Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

WordPress.com VS Open Web Analytics

Compare WordPress.com VS Open Web Analytics and see what are their differences

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WordPress.com logo WordPress.com

Create a free website or build a blog with ease on WordPress.com. Dozens of free, customizable, mobile-ready designs and themes. Free hosting and support.

Open Web Analytics logo Open Web Analytics

Open Web Analytics - Web Analytics – Open Source Web Analytics Framework
  • WordPress.com Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-03
  • Open Web Analytics Homepage
    Homepage //
    2024-08-20

WordPress.com features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    WordPress.com provides a user-friendly interface that is easy for beginners to navigate. It offers pre-installed themes and plugins, making it simple to get started with a minimal learning curve.
  • Maintenance-Free
    The platform handles all the technicalities such as updates, backups, and security, allowing users to focus solely on creating content.
  • Cost-Effective
    There are free plans available, and even the paid plans are relatively affordable. It eliminates the need for a separate hosting service, reducing overall costs.
  • Built-In Community
    WordPress.com hosts a large community of users, providing opportunities for networking and increased visibility through its social features.
  • Scalability
    Various premium plans allow you to scale up as your website grows. You can start with a free plan and upgrade to more advanced features as needed.

Possible disadvantages of WordPress.com

  • Limited Customization
    You have less control over your website's design and functionality compared to self-hosted WordPress. Custom themes and plugins are often restricted or not allowed.
  • Monetization Restrictions
    Free and lower-tier plans have limitations on monetization options. For instance, you can't use third-party ad networks unless you upgrade to a higher-tier plan.
  • Less Flexibility
    The platform is less flexible compared to self-hosted solutions. Certain advanced features and customizations are not available or are limited.
  • Data Portability
    Migrating your site from WordPress.com to another platform can be complicated and may require technical assistance, posing a challenge if you decide to move.
  • Price for Advanced Features
    While the basic plans are affordable, the cost can add up if you choose to add advanced features and services. Some premium options can be relatively expensive.

Open Web Analytics features and specs

  • Open Source
    As an open-source platform, Open Web Analytics (OWA) allows users to access and modify the source code according to their needs, providing full control over the functionality and customization.
  • Cost-Effective
    OWA is free to use, which can be very cost-effective compared to paid analytics platforms, making it suitable for small businesses and personal projects.
  • Self-Hosting
    The ability to host OWA on your own server ensures complete data ownership and control, eliminating concerns around data privacy and third-party access.
  • Comprehensive Features
    OWA offers a wide range of features including page view tracking, e-commerce tracking, visitor tracking, and click heatmaps, which can provide in-depth insights into website performance.
  • Integrations
    OWA allows integration with other platforms such as WordPress and MediaWiki, making it versatile for various types of websites.

Possible disadvantages of Open Web Analytics

  • Technical Barrier
    Setting up and maintaining OWA can require a certain level of technical expertise, which might be challenging for users without a technical background.
  • Resource Intensive
    Operating OWA on your own server can consume significant server resources, affecting the performance of the website, especially for high-traffic sites.
  • Complexity
    The extensive features and customization options can make OWA complex to navigate and configure, which can be overwhelming for beginners.
  • Limited Support
    As an open-source project, OWA lacks the comprehensive customer support available with commercial products, meaning users might have to rely on community forums and documentation for troubleshooting.
  • Updates and Security
    The frequency and reliability of updates might be a concern, as well as ensuring that the software remains secure against vulnerabilities, requiring constant monitoring and maintenance.

Analysis of WordPress.com

Overall verdict

  • WordPress.com is generally considered a good platform, especially for bloggers, small businesses, and users who prefer a managed website solution. It strikes a balance between ease of use and powerful features, though it may not offer the same level of flexibility and control as self-hosted WordPress.org for developers and larger businesses.

Why this product is good

  • WordPress.com is a popular choice because it is user-friendly, offers robust customization options, and requires minimal technical skills to set up and maintain. It provides a range of plans, from free to premium, catering to various needs. The platform also handles hosting, security, and updates, which can be advantageous for users seeking convenience.

Recommended for

  • Bloggers
  • Small business owners
  • Individuals who need a simple personal website
  • Users who prefer a managed hosting environment
  • People with minimal technical expertise

Analysis of Open Web Analytics

Overall verdict

  • Open Web Analytics is a good choice for users who prefer open-source solutions and want full control over their analytics data. Its ease of integration and extensive customization options make it suitable for a variety of use cases. However, it might not be the best choice for users looking for advanced features and technical support often found in premium analytics tools like Google Analytics.

