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 is open source (AGPL-3.0) and Fathom Analytics is not (Proprietary) — so the real question is whether you want to own the web analytics stack or rent it.
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
10 points of comparison, every one read from a verified field. Green marks the side that wins a row outright. A dash means we do not hold that fact — never that it is zero.
| Plausible | Fathom Analytics | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 92 | 40 |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Self-hostable | Yes | No |
| Local-first data | 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 |
| RAM to run it wellThe figure that actually matters, not the vendor's minimum. | 4 GB | — |
| Realistic running costWhat the box costs each month if you run it yourself. | $15–25/mo, against their cloud from $9/mo. Self-hosting is about data ownership here, not saving money. | — |
| Setup timeHonest first-install estimate, not the marketing quickstart. | 1 hour | — |
| Ongoing maintenanceThe part nobody budgets for. | Low. Two databases to keep happy rather than one. | — |
Plausible is Macrostack's recommended Google Analytics alternative, so it's our pick here.
Weighing both against staying on Google Analytics? Is Google Analytics free? What it actually costs →
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
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose Plausible
if you want the source and the option to fork it, and you would rather run it on your own hardware, and under ~1 KB script, no cookies.
Choose Fathom Analytics
if no cookie banner — sets no cookies, collects no personal data.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — fewer deep-dive reports than GA, and proprietary and hosted — you don't own or self-host it. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
What it takes to run these yourself
Real requirements and honest running costs, not the vendor quickstart.
Plausible vs Fathom Analytics — common questions
Is Plausible a better fit than Fathom Analytics for web analytics?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: Plausible scores 92 to Fathom Analytics's 40 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. Fathom Analytics earns its place on a different axis — no cookie banner — sets no cookies, collects no personal data. Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
Neither of these is local-first by default, so plan the exit at the point you adopt rather than later. Export what matters on a schedule instead of trusting you can retrieve it on demand — that is the most common way a web analytics migration turns into a project instead of an afternoon.
Can I self-host Plausible?
Plausible can be self-hosted; Fathom Analytics cannot, so it stays on the vendor's infrastructure whatever you do.
Are Plausible and Fathom Analytics both alternatives to Google Analytics?
Yes — both appear in our Google Analytics comparison, which is why they are worth putting side by side. People usually arrive here already having decided to move off Google Analytics and now choosing between the two replacements, which is a narrower and much easier question.
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.