Plausible vs Fathom Analytics
Both are alternatives to Google Analytics. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as Fathom Analytics vs Plausible — same comparison, one verdict.
Plausible
TOP PICKLightweight, cookieless, privacy-first analytics.
Plausible is a simple, privacy-friendly analytics tool with a tiny script and no cookies, so you usually skip the consent banner. Self-host the open-source Community Edition or use the hosted plan.
Fathom Analytics
Privacy-first analytics with no cookie banner — the easy hosted pick.
Fathom is a simple, privacy-first analytics service and the closest easy replacement for Google Analytics: one script, a clean dashboard, and no cookie-consent banner because it sets no cookies and collects no personal data (GDPR/CCPA compliant out of the box, with optional EU-isolation routing). It's a paid hosted service rather than open-source, so it's here as the honest “just make it work” pick alongside the self-hostable champions — you trade self-hosting for zero maintenance.
Side by side
| Plausible | Fathom Analytics | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 92 | 40 |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Self-hostable | Yes | No |
| Local-first | No | No |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Proprietary |
| Pricing | Free self-host (Community Edition); paid cloud | From $15/month (up to 100k pageviews); every feature on every plan; 30-day free trial |
Plausible is Macrostack's recommended Google Analytics alternative, so it's our pick here.
Plausible
Strengths
- +Under ~1 KB script, no cookies
- +GDPR-friendly by design
- +Clean, focused dashboard
Trade-offs
- −Fewer deep-dive reports than GA
- −Self-host needs a database
Fathom Analytics
Strengths
- +No cookie banner — sets no cookies, collects no personal data
- +GDPR/CCPA compliant out of the box, optional EU data isolation
- +Dead-simple setup and a fast, lightweight script
Trade-offs
- −Proprietary and hosted — you don't own or self-host it
- −Paid-only (no free tier), unlike the open-source options
- −Fewer deep-dive features than a full analytics suite
More Google Analytics head-to-heads
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Facts verified 2026-07-04. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.