Ackee vs Counter.dev Selfhost
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
Counter.dev Selfhost
Minimalist privacy-respecting web analytics
| Feature | Ackee | Counter.dev Selfhost |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 78 · Good |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,709 | ★ 1,009 |
| First released | 2018 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are Ackee and Counter.dev Selfhost?
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
Counter.dev Selfhost
Counter.dev is a minimalist, privacy-respecting web analytics service that can be self-hosted. It records page visits without cookies and shows a compact stats view.
- Cookie-free analytics
- Minimal dashboard
- Easy embed
- Privacy respecting
Ackee vs Counter.dev Selfhost: key differences
Both projects are written in JavaScript. Counter.dev Selfhost is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Ackee. Ackee is the more established project (first released 2018), while Counter.dev Selfhost arrived in 2020. Ackee has the considerably larger community, at 4,709 GitHub stars versus 1,009.
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 Counter.dev Selfhost if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Ackee or Counter.dev Selfhost better?
Neither is universally better. Ackee has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Ackee and Counter.dev Selfhost free and open-source?
Yes. Ackee is licensed under MIT and Counter.dev Selfhost under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ackee and Counter.dev Selfhost with Docker?
Ackee: yes. Counter.dev Selfhost: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Ackee or Counter.dev Selfhost?
Counter.dev Selfhost 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.