Ackee vs Matomo
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
Matomo
Powerful, privacy-respecting web analytics platform
| Feature | Ackee | Matomo |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,709 | ★ 21,893 |
| First released | 2018 | 2007 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are Ackee and Matomo?
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
Matomo
Matomo is a powerful, open-source web analytics platform that gives full ownership of data as a privacy-friendly alternative to Google Analytics. It targets organizations that need detailed analytics with data control. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- Full-featured analytics suite
- 100% data ownership
- Heatmaps and funnels via plugins
- GDPR-friendly configuration
Ackee vs Matomo: key differences
Ackee is written in JavaScript, while Matomo is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for Ackee versus GPL-3.0 for Matomo. Ackee is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Matomo. Matomo is the more established project (first released 2007), while Ackee arrived in 2018. Matomo has the considerably larger community, at 21,893 GitHub stars versus 4,709.
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 Matomo if…
- Comprehensive analytics
- Privacy-respecting
- Mature and extensible
Watch out for
- Heavier to self-host
- Some features in paid plugins
Frequently asked questions
Is Ackee or Matomo better?
Neither is universally better. Matomo has the larger community, while Ackee is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Ackee and Matomo free and open-source?
Yes. Ackee is licensed under MIT and Matomo under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ackee and Matomo with Docker?
Ackee: yes. Matomo: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Ackee or Matomo?
Ackee has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Matomo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.