Update: On July 10, 2023, the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework was adopted by the EU Commission. The new agreement ensures an adequate level of security regarding the transfer of personal data about European citizens to companies in the United States, and Google Analytics and similar American analysis and tracking tools are once again considered legal to use within the EU/EEA.
A number of EU countries have concluded that Google Analytics is not a legal tool to use. The reason for this is that personal data is sent to servers in the USA, which gives American authorities the right to access the personal data of European citizens. This is in violation of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) which the EU introduced in 2018. There is a high probability that in the relatively short term, we will see changes in legislation around this in many other countries.
5 open source alternatives to Google Analytics
Why is open source relevant for web analytics?
Open source code is a term used for publicly available source code for computer programs. This means that the program's code is available for anyone to see, and consequently anyone with the necessary expertise can see exactly what the computer program does, and how it is done. Well-known examples of open source software are LibreOffice (formerly Open Office), Wordpress, Firefox, Linux and more.
GDPR compliant web analytics
Most alternatives to Google Analytics are based on open source code because both those who use the websites and the authorities believe that there should be as much transparency as possible around the collection of this type of data, especially personal data. By basing the data collection on an open source analysis tool, you play with an open hand and are at the same time prepared for any future legislative changes.
Google Analytics has become the standard for web analysis, and many people will probably feel that switching to a new tool is a big change. At the same time: Google Analytics is overly complicated for the average user and a more user-friendly and easy-to-understand analysis tool will have its advantages.
There are a number of analysis tools that will function to varying degrees as an alternative to Google Analytics, to save you some time we have highlighted 5 good alternatives that are all open source and GDPR compliant.
Matomo - the most well-known
A very good alternative to Google Analytics that delivers quality analyses without compromising privacy. It is probably the most recognized open source alternative as of today and is used by, among others, the European Commission itself, the UN, Amnesty, NASA and others. You retain 100% ownership of the data that is collected, whether you store this on your own server or use Matomo's cloud service.
Matomo is very feature-rich and has a module-based or hosting-based pricing model: If you store data on your own server, basic functionality is free Extended functionality such as A/B testing, Heatmaps, custom reporting etc. is priced per module. In the hosting solution where everything is stored in the cloud at Matomo, you pay a fixed monthly fee. Price for all modules is based on the traffic you have on your website.
An important function in Matomo is that you can import historical data from Google Analytics, the program also has its own Tag Manager.
It is worth noting that Matomo was previously part of Piwik Pro. Matomo continued as an open source alternative, while Piwik Pro became proprietary (the opposite of open source) and evolved into Piwik Pro Analytics Suite.
- A full-fledged analysis program that can replace Google Analytics.
- Highly recognized, used by the UN, Amnesty, the EU Commission, NASA and more.
- Very similar to Google Analytics and easy for existing users to familiarize themselves with the software.
- Tag Manager
- Historical data can be imported from Google Analytics.
- Well documented, good solution for support and training of new users.
- Feature-rich with, among other things, Heatmaps and A/B testing for website optimization.
- Ready for integration in most ecommerce solutions, as well as a number of other tools.
- Module-based or hosting-based pricing model.
Plausible - privacy first
Launched in 2019 as a response to GDPR and an increased need for privacy. The calls itself a "privacy first analytics tool", and you have 100% ownership of the data that is collected, whether it is stored on your own server or on Plausible's cloud service. They also saw that Google Analytics was too complex for most people, and wanted to create a more easy-to-understand and user-friendly analysis tool. Plausible can be a good alternative for those who do not need all the functionality in Matomo, as most pure web analysis is covered.
- A lighter and more user-friendly analysis program
- Tracks fewer data points and no personal data, IP addresses are anonymized, etc.
- Does not use any cookies to analyze the website.
- Does not track across platforms/apps/browsers
- Does not share data with 3rd parties
- Campaign tracking with UTM URL
- Based in the EU, data is stored on servers in Germany or on your own server.
- Not a free tool, but relatively affordable. From $9 per month.
- Ready for integration with most popular tools such as Wordpress etc.
