Analytics tools compared without the marketing fog, and plain guides to measuring a website without cookies.
Microsoft Clarity gives you heatmaps and session recordings for free, with no traffic limits. It also sets cookies, needs consent in Europe and keeps recordings for 30 days. Here is how it compares with cookieless GhostStat.
Fathom is a polished, paid, cookie-free analytics tool with a simple dashboard. GhostStat shares its privacy stance but adds heatmaps, recordings and funnels, plus a Free plan. Here is how they compare.
Hotjar made heatmaps and session recordings mainstream. Since 2025 it is part of Contentsquare, and new sign-ups go to Contentsquare instead. Here is how GhostStat compares, and when Hotjar’s tools are still the better fit.
Umami is open source, cookieless and free to self-host, with a free cloud plan for one site. GhostStat is hosted and puts heatmaps and recordings on every plan. Here is how to choose between them.
Plausible and GhostStat share the same starting point: no cookies, no personal data, no consent banner. They differ in how far they go. Plausible keeps it deliberately simple; GhostStat adds heatmaps, recordings and visitor intelligence.
Matomo is the best-known open-source alternative to Google Analytics, and you can host it yourself. GhostStat is hosted and cookieless out of the box, with every plugin on every plan. Here is how to choose.
Google Analytics 4 is free and powerful, but it runs on cookies, needs consent in Europe and fills gaps with modelling. Here is where GhostStat is different, and where GA4 is still the better pick.
Six Google Analytics alternatives compared on cookies, features, self-hosting and price — with every claim checked on the vendor’s own site, and a clear note on which tool fits which kind of team.
