GhostStat vs Simple Analytics: two Dutch-hosted, cookie-free tools

Simple Analytics and GhostStat have more in common than most tools on our blog: both measure without cookies, neither stores IP addresses, and both keep their data in the Netherlands. The difference is scope. Simple Analytics is proudly minimal; GhostStat goes deeper with heatmaps, recordings, funnels and visitor intelligence. This comparison of GhostStat vs Simple Analytics shows where each one fits, with every claim about Simple Analytics linked to simpleanalytics.com.

Last checked: 11 October 2026. If anything here has changed, let us know.

Simple Analytics vs GhostStat at a glance

What Simple Analytics and GhostStat share

Simple Analytics’ home page promises “no cookies, localStorage, or similar browser storage” and “no IP address collection or storage”, and its pricing FAQ says website data “never leaves the Netherlands”. GhostStat makes the same core promises. GhostStat stores nothing on the visitor’s device: no cookies, no localStorage, no sessionStorage and no fingerprinting. The IP address is used in memory to look up an approximate location, then dropped; it is never written to disk. Visitors are counted with an identifier that is salted per site and rotates daily, and the data is stored in Dronten, the Netherlands. Our privacy policy lists exactly what is collected.

For a European organisation, both tools give the same easy answer to “where is our analytics data?”: in the Netherlands, inside the EU. Neither needs a cookie banner for its analytics, and both count every visitor the same way, so the numbers you see are not reduced by people who decline cookies.

Minimal on purpose, or room to grow

Simple Analytics describes its paid plan as “a simple dashboard to understand your website traffic”, with a one-page dashboard that needs no configuration. It records page views and events, and has an API for pulling data into your own tools. Its pricing and home pages do not list heatmaps, session recordings or funnels.

GhostStat starts just as simple: one snippet, and the core dashboard shows pages, sources, campaigns, countries, devices and real-time visitors. When you want to know why visitors behave the way they do, you switch on plugins. Every plugin is available on every plan, Free included:

• Heatmaps for clicks, scrolling and movement, per device.
• Session recordings with every form input masked by default.
• Funnels, goals, form analytics and A/B tests.
• Ecommerce, cohorts and retention.
• Visitor intelligence: intent, friction and attention per visit.
• Public stats pages and counters to share your numbers.

On the Free plan each plugin has a monthly view allowance; paid plans remove it. The live numbers are on the pricing page.

Free plans and price

Simple Analytics’ Free plan is “free for hobby sites”: one user, five websites and the latest month of data, with pageviews under a fair-use policy. The paid plan costs $20 a month for one user, plus $20 a month for each extra user, with pageview tiers from 100,000 to 2.5 million a month; a 14-day trial needs no card. Enterprise is custom.

GhostStat’s Free plan covers one site and includes every plugin under a monthly view allowance. If you run several small hobby sites and only need traffic numbers, Simple Analytics’ free plan covers more sites. If you want behaviour tools on your main site, GhostStat gives you more on Free. Paid prices, sites and retention are on our pricing page.

Questions to ask before you choose

• Is one page of numbers enough? If page views, sources and campaigns answer your questions, Simple Analytics’ focus is a strength.
• Will you want to see behaviour? Heatmaps, recordings and funnels matter once you start improving a sign-up form or checkout. With GhostStat they are a switch away.
• How many people need access? Simple Analytics prices paid plans per user; check how GhostStat’s plans fit your team on the pricing page.
• How many sites? Count the sites you need now and next year, and compare free and paid limits for both.

Trying GhostStat next to Simple Analytics

You do not have to switch in one go. Add the GhostStat snippet next to your Simple Analytics code, leave both running for a few weeks and compare. Numbers will differ, because each tool counts visitors in its own way, so watch the trends rather than exact totals. Switch on one or two plugins, such as heatmaps on your most important page, to see what they add. If you decide to stay with Simple Analytics, remove the GhostStat snippet and nothing else changes on your site. Setup help is here.

Because both tools are cookie-free and store their data in the Netherlands, running them side by side adds no new privacy questions. That makes this one of the easiest comparisons to test for yourself rather than take our word for it.

Simple Analytics or GhostStat: how to choose

Choose Simple Analytics if you want the simplest possible traffic dashboard, have several small sites, and do not need heatmaps or recordings.

Choose GhostStat if you want the same privacy standard and Dutch hosting, plus heatmaps, recordings, funnels and visitor intelligence in the same dashboard. Start free.

Also compare GhostStat with Plausible, Fathom and Pirsch.

Sources

• Simple Analytics: Home page
• Simple Analytics: Pricing and FAQ