Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Google Analytics VS GoatCounter

Compare Google Analytics VS GoatCounter and see what are their differences

Google Analytics logo Google Analytics

Improve your website to increase conversions, improve the user experience, and make more money using Google Analytics. Measure, understand and quantify engagement on your site with customized and in-depth reports.

GoatCounter logo GoatCounter

Easy web statistics. No tracking of personal data.
  • Google Analytics Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-26
  • GoatCounter Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-11-20

Google Analytics features and specs

  • Comprehensive Data Collection
    Google Analytics offers extensive data collection capabilities, allowing you to track various metrics and derive insights on user behavior, traffic sources, and more.
  • Integration with Other Google Services
    It easily integrates with other Google services like Google Ads, Google Search Console, and Google Tag Manager, providing a cohesive ecosystem.
  • Free Tier Available
    A robust free tier is available that meets the needs of many small- to medium-sized businesses, making it accessible without financial investment.
  • Customizable Reports and Dashboards
    Users can create customized reports and dashboards to focus on the specific metrics and KPIs important to their business.
  • Advanced Segmentation
    The platform allows for advanced segmentation of user data, enabling detailed analysis of different user groups and behaviors.
  • Real-Time Data
    Google Analytics provides real-time reports, facilitating immediate analysis and quicker decision-making.
  • E-commerce Tracking
    Special features for e-commerce websites allow you to track transactions, revenue, and other e-commerce-related metrics effectively.

Possible disadvantages of Google Analytics

  • Complex Interface
    The interface can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate for beginners, requiring a steep learning curve.
  • Data Sampling
    For large datasets, Google Analytics may use data sampling, which can compromise the accuracy and precision of your reports.
  • Privacy Concerns
    There are ongoing privacy concerns about data sharing and user tracking, which have led to legal scrutiny in some regions.
  • Limited Free Tier
    While the free tier is powerful, it has limitations on data collection and features, which may require upgrading to the paid tier for larger businesses.
  • Dependence on Third-Party Cookies
    Google Analytics heavily relies on third-party cookies, which are increasingly being restricted by browsers and privacy regulations.
  • Lag in Data Processing
    There can be a delay in data processing and updates, which may hinder timely decision-making.
  • Limited Customer Support
    Customer support for the free tier is limited, often requiring users to rely on community forums and online resources for assistance.

GoatCounter features and specs

  • Privacy-Focused
    GoatCounter does not track individual users, use cookies, or collect personal data, making it a suitable choice for privacy-conscious users.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, users can review, modify, and contribute to GoatCounter's code, ensuring transparency and flexibility in use.
  • Simple and Lightweight
    The tool is easy to set up and use, with a lightweight approach that focuses on essential metrics, avoiding unnecessary complexity.
  • Self-Hosting Option
    Users have the choice to self-host GoatCounter, providing greater control over their analytics infrastructure and data.
  • Free for Personal Use
    GoatCounter offers a free tier, making it accessible to personal users and small-scale projects without cost constraints.
  • Minimalism
    The platform emphasizes minimalistic design and functionality, providing users with a clean and straightforward user experience.

Possible disadvantages of GoatCounter

  • Limited Features
    Compared to more comprehensive analytics tools, GoatCounter offers fewer features and may not meet the needs of users requiring advanced analytics capabilities.
  • Small User Base
    As a less popular tool, GoatCounter has a smaller user community, which might limit available resources, third-party integrations, and community support.
  • Basic Reporting
    Reporting capabilities are relatively basic, potentially lacking the depth and customization found in more robust analytics platforms.
  • No Real-Time Data
    The platform does not provide real-time data tracking, which may be a drawback for users who need immediate insights into user behavior.
  • Learning Curve for Self-Hosting
    While self-hosting offers greater control, it also requires technical knowledge, which could be a barrier for non-technical users.

Analysis of Google Analytics

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Google Analytics is considered a good tool for web analytics. It offers comprehensive features and is widely used due to its reliability, scalability, and extensive documentation. However, it can have a steep learning curve for beginners and poses privacy concerns depending on data handling and regulatory compliance needs.

Why this product is good

  • Google Analytics is a powerful web analytics tool that offers in-depth insights into website traffic and user behavior. It provides a wide range of features such as real-time data, conversion tracking, audience segmentation, and customizable reports. Additionally, its integration with other Google services and platforms makes it a versatile choice for digital marketers and businesses looking to optimize their online presence.

Recommended for

  • Digital marketers looking to optimize ad campaigns and website performance.
  • Website owners who need insights into user behavior and traffic sources.
  • Data analysts and business intelligence teams requiring detailed reporting and analysis.
  • Small to large enterprises seeking a scalable analytics solution with a robust feature set.