Why this product is good

  • Open Web Analytics (OWA) is a popular open-source web analytics tool that provides comprehensive tracking and reporting capabilities. It is valued for its flexibility and ability to host data on your own server, ensuring data privacy and security. OWA supports tracking for multiple websites and integrates well with various content management systems such as WordPress. Its extensibility allows developers to customize and enhance its functionality to suit specific business needs.

Recommended for

  • Small to medium businesses that prefer self-hosted solutions.
  • Developers or IT teams that require custom analytics implementations.
  • Privacy-conscious users who want full control over their data.
  • Educational institutions or non-profits looking for free analytics tools.

WordPress.com videos

WordPress.COM Review: Is it really easier than WordPress.ORG?

More videos:

  • Review - Wordpress.com Review: Good For Users Familiar with Wordpress
  • Review - WORDPRESS.COM REVIEW 2020: THE BEST WEBSITE BUILDER?! | PROS AND CONS | TECH TIME #110
  • Review - WordPress.org VS WordPress.com: The Confusing Differences Explained!
  • Review - Should You Use WordPress.com? | WordPress.com Honest Review

Open Web Analytics videos

Open Web Analytics | You Need to Watch This Video

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Open Web Analytics - How to Install OWA WordPress Plugin

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to WordPress.com and Open Web Analytics)
CMS
100 100%
0% 0
Analytics
0 0%
100% 100
Website Builder
100 100%
0% 0
Web Analytics
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 WordPress.com and Open Web Analytics

WordPress.com Reviews

WordPress vs. Proprietary Site Builders: What to Know Before Starting a Website Development Project
WordPress: WordPress.org (not to be confused with WordPress.com) is an open-source content management system (CMS). When you build a website on WordPress, you own the code, the design, and the data. This means you can fully customize your site, transfer it to any hosting provider, and have complete control over all aspects of the website. The site can be hosted on any...
Comparing 9 WordPress alternatives & competitors in 2024
WordPress.com claims affordability as one of their best benefits. Their pricing plans are similar to other website platforms like Wix, but many of the plugins and assets that add crucial features like product listings and SEO tools come at a steep cost. Even if you only add one or two plugins, like WooCommerce or Yoast, you’ll spend more on add-ons than on the website...
Source: webflow.com
19 Best WordPress Alternatives in 2025
While WordPress is undeniably popular, it might not be the perfect fit for everyone. Here are the key differences between WordPress.com (hosted platform) and WordPress.org (self-hosted software) to help you understand more about WordPress and why you should look for an alternative website builder:
Source: www.pixpa.com
The 17 Best Wix Alternatives (2024) Who Else Can You Build Your Website With?
WordPress is the undisputed king of CMS or Content Management Systems. From blogs to online stores, there isn’t much you can’t do with this powerful website building solution. Keep in mind that WordPress comes in two versions: WordPress.org and WordPress.com.
8+ Best Cheap Domain Name Providers in 2024 [Compared]
WordPress.com has grown to become one of the leading domain registration companies in the industry in the past few years. While they strive to keep their prices competitive, they also maintain a high level of service quality and customer support.
Source: themehunk.com

Open Web Analytics Reviews

Top 5 Self-Hosted, Open Source Alternatives to Google Analytics
Open Web Analytics offers a comprehensive set of features, rivaling commercial analytics tools, with the flexibility of open source.
Source: zeabur.com
Top 5 open source alternatives to Google Analytics
In addition to the usual raft of analytics and reporting functions, Open Web Analytics tracks where on a page, and on what elements, visitors click; provides heat maps that show where on a page visitors interact the most; and even does e-commerce tracking.
Source: opensource.com
Best Google Analytics Alternatives
Open Web Analytics ranks over Google due its self hosting property and additional features like Heatmap, DOM clicks tracking and mouse movement (recording and playback) tracking.
Source: mofluid.com
The 11 Best Alternatives to Google Analytics
Open Web Analytics is feature-rich, especially considering that it’s free to use. It can track goals along several steps of a conversion funnel, it offers separate stats filtered by pretty much any factor you can think of and it even offers heatmaps and mouse-tracking. However, be warned: with those last two options active, OWA will gobble up server resources like nobody’s...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, WordPress.com seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1020 times since March 2021. 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.

WordPress.com mentions (1020)

View more

Open Web Analytics mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Open Web Analytics yet. Tracking of Open Web Analytics recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing WordPress.com and Open Web Analytics, you can also consider the following products

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

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.

WiX - Create a free website with Wix.com. Customize with Wix' website builder, no coding skills needed. Choose a design, begin customizing and be online today

Matomo - Matomo is an open-source web analytics platform

SquareSpace - Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, e-commerce, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included.

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 🇪🇺