win
  • Clean, fast dashboard
  • Easy to set up, easy to understand
  • Good for content sites, blogs, documentation

What we didn't like:

  • Limited metrics — pageviews, referrals, bounces. No session replay, no funnels, no user-level tracking.
  • Cloud-only — no self-hosted option
  • Paid tier is per-pageview, can add up on high-traffic sites

Best for: Blogs, documentation sites, marketing pages, any site where you want simple privacy-friendly pageview analytics without a cookie banner headache.

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PostHog — Best for Product Analytics

Script size: ~4KB+ (depends on feature set)
Cookie banner needed: No (configurable)
Pricing: 1M events/month free, then usage-based
Self-hosted: Yes — open source, self-hostable

PostHog is the most powerful option here. It does pageviews, but also session replay, feature flags, A/B testing, funnels, user paths, surveys. It's a product analytics platform, not just pageview counting.

What we liked:

  • Incredibly powerful — session replay alone is worth it for debugging UX
  • Feature flags + A/B testing built in
  • Self-hostable if you want full control
  • Generous free tier (1M events/month)
  • Open source

What we didn't like:

  • Overkill if you only want pageviews — heavier script, more complex setup
  • Dashboard is more complex — more to learn
  • Self-hosting is more involved (Docker, DB, etc.)
  • Event-based pricing can be confusing

Best for: Product sites, SaaS apps, anything where you need session replay, funnels, feature flags, or A/B testing. Not the best fit for a simple blog that just wants pageviews.

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Umami — Best Self-Hosted

Script size: ~1KB
Cookie banner needed: No
Pricing: Free if self-hosted; cloud is ~$15/month
Self-hosted: Yes — the main selling point

Umami is the best open-source self-hosted option. It's lightweight, privacy-first, and you own the data. If you have a server, you can run it yourself for free.

What we liked:

  • Lightweight, privacy-first
  • Self-hostable — you own your data
  • Clean dashboard, simple setup
  • No cookie banner needed
  • Open source

What we didn't like:

  • Self-hosting requires your own server + setup
  • Cloud tier is new and may not have all features
  • Fewer advanced features than PostHog
  • Community/smaller team vs commercial options

Best for: Developers who want self-hosted, privacy-first analytics and are comfortable running their own infra. Also good if you want the simplicity of Plausible but with self-hosting.

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Fathom — Polished Paid Option

Script size: ~1KB
Cookie banner needed: No
Pricing: ~$15/month started
Self-hosted: No (cloud only)

Fathom is the polished, paid, privacy-first analytics option. Simple setup, clean dashboard, reliable. Less powerful than PostHog, more polished than Umami's cloud tier.

What we liked:

  • Simple, polished, reliable
  • No cookie banner
  • Clean dashboard
  • Good support

What we didn't like:

  • Paid only (no free tier beyond trial)
  • Less powerful than PostHog
  • Cloud-only

Best for: People who want a simple, reliable, paid, privacy-first analytics — and don't want to self-host or deal with PostHog's complexity.

Pirsch — The No-JS Outlier

Script size: 0KB (no JS — log-based)
Cookie banner needed: No
Pricing: ~$19/month started
Self-hosted: Has a self-hosted option (verify)

Pirsch is different — it doesn't use a JS snippet. It analyzes server logs to generate analytics. That means zero JS on the page, maximum privacy, but you need accessible server logs.

What we liked:

  • Zero JS — best privacy case
  • No cookie banner, no script loading
  • Works with server logs

What we didn't like:

  • Requires server log access — doesn't work on all hosting setups
  • Different data model — not all metrics available
  • Smaller community/ecosystem

Best for: Static sites on hosting where you can access logs, or privacy-maximal setups where even a 1KB script is too much.

FAQ

Q: Do I need a cookie banner with these?
A: In most cases, no — Plausible, Fathom, Umami, and Pirsch don't use cookies and are designed to be GDPR-friendly without a banner. PostHog can be configured to be compliant. Always verify with your DPO/legal if you're in a strict jurisdiction.

Q: Which is best for a blog?
A: Plausible or Umami. You want pageviews, sources, top pages — that's it. Plausible is the simplest, Umami is best if you want self-hosted.

Q: Which is best for a SaaS/app?
A: PostHog. You want session replay, funnels, feature flags, user paths — that's what PostHog does. Plausible won't give you that depth.

Q: Can I self-host these?
A: Umami — yes, primary option. PostHog — yes, open source. Plausible and Fathom — cloud only. Pirsch — has a self-hosted option.

Q: How much do they cost?
A: Plausible ~$9/month for 100K pageviews. PostHog 1M events free, then usage-based. Umami free self-hosted, ~$15/month cloud. Fathom ~$15/month. Pirsch ~$19/month. Prices change — check at signup.

Related

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. We earn commission from some links — at no extra cost to you. Our rankings are based on testing, not commissions. We only recommend tools we'd use ourselves.