Ackee vs Fathom Lite
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Ackee
Self-hosted, privacy-focused analytics tool
VS
Fathom Lite
Simple, open-source website analytics
| Feature | Ackee | Fathom Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 57 · Fair |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | binary, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,709 | ★ 8,020 |
| First released | 2018 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are Ackee and Fathom Lite?
Ackee
Ackee is a self-hosted, Node-based analytics tool that tracks website visitors while respecting privacy and avoiding cookies. It targets developers wanting minimal, ethical analytics. It is deployed via Docker.
- Privacy-focused tracking
- GraphQL API
- Clean minimal dashboard
- No cookies used
Fathom Lite
Fathom Lite is the open-source edition of Fathom Analytics, providing simple, privacy-focused website analytics. It targets users who want a lightweight self-hosted analytics tool. It is deployed as a single binary or via Docker.
- Simple privacy-focused analytics
- Single-binary deployment
- No cookies
- Lightweight dashboard
Ackee vs Fathom Lite: key differences
Ackee is written in JavaScript, while Fathom Lite is built with Go. Fathom Lite is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Ackee.
Why pick each one
Choose Ackee if…
- Lightweight and private
- Easy to deploy
- Nice minimal UI
Watch out for
- Limited reporting depth
- Needs MongoDB
Choose Fathom Lite if…
- Very easy to run
- Privacy-friendly
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Lite edition no longer actively developed
- Basic feature set
Frequently asked questions
Is Ackee or Fathom Lite better?
Neither is universally better. Fathom Lite has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Ackee and Fathom Lite free and open-source?
Yes. Ackee is licensed under MIT and Fathom Lite under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ackee and Fathom Lite with Docker?
Ackee: yes. Fathom Lite: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Ackee or Fathom Lite?
Fathom Lite has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Ackee. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.