The 6 best Google Analytics alternatives in 2026

Most people look for Google Analytics alternatives for one of three reasons: they want to drop the cookie banner, they find GA4 hard to use, or they need things GA4 does not do, such as heatmaps and session recordings. This guide compares six tools on exactly those points. We make GhostStat, so it is on the list. Keep that in mind; we have tried to be fair, and every claim about another tool links to that tool’s own website.

Last checked: 11 October 2026. Prices and plans change, so check the vendor’s page before you buy.

Google Analytics alternatives compared

How we picked these Google Analytics alternatives

We looked at what a team gives up and gains when it leaves GA4: whether the tool needs cookies (and therefore a consent banner in Europe), whether it shows behaviour such as heatmaps and recordings, whether you can host it yourself, and what it costs to start. Enterprise suites such as Adobe Analytics are left out on purpose; they are built for large enterprises with dedicated analytics teams.

1. GhostStat — cookieless analytics with heatmaps, recordings and visitor intelligence

GhostStat counts visits without cookies, localStorage, sessionStorage or fingerprinting, and never writes an IP address to disk: the IP is used in memory for a location lookup, then dropped. Data is stored in Dronten, the Netherlands, inside the EU, and our privacy policy lists exactly what is collected. On top of the core dashboard, every plugin is available on every plan, Free included: heatmaps, session recordings with masked inputs, funnels, goals, form analytics, A/B tests, ecommerce, cohorts, retention and visitor intelligence (intent, friction and attention per visit). Public stats pages and counters let you share your numbers.

Best for: teams that want privacy-first numbers and the “why” behind them in one tool. Not for: anyone who wants to download and run the software themselves; on-premise installs are an Enterprise service. Price: Free plan; paid plans on the pricing page.

2. Matomo — the open-source, self-hosted veteran

Matomo offers a free On-Premise edition you run on your own server, and Matomo Cloud, with data stored in Frankfurt, Germany. Its core and tracker are GPL v3. Matomo uses cookies by default and documents a disableCookies option, noting it can reduce the accuracy of returning-visitor reports. Heatmaps, session recordings, funnels and A/B testing are premium features.

Best for: organisations that must keep data on their own infrastructure. Read our full GhostStat vs Matomo comparison.

3. Plausible — simple, open-source and cookieless

Plausible uses no cookies or persistent identifiers, is made and hosted in the EU, and puts “all the important stats on one single page”. Plans start at $9 a month (Starter, up to 10,000 monthly pageviews), with a 30-day free trial and no card. Funnels and ecommerce revenue attribution are on the Business plan. The Community Edition is free to self-host under the AGPLv3.

Best for: anyone who wants a clean, minimal dashboard. See GhostStat vs Plausible.

4. Fathom — simple, paid and cookie-free

Fathom describes itself as “no cookies, so no consent banner for analytics”. Its entry plan is $15 a month for up to 100,000 monthly pageviews, with 50 sites included and a 7-day free trial that requires a card. Its pricing page lists events, revenue and UTM tracking, shared dashboards and an API, but no heatmaps or session recordings. A separate, free Fathom Lite can be self-hosted, but Fathom says “with Lite, you’re on your own” for support.

Best for: agencies and businesses with many small sites that want a polished, simple tool. Read GhostStat vs Fathom.

5. Umami — open source with a generous free plan

Umami says it “does not use cookies or collect any personally identifiable information”. Its free Hobby plan covers 100,000 events a month for one website with six months of data; Pro is $20 a month for one million events and two years of data; Business, at $200 a month, adds session replays and heatmaps. Umami is MIT-licensed, and self-hosting is free.

Best for: developers who want open-source code and a free hosted tier for a single site. Read GhostStat vs Umami.

6. Microsoft Clarity — free heatmaps and recordings, with cookies

Microsoft Clarity is a free behaviour-analytics tool built around heatmaps and session recordings. It is not a full replacement for traffic analytics, and it does use cookies: Microsoft’s Consent Mode documentation names _clck and _clsk, and says that since 31 October 2025 Clarity enforces consent signals for visits from the EEA, the UK and Switzerland.

Best for: teams that already run a consent banner and want free recordings next to their main analytics. Read GhostStat vs Microsoft Clarity, and for the other big name in heatmaps, GhostStat vs Hotjar.

What to check before you switch

Whichever tool you pick, a few checks make the move painless:

• Run both side by side for a few weeks. Numbers will differ, because cookieless tools also count visitors who decline cookies. Compare trends rather than exact totals.
• Re-create your goals and campaigns. Conversions and UTM-tagged campaigns are what most teams actually report on; set them up in the new tool before you remove the old one.
• Export what you want to keep. Your GA4 history stays in GA4; export the reports you need before you stop paying attention to it.
• Review your consent banner. If the new tool sets no cookies and GA4 was the only reason for the banner, you may be able to simplify it. Check with whoever owns privacy at your organisation.

Which Google Analytics alternative should you choose?

• You must self-host: Matomo, Umami, or Plausible Community Edition.
• You want the simplest dashboard: Plausible or Fathom.
• You want privacy-first analytics plus heatmaps, recordings and funnels in one tool, with a free plan: GhostStat.
• You only want free recordings and already have a cookie banner: Microsoft Clarity, next to your main analytics.

Still on GA4? Read GhostStat vs Google Analytics 4 for the detailed comparison, or start free and run GhostStat next to GA4 for a month.

Sources

• Matomo: pricing, cookies FAQ, licences
• Plausible: home and pricing, open source
• Fathom: pricing
• Umami: pricing, licence
• Microsoft: Clarity pricing, Clarity Consent Mode