Google Analytics alternatives

Google Analytics 4 is free and powerful, but many site owners find it complicated, worry about privacy and consent banners, or need product analytics it doesn’t do well. Here are the main types of alternatives.

Privacy-friendly, simple analytics

  • Plausible and Fathom Analytics: lightweight, cookie-free dashboards that show the essentials on one page.
  • Matomo: full-featured and self-hostable, so you own your data.
  • Simple Analytics: minimal, privacy-first.

Product and behavior analytics

  • Mixpanel and Amplitude: events, funnels and retention for apps and SaaS.
  • Microsoft Clarity (free) and Hotjar: heatmaps and session recordings.

Free data you already have

  • Google Search Console: clicks and queries from Google search.
  • Your website builder’s analytics: Wix, Squarespace, Shopify and Webflow all include dashboards.

Competitive traffic estimates

To see other sites’ traffic, use Similarweb, Semrush or SpyFu.

We haven’t rated the analytics tools above yet: check their current pricing pages.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free Google Analytics alternative?

Yes: Matomo can be self-hosted for free, and Microsoft Clarity is free for heatmaps and recordings.

Do privacy-friendly analytics need a cookie banner?

Cookie-free tools often reduce or remove the need, but requirements depend on your jurisdiction: check with counsel.

Questions from readers

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