Fathom Analytics - the challenger
A good alternative to Google Analytics, perhaps primarily an alternative to Plausible with much of the same philosophy around personal data and design/user friendliness. Popular for B2B websites, and a number of large companies such as Bosch, IBM, McLaren and more use Fathom.
What primarily distinguishes Fathom from Plausible is that this is a solution where everything is stored on Fathom's servers. This means that data cannot be stored on your own server and there is no free alternative either. Although data is stored at Fathom, you own your own data 100%.
- A lighter and more user-friendly analysis program, primarily an alternative to Plausible.
- Tracks fewer data points and no personal data, IP addresses are anonymized, etc.
- Does not use any cookies to analyze the website.
- Campaign tracking with UTM URL
- Does not track across platforms/apps/browsers
- Does not share data with 3rd parties
- Based in Canada, a country the EU says processes data according to the GDPR. Data is stored on servers in Germany.
- It is not possible to store data on your own server.
- Not a free tool, but relatively affordable. From $14 per month.
- Ready for integration with most popular tools such as Wordpress etc.
- Focus on design, for those particularly interested it also has a dark mode.
Open Web Analytics - for the specialist
Open Web Analytics is a "no-nonsense" tool that gives you concrete data. Everything about the program is in GitHub and it requires suitable expertise for installation and support. Data is stored on your own server: you yourself are responsible that everything is done in accordance with the GDPR. Measures everything and is very functional, but not very user-friendly compared to the alternatives we mention.
NB: This is a free tool with no commercial interests. Here there is no company you can contact if you need help.
- A feature-rich tool that can provide good data
- Has heatmaps for optimizing your websites
- Requires technical skills for installation on own server
- Requires advanced skills to work with the tool
- All data is stored on your own server, you are responsible and have full control.
- Free
- Ready for integration with most popular tools such as Wordpress etc. but requires expertise.
https://www.openwebanalytics.com/
Counter - simple and understandable free tool
A simple analysis tool that is similar to Open Web Analytics, but here the focus is on design and ease of use rather than a lot of functionality. Requires, like OWA, a certain competence for installation and data must be stored on a separate server. If you have the necessary expertise and want an easy analysis tool, this could be right up your alley.
NB: This is a free tool with no commercial interests, here there is no company you can contact if you need help.
- A simple analysis tool
- Only measures the most necessary
- Requires technical skills for installation on own server
- All data is stored on your own server, you are responsible and have full control.
- Free/pay what you want
- Ready for integration with most popular tools such as Wordpress etc. but requires expertise.
- A small team based in Germany, community-focused.
GDPR compliant, but not open source
Piwik PRO Analytics Suite
This is a full-fledged analysis program that can not only replace Google Analytics, but also a number of related programs. It is very functional and has, among other things, a separate tool for handling personal data and consent/cookies, as well as its own Tag manager. It is also used for analysis on larger intranets. Data is stored either on our own server or on servers in Europe. Here you have full control over your own data.
Piwik PRO has a clear objective to take over from Google Analytics as the serious GDPR-compliant alternative. For larger organizations this may be the right tool: it is very feature-rich and has good help pages and a training program.
NB: Piwik PRO is basically Matomo as we mentioned above, but was further developed as a proprietary program to be able to offer even more functionality.
- Highly recognized, used by the European Commission, a number of national governments, as well as large commercial players such as Microsoft.
- Can be integrated with most recognized business tools for publishing, analysis, advertising, data storage and more.
- Historical data can be imported so that you don't start from scratch.
- Can handle large amounts of traffic
- Well documented, good solution for support and training of new users.
- Initially free, but full use of the tool incurs license costs.
Is the analytics program the only problem in terms of GDPR?
Many of the analysis tools we have looked at today do not need any form of consent, because they simply do not track you with cookies and do not collect any form of personal data. But, other tools do, especially when we talk about marketing, social media, etc.
It is therefore important to be aware that other programs linked to your website can create challenges when it comes to GDPR.
- Tracking with pixels from social media such as Meta, TikTok and the like.
- Tracking with pixels for other advertising platforms such as Google Ads.
- Other tools that track on a person level, CRM etc.
If you need advice on which analytics tool is the best for your company, feel free to contact me or anyone else at Frontkom for more information on this topic, or any of the other services we offer.
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