Fathom Analytics costs $15/mo.
These cost $0.
3 free alternatives to Fathom Analytics, checked for license, recent activity and real adoption. Each one tells you the catch, so you can switch with your eyes open.
Fathom Analytics vs Free Alternatives Matrix
Quick side-by-side comparison · $0/mo vs $15/mo
| Alternative | Type | License | Where It Runs | Stars | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Umami | open source | MIT | Local or hosted | ★ 38k | Fathom Analytics vs Umami → |
| Plausible Community Edition | open source | AGPL-3.0+ | Self-host | ★ 28k | Fathom Analytics vs Plausible Community Edition → |
| GoatCounter | open source | — | Local or hosted | ★ 5.8k | Fathom Analytics vs GoatCounter → |
The picks
3 open source · ranked by fit
- 01
Umami
open sourceMITLocal or hosted38kaug 2026Simple privacy analytics with enough events and goals to avoid paying for simplicity.
The catch vs Fathom AnalyticsIt is less deliberately minimal and, when self-hosted, lacks Fathom's managed reliability and support.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Create an Umami Cloud account or deploy the Node application with Docker Compose and PostgreSQL
- setup
- None for hosted signup; self-hosting requires Docker or Node hosting and a PostgreSQL database
- your data
- A self-hosted deployment stores analytics and account data in PostgreSQL; Umami Cloud stores it in Umami's managed service
- checked
- 2026-08-10
- 02
Plausible Community Edition
open sourceAGPL-3.0+Self-host28kaug 2026The closest philosophical match, except you operate the Compose file.
The catch vs Fathom AnalyticsThe philosophy is close, but the user must run PostgreSQL and ClickHouse and loses Fathom's managed operations and support.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Deploy the Community Edition with the official Docker Compose installer
- setup
- Docker Compose, roughly 2 GB of RAM, a domain with DNS and TLS, and backups for PostgreSQL and ClickHouse
- your data
- Account and configuration records live in PostgreSQL and analytics events live in ClickHouse on the user's server
- checked
- 2026-08-10
- 03
GoatCounter
open sourceLocal or hosted5.8kaug 2026A smaller privacy dashboard for people who truly meant simple.
The catch vs Fathom AnalyticsIt offers fewer polished goals, events, reports, team controls and support than Fathom's managed product.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Create a hosted account or run the single static binary or Docker image
- setup
- None for hosted use; self-hosting needs a reachable binary or container plus a public URL and TLS
- your data
- A self-hosted instance uses SQLite by default or PostgreSQL; the hosted service stores analytics on GoatCounter's infrastructure and supports JSON and CSV exports
- checked
- 2026-08-10
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers · Fathom Analytics open-source replacements
What is the best free alternative to Fathom Analytics?+
The top free alternative to Fathom Analytics is Umami (open source, MIT). Simple privacy analytics with enough events and goals to avoid paying for simplicity. Other popular Fathom Analytics replacements include Plausible Community Edition, GoatCounter.
Can I self-host a free replacement for Fathom Analytics?+
Yes. Of the 3 free alternatives to Fathom Analytics, 3 can be self-hosted on your own server or local machine: Umami (MIT), Plausible Community Edition (AGPL-3.0+), GoatCounter (free).
How much does switching from Fathom Analytics to a free alternative save?+
Fathom Analytics starts at $15/month per seat ($180/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Umami saves $900 per year in software subscription fees.
Should I vibe-code or build my own Fathom Analytics clone from scratch?+
Our build verdict for Fathom Analytics is YES (the core loop fits in a weekend). A simple privacy analytics clone is very buildable; the paid service is hosted compliance posture, uptime, data retention, and polished reporting.
What is the catch when switching from Fathom Analytics to Umami?+
It is less deliberately minimal and, when self-hosted, lacks Fathom's managed reliability and support.
