Ackee vs GoatCounter
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
GoatCounter
Easy and privacy-friendly web analytics
| Feature | Ackee | GoatCounter |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 85 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | EUPL-1.2 |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | binary, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,709 | ★ 5,994 |
| First released | 2018 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are Ackee and GoatCounter?
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
GoatCounter
GoatCounter is an open-source web analytics platform that is easy to use and privacy-friendly, collecting no personal data. It targets small site owners and hobbyists. It is deployed as a single binary or via Docker.
- No personal data collected
- Single-binary deployment
- Works without JavaScript
- Lightweight and fast
Ackee vs GoatCounter: key differences
Ackee is written in JavaScript, while GoatCounter is built with Go. Licensing differs — MIT for Ackee versus EUPL-1.2 for GoatCounter. GoatCounter 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 GoatCounter if…
- Extremely easy to run
- Very lightweight
- Privacy-friendly
Watch out for
- Basic reporting depth
- Small project
Frequently asked questions
Is Ackee or GoatCounter better?
Neither is universally better. GoatCounter has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Ackee and GoatCounter free and open-source?
Yes. Ackee is licensed under MIT and GoatCounter under EUPL-1.2. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ackee and GoatCounter with Docker?
Ackee: yes. GoatCounter: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Ackee or GoatCounter?
GoatCounter 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.