Plausible vs Simple Analytics [2025]

Tired of data-hungry analytics platforms? Plausible and Simple Analytics are two leading contenders in the privacy-focused analytics space. But which one truly aligns with your needs, especially when you're looking to cut through the marketing fluff? This post offers a concise, critical comparison.

Many, myself included, are moving towards self-hosting solutions like Coolify for greater control and data ownership. If your priorities include 100% free (as in freedom, via self-hosting), open-source, and the ability to host it yourself, this comparison will be particularly relevant.

Let's break down Simple Analytics vs. Plausible.

1. Privacy Approach: The Core Difference

• Simple Analytics:

  • Truly privacy-first. It collects no cookies, no IP addresses, and no IP hashes.
  • Individual users are completely anonymized. There's no tracking of individuals, period.
  • This approach sidesteps GDPR gray areas by intentionally avoiding any form of individual tracking. As Simple Analytics states, "We never collect IP addresses or any form of personal data." Source: Simple Analytics Blog

• Plausible:

  • Privacy-friendly, but not privacy-absolute in the same way as Simple Analytics.
  • It uses hashed IP addresses (anonymized and kept for 24 hours) to distinguish unique visitors. While more private than traditional analytics, this is still a form of individual-level tracking for a limited period.
  • This method, according to some interpretations (including Simple Analytics'), might require consent under strict GDPR interpretations because a hashed IP can still single out an individual. Plausible aims for a "reasonable balance between de-duplicating page views and staying respectful of visitor privacy."

2. Data Depth & Accuracy

• Simple Analytics:

  • The no-personal-data collection means insights are aggregate-only. You won't get session-level data for individual users.
  • This trades granularity for enhanced privacy and reduced legal risk.
  • Simple Analytics employs clever techniques to provide useful stats without personal data, such as using referrer information for unique page views rather than IP hashes. Their script is slightly larger (~3KB, or 1.6KB compressed) partly because it does more in the frontend to avoid backend tracking.

• Plausible:

  • Tracking user-level data via hashed IPs (even short-term) allows for more granular insights than Simple Analytics.
  • It's generally better suited if you need session-level detail or rely more heavily on custom event tracking and conversion goals that benefit from distinguishing unique user flows within a 24-hour window.
  • Plausible's script is very lightweight (around 1KB).

Important: Plausible generally offers deeper analytical insight due to its (limited) individual tracking. Simple Analytics prioritizes absolute privacy, which means data is at a higher aggregate level.

3. Open Source, Self-Hosting & Control

This is a critical area for users like me who prefer self-hosting and open-source tools.

• Simple Analytics:

  • The service itself is not open-source, though its data collection scripts are publicly available on GitHub for transparency.
  • It does offer raw data export via API, allowing you to pull your aggregate data.
  • No self-hosting option.

• Plausible:

  • Fully open-source (MIT license). You can inspect, modify, and contribute to the codebase.
  • Designed for self-hosting. This is a major advantage if you want full control over your analytics data and infrastructure, and to potentially reduce costs. Tools like Coolify make self-hosting Plausible straightforward.
  • Their API provides aggregate data only, not raw data in the same way Simple Analytics might offer.

4. Features & User Experience (UX)

• Both platforms are lauded for their simple, fast, and easy-to-understand dashboards, a refreshing change from the complexity of tools like Google Analytics.

• Simple Analytics:

  • Excels at providing quick, clear snapshots of your website traffic.
  • Known for some innovative UX touches, like generating mini website previews for referral links and showing actual tweets for Twitter referrals instead of just t.co links.
  • Its Goals feature is helpful for organizing data with filters and creating funnels.

• Plausible:

  • Offers arguably more robust built-in goal and event tracking capabilities that are well-integrated into the main dashboard.
  • Custom properties for events can provide more tailored tracking.

Important: Plausible may have an edge for users needing more detailed, integrated event/goal tracking. Simple Analytics shines in its overall simplicity and some unique presentational features.

5. Cost

• Plausible:

  • Paid SaaS plans start a bit cheaper (around $9/month or $90/year for up to 10,000 pageviews).
  • The open-source nature means it's free if you self-host (you only pay for your server/hosting costs). This is a huge factor for cost-conscious users or those already managing their infrastructure.

• Simple Analytics:

  • Paid SaaS plans have a slightly higher starting point (around $9/month billed yearly, equating to $108/year for up to 100,000 pageviews, but often has different promotional tiers).
  • No self-hosting option, so you're always on a paid SaaS plan.

Important: For pure price sensitivity or the desire for a free (as in beer) option via self-hosting, Plausible has a distinct advantage.

Simple Analytics vs. Plausible: Feature Comparison Table

🧠 Summary: Simple Analytics vs. Plausible

Choosing between Simple Analytics and Plausible boils down to your core priorities:

• Use Simple Analytics if:

  • You demand maximum, unequivocal privacy with absolutely no individual tracking (not even hashed IPs).
  • You want guaranteed GDPR peace of mind without needing to consider consent for analytics.
  • You can live with less data depth (aggregate-only insights) in exchange for these assurances.
  • You prefer a straightforward SaaS solution and don't need self-hosting.

• Use Plausible if:

  • You want deeper insights into user behavior and find value in short-term (24h) user-level data via hashed IPs.
  • You highly value open-source software and the ability to self-host your analytics for control, data ownership, and cost savings.
  • You're comfortable that hashed IPs for 24h provide a sufficient level of privacy for your audience and compliance needs.
  • You are using or plan to use tools like Coolify for easy self-hosting.

For my use case, prioritizing 100% free (via self-hosting), open-source, and full data control on my own infrastructure (managed with Coolify), Plausible is the better fit.

Ultimately, both are excellent alternatives to mainstream analytics. Your specific needs around privacy absolutism versus data granularity and your stance on self-hosting will guide your decision.

Got more questions or want to chat about analytics? Feel free to reach out on x.com/illyism!