Google Analytics dominates web analytics with over 85% market share. But GA4’s complexity, privacy concerns, and legal challenges in Europe have made alternatives more attractive than ever.

Privacy-focused analytics tools like Plausible and Fathom offer cookie-free tracking that doesn’t require consent banners. Product analytics platforms like PostHog provide features GA4 lacks entirely—session recordings, A/B testing, feature flags.

This guide compares the major options: what each does well, where each falls short, and which fits specific use cases.

Why Consider GA4 Alternatives?

Privacy Regulations

GDPR, CCPA, and similar laws worldwide have complicated traditional analytics. Cookie-based tracking requires consent banners, and consent rates typically range from 40-80%.1 Every declined consent is lost data.

Several EU countries—Austria, France, Italy—have ruled that standard Google Analytics implementations violate GDPR.2 While Google has introduced compliance measures, the legal landscape remains uncertain.

Cookie-free alternatives sidestep these issues entirely.

GA4 Transition Pain

Universal Analytics shut down in July 2024. GA4 is fundamentally different—event-based instead of session-based, with a new interface and new metrics.

For simple use cases, GA4 may be overkill. Its learning curve is substantial, and basic questions (“how many people visited my site?”) require more configuration than they should.

Feature Gaps

GA4 handles traffic analytics well but lacks features that product-focused teams need:

  • No session recordings (watch what users actually do)
  • No built-in A/B testing
  • No feature flags
  • Limited user-level analysis on free tier

PostHog and similar tools fill these gaps.

Quick Comparison Overview

FeatureGA4PlausibleFathomPostHog
Starting PriceFree$9/mo$14/moFree tier
Cookie-freeNoYesYesYes
Open SourceNoYesNoYes
Self-host OptionNoYesNoYes
GDPR CompliantComplexYesYesYes
Script Size~45KBless than 1KB1.6KBLarger
Session RecordingNoNoNoYes
A/B TestingNoNoNoYes
Learning CurveSteepMinimalMinimalMedium

Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Overview

GA4 is Google’s current analytics platform, replacing Universal Analytics. It’s free for most use cases, with an enterprise tier (Analytics 360) for high-volume needs.

The platform uses an event-based data model, tracking user interactions as discrete events rather than sessions. This provides flexibility but increases complexity.

Strengths

Free tier is powerful: Most features are available at no cost. Only the highest-traffic sites need Analytics 360.

Integration ecosystem: Native connections to Google Ads, Search Console, BigQuery, and the broader Google marketing stack create significant value for advertising-focused teams.

Advanced analysis: Explorations, funnel reports, cohort analysis, and path analysis provide depth that simpler tools can’t match.

Machine learning: Predictive metrics, anomaly detection, and intelligent insights surface patterns automatically.

Industry standard: Most marketing teams know Google Analytics. Training resources are abundant.

Limitations

Privacy complexity: Requires cookie consent in EU jurisdictions. Standard implementation has faced legal challenges in multiple countries.

Steep learning curve: The event-based model, new interface, and configuration requirements frustrate users familiar with Universal Analytics.

Data sampling: Free tier samples data on high-traffic properties, reducing accuracy for large sites.

Ad blocker vulnerability: Many ad blockers block Google Analytics, causing underreporting (estimated 10-30% of traffic).

Setup required: Unlike simpler tools, GA4 requires configuration to provide useful data. Default reports often need customization.

Pricing

  • Free: Full feature access, 14-month data retention, data sampling on high-traffic sites
  • Analytics 360: Enterprise tier, starts around $150,000/year

Best For

  • Teams using Google Ads (integration value justifies complexity)
  • Complex analytics requirements (funnels, cohorts, custom analysis)
  • Organizations with existing Google Analytics expertise
  • Budget-conscious teams needing advanced features

GDPR Status

Requires cookie consent banner for EU visitors. Some EU countries have issued rulings against standard GA4 implementations. Google offers EU data hosting and updated data processing agreements, but legal uncertainty remains.

Plausible Analytics

Overview

Plausible is a privacy-first, open-source analytics tool founded in Estonia (EU). It tracks visitors without cookies, meaning no consent banner is required under most interpretations of GDPR.

The interface is a single dashboard showing essential metrics. No configuration, no learning curve—install the script and view data.

Strengths

No cookies needed: Cookie-free tracking means no consent requirements in most jurisdictions. Install and track immediately.

Lightweight: The script is under 1KB—compared to 45KB+ for GA4.3 This measurably improves page speed.

