Plausible vs Matomo
Both are alternatives to Google Analytics. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as Matomo 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.
Matomo
The full-featured, self-hosted GA replacement.
Matomo is a mature, GPL-licensed analytics platform that matches most of Google Analytics feature-for-feature while letting you keep 100% of the data on your own server.
Side by side
| Plausible | Matomo | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty Score | 92 | 86 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first | No | No |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Pricing | Free self-host (Community Edition); paid cloud | Free self-host; paid cloud |
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
Matomo
Strengths
- +Closest GA feature parity
- +You own 100% of the data
- +Mature and extensible
Trade-offs
- −Heavier than Plausible/Umami
- −More to maintain
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 Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date?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.