Google Analytics videos

Google Analytics Review

More videos:

  • Review - Google Analytics, Ultimate Beginnerโ€™s Guide
  • Review - Google Analytics Review

GoatCounter videos

No GoatCounter videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Google Analytics and GoatCounter)
Analytics
96 96%
4% 4
Web Analytics
96 96%
4% 4
Mobile Analytics
100 100%
0% 0
Privacy
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Google Analytics and GoatCounter

Google Analytics Reviews

10 Best Mixpanel Alternatives for Product Analytics in 2024
Google Analytics is a popular digital insights platform that allows website owners to monitor multiple aspects of their user analytics, online performance, and more. Use the paid or free plan to optimize your website with user behavior insights to get higher conversion rates.
Source: clickup.com
Best Mixpanel Alternatives for SaaS
GA 360 (now GA4) provides higher data limits, BigQuery integration, service level agreements, custom variables, and a dedicated support team. The cost of Google Analytics 360 starts from $12,500 per month and $150,000 per year. Google suggests that the cost of Google Analytics 4 360 starts at a retail price of USD $50,000/year, which entitles customers to 25 million events...
Source: userpilot.com
Top 5 Plausible Analytics Alternatives in 2024
It allows you to bring in data from 17+ sources including multiple shopping carts, payment gateways, Google Analytics, and email marketing platforms.
Source: www.putler.com
Top 9 Plausible Analytics alternatives in 2024
Google Analytics, a prominent player, offers extensive functionalities, making it suitable for businesses needing comprehensive data analysis. Its versatility spans from tracking website traffic, user demographics, and behavior to providing insights on conversion rates and traffic sources.
Source: usermaven.com
Top 5 Self-Hosted, Open Source Alternatives to Google Analytics
Choosing the right open source, self-hosted alternative to Google Analytics depends on your specific needs, whether it's for enhanced privacy, detailed data insights, or ease of use. Each of these tools offers unique strengths, empowering website owners with the flexibility and control needed in today's digital landscape.
Source: zeabur.com

GoatCounter Reviews

Privacy-oriented alternatives to Google Analytics
GoatCounter is another great option for privacy-oriented analytics not tracking users personal data. As Plausible is fully Open Source licensed under EUPL. The platform is written in Go.
Lightweight alternatives to Google Analytics
GoatCounter is written in Go, and uses vanilla JavaScript in its UI for some lightweight interactivity. JavaScript frameworks often get in the way of web accessibility, and GoatCounter's prioritization of accessibility (mentioned on its home page) struck a chord with "ctoth", who thanked Tournoij on Hacker News:
Source: lwn.net

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Google Analytics seems to be a lot more popular than GoatCounter. While we know about 36 links to Google Analytics, we've tracked only 2 mentions of GoatCounter. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Google Analytics mentions (36)

  • Navigating the Digital Landscape: The Role of Website Analytics in Measuring Performance
    Letโ€™s discuss Google Analytics in particular and other tools in general, which are available online to measure the website performance. Source: about 2 years ago
  • 10 BEST FREE SEO REPORTING TOOLS
    Google Analytics: A free tool from Google that provides in-depth website analytics and performance metrics, including traffic sources, user behavior, and conversions. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Affiliate Marketing Automation: How to Save Time and Improve Your Results?
    Automating your affiliate marketing has a clear advantage: scalability. As your affiliate network grows, manual management becomes difficult. Automation makes it easier to handle a larger volume of affiliates, communicate with them, and monitor their performance. This means that your affiliate program can grow without sacrificing efficiency. You can also use automation tools to track and report affiliate... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Which tool do you use the most for SEO?
    Google Analytics: It provides in-depth insights into website traffic, user behavior, conversions, and other important metrics. Source: about 2 years ago
  • The dos and don'ts of website redesigns and migrations
    Implement a robust website analytics tool, such as Google Analytics, to track key metrics and gather insights about user behavior. Set up goals and conversion tracking to measure the impact of your website redesign or migration on your business objectives. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

GoatCounter mentions (2)

  • I made a privacy-friendly and open source product analytics software
    Seems similar to https://goatcounter.com/. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Simple and privacy-friendly alternative to Google Analytic
    I left Plausible for GoatCounter. It is better designed privacy-wise and much easier to self host (a single statically build binary, zero dependencies to Go): https://goatcounter.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Google Analytics and GoatCounter, you can also consider the following products

Matomo - Matomo is an open-source web analytics platform

Plausible.io - Plausible Analytics is a simple, open-source, lightweight (< 1 KB) and privacy-friendly web analytics alternative to Google Analytics. Made and hosted in the EU, powered by European-owned cloud infrastructure ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ

Mixpanel - Mixpanel is the most advanced analytics platform in the world for mobile & web.

Adobe Analytics - Adobe Analytics is an industry-leading solution that empowers you to understand your customers as people and steer your business with customer intelligence.

Glass Analytics - Google Analytics alternative that shows you exactly how visitors become customers.

Fathom Analytics - Simple, trustworthy website analytics (finally)