Head-to-Head Comparison · Alternative to Pirsch · 📊 analytics
Pirsch vs Umami
Cookieless page views and custom events with a compact dashboard and no hosted meter. Here is how Umami ($0/mo open source) stacks up against Pirsch ($6/mo) across cost, hosting, data privacy, and real-world trade-offs.
Pirsch vs Umami Specification Matrix
facts verified 2026-08-10
| Dimension | Pirsch (Paid) | Umami (Replacement) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | $6 / mo | $0 / mo |
| 1-Year Cost (1 seat) | $72 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $72) |
| 1-Year Cost (5 seats) | $360 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $360) |
| 1-Year Cost (10 seats) | $720 / yr | $0 / yr (Save $720) |
| Source & License | Proprietary SaaS | open source MIT |
| Where It Runs | Vendor Cloud | Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud) |
| Platforms | Web / Cloud | webself-hosteddocker to self-host |
| GitHub Stars | — | ★ 38k (active aug 2026) |
Deep Dive: Switching from Pirsch to Umami
Trade-offs, installation & data architecture
What you trade away
It has less emphasis on server-side collection and a less compact API workflow than Pirsch, while self-hosting adds operations.
How to deploy Umami
Create an Umami Cloud account or deploy the Node application with Docker Compose and PostgreSQL
What it takes to run
None for hosted signup; self-hosting requires Docker or Node hosting and a PostgreSQL database
Where your data lives
A self-hosted deployment stores analytics and account data in PostgreSQL; Umami Cloud stores it in Umami's managed service
Why fork Umami instead of vibe-coding a Pirsch clone?
The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Pirsch, collect cookieless page views and custom events with compact dashboards. The hard boundary is hosted reliability, privacy operations, apis, email reports, and scale, plus data pipeline reliability and analytical depth.
Pirsch vs Umami FAQ
Is Umami a good free alternative to Pirsch?+
Yes. Umami is a verified open-source (MIT) replacement for Pirsch. Cookieless page views and custom events with a compact dashboard and no hosted meter.
What is the catch when switching from Pirsch to Umami?+
It has less emphasis on server-side collection and a less compact API workflow than Pirsch, while self-hosting adds operations.
How much do you save switching from Pirsch to Umami?+
Pirsch costs $6/mo ($72/yr) per seat, whereas Umami is $0/mo. Switching saves $72/yr for a solo user, $360/yr for a 5-person team, and $720/yr for a 10-person team.
How do I install or self-host Umami instead of Pirsch?+
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