Simple interface: Everything on one dashboard. Learn the entire tool in minutes.

Open source: Full source code available. Self-hosting option for complete data control.

EU-based: Servers in Germany, company in Estonia. Data never leaves the EU.

GDPR compliant by design: Privacy isn’t a setting to configure—it’s the architecture.

Limitations

Basic features only: No funnels, cohorts, segments, or advanced analysis. If you need these, Plausible isn’t the right tool.

No user-level data: Privacy means aggregate data only. You can’t see individual user journeys.

No session recordings: Plausible tracks metrics, not behavior.

Paid only: No free tier (30-day trial available).

Pricing

  • Growth: $9/mo (10K pageviews) to $99/mo (1M pageviews)
  • Business: $19/mo (10K) to $199/mo (1M) with additional features
  • Self-hosted: Free (you pay for server costs)

Best For

  • Privacy-conscious businesses
  • Content sites and blogs with simple analytics needs
  • EU companies wanting clear GDPR compliance
  • Sites wanting to eliminate consent banners
  • Developers who want self-hosting option

Market Position

Approximately 3,500 of the top 1 million websites use Plausible.4 It’s the fastest-growing privacy-focused alternative.

Fathom Analytics

Overview

Fathom is a privacy-first analytics tool from Canada. Like Plausible, it tracks without cookies and requires no consent banner.

The interface is even simpler than Plausible—focused purely on essential metrics with minimal configuration.

Strengths

No cookies: Cookie-free tracking, no consent requirements.

Unlimited sites: All plans include unlimited websites—valuable for agencies.

Clean interface: Possibly the simplest analytics dashboard available.

Reliable infrastructure: Enterprise-grade hosting with excellent uptime.

EU isolation: EU traffic is processed in Frankfurt, Germany.

Limitations

Very basic features: Even simpler than Plausible. If Plausible feels limiting, Fathom will too.

No self-hosting: Cloud-only service (the open-source “Lite” version is outdated).

Higher starting price: $14/mo vs $9 for Plausible’s entry tier.

Limited customization: The dashboard is what you get. Minimal configuration options.

Pricing

  • $14/mo: Up to 100,000 pageviews
  • $24/mo: Up to 200,000 pageviews
  • $44/mo: Up to 500,000 pageviews
  • Higher tiers scale from there; all plans include unlimited sites

Best For

  • Teams wanting maximum simplicity
  • Agencies managing multiple client sites (unlimited sites included)
  • Organizations preferring managed solutions over self-hosting
  • “Set and forget” analytics requirements

GDPR Status

Fully compliant. EU traffic processed in Frankfurt. No cookies, no consent required.

PostHog

Overview

PostHog is an open-source product analytics suite that goes far beyond web analytics. It includes session recordings, A/B testing, feature flags, and user behavior analysis.

Think of it as the analytics platform for product teams, not just marketing teams.

Strengths

All-in-one platform: Analytics, session recordings, A/B testing, feature flags, and surveys in one tool.

Open source: Self-host for complete control, or use the cloud service.

Generous free tier: 1 million events per month free, plus 5,000 session recordings.5

Session recordings: Watch exactly what users do on your site.

Feature flags: Roll out features to segments of users safely.

A/B testing: Built-in experimentation without additional tools.

Product analytics: Track user journeys, not just pageviews.

Limitations

Complexity: More to learn and configure than simple analytics tools.

Heavier script: Larger JavaScript footprint than privacy-focused alternatives.

Overkill for simple sites: A blog doesn’t need session recordings and feature flags.

Self-hosting resources: Requires DevOps knowledge and infrastructure.

Pricing

  • Free: 1M events, 5K session recordings per month
  • Paid: $0.00031 per event after free tier
  • Self-hosted: Free (infrastructure costs apply)

Best For

  • SaaS products needing user behavior analysis
  • Teams wanting session recordings integrated with analytics
  • Organizations needing A/B testing capabilities
  • Developers comfortable with technical tools
  • Startups (generous free tier)

GDPR Status

Compliant. EU Cloud option with Frankfurt hosting. Self-hosting provides complete data control.

Bonus: Umami (Self-Hosted)

Overview

Umami is a 100% free, open-source analytics tool. Self-hosted only—there’s no cloud service.

For teams with technical capability, Umami provides Plausible-level simplicity at zero cost.

Strengths

Completely free: No usage limits, no subscription fees.

Self-hosted: Full data ownership and control.

Simple interface: Clean dashboard similar to Plausible.

Lightweight script: Small footprint.

No vendor dependency: Your data stays on your servers.

Limitations

Requires hosting: You manage servers, updates, and security.

No support: Community forums only.

Technical setup: Need to provision database, configure server, maintain infrastructure.

Best For

  • Developers with self-hosting capability
  • Teams avoiding all SaaS costs
  • Maximum privacy and data control requirements
  • Organizations with existing infrastructure

Decision Framework

Choose GA4 If:

  • You use Google Ads and need conversion tracking integration
  • You need advanced analysis (funnels, cohorts, path analysis)
  • Your team already knows Google Analytics
  • Budget is the primary constraint (free tier)
  • You’re okay implementing cookie consent

Choose Plausible If:

  • Privacy compliance is a priority
  • You want simple, understandable analytics
  • GDPR compliance without consent banners matters
  • You prefer open source with self-hosting option
  • Your needs are basic (traffic, sources, top pages)

Choose Fathom If:

  • You want managed simplicity with no configuration
  • You manage multiple sites (unlimited sites included)
  • You prefer a Canadian company over EU
  • Absolute ease of use matters most
  • Self-hosting isn’t a requirement

Choose PostHog If:

  • You’re building a SaaS product or web application
  • You need session recordings to understand user behavior
  • A/B testing is important for your workflow
  • Your team can handle additional complexity
  • You want one platform for analytics, recordings, and experiments

Choose Umami If:

  • You’re technical and can self-host confidently
  • You want zero ongoing subscription costs
  • Maximum data control is non-negotiable
  • You’re comfortable without vendor support

Summary Recommendations

ScenarioRecommendation
Simple blog or content sitePlausible
E-commerce with Google AdsGA4
SaaS productPostHog
Agency with many client sitesFathom
Maximum privacy, technical teamUmami (self-hosted)
Budget-conscious, complex needsGA4 (free tier)
EU company avoiding consent bannersPlausible or Fathom
Need session recordings + analyticsPostHog

Migration Considerations

Running Parallel Tools

During evaluation, running multiple analytics tools simultaneously is common. Consider:

  • Total script weight (each tool adds page load time)
  • Not recommended long-term
  • Compare numbers across tools for validation

From GA4 to Alternatives

Simple analytics tools make migration easy—install the script and data starts flowing. Historical data doesn’t transfer, but privacy-focused tools don’t store user-level history anyway.

Complex GA4 setups (custom events, e-commerce tracking) require more planning to replicate in alternative tools.

GDPR Requirements

Under GDPR, tracking that uses cookies or identifies individuals requires consent. Cookie-free analytics generally qualifies as “strictly necessary” and doesn’t require consent—but consult legal counsel for your specific situation.

Country-Specific Rulings

Austria, France, and Italy have issued rulings against Google Analytics implementations. While Google has responded with compliance measures, privacy-focused alternatives avoid these concerns entirely.

Consent rates vary widely (40-80% typical). Every user who declines consent is invisible to your analytics. Cookie-free tools capture all visitors without consent barriers.

Conclusion

The right analytics tool depends on your needs, not industry hype.

For simple tracking needs, Plausible and Fathom provide everything most sites require without complexity or privacy concerns.

For complex analysis and Google Ads integration, GA4 remains the standard, despite its learning curve and consent requirements.

For product teams needing behavior analysis, PostHog offers capabilities that traditional analytics tools can’t match.

For complete control at zero cost, self-hosted options like Umami work well for technical teams.

Consider what questions you actually need to answer. Most sites need traffic trends, top pages, and referral sources—problems that simple tools solve elegantly. Advanced analytics only matters if you’ll use the capabilities.

Further Reading

References

Footnotes

  1. Industry data on cookie consent rates varies by region and implementation. 40-80% is a commonly cited range for compliant consent mechanisms. ↩

  2. PostHog. “GDPR Compliant Analytics Tools.” https://posthog.com/blog/best-gdpr-compliant-analytics-tools - Overview of EU rulings against Google Analytics. ↩

  3. Plausible Analytics. “Plausible vs Google Analytics.” https://plausible.io/vs-google-analytics - Script size comparison documentation. ↩

  4. BuiltWith. Analytics market share data. https://builtwith.com ↩

  5. PostHog. Pricing page. https://posthog.com/pricing - Current free tier includes 1M events and 5K recordings monthly. ↩