Ackee vs Tianji
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
Tianji
Insight hub combining analytics, uptime, and server status
| Feature | Ackee | Tianji |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,709 | ★ 3,100 |
| First released | 2018 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are Ackee and Tianji?
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
Tianji
Tianji is an all-in-one insight hub that combines website analytics, uptime monitoring, and server status into a single application. It offers a unified dashboard for observing your sites and infrastructure.
- Website analytics
- Uptime monitoring
- Server status reporting
- Unified insight dashboard
Ackee vs Tianji: key differences
Ackee is written in JavaScript, while Tianji is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for Ackee versus Apache-2.0 for Tianji. Ackee is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Tianji. Ackee is the more established project (first released 2018), while Tianji arrived in 2023.
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 Tianji if…
- Multiple tools in one
- Clean interface
Watch out for
- Jack-of-all-trades scope
- Younger project
Frequently asked questions
Is Ackee or Tianji better?
Ackee is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Tianji if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Ackee and Tianji free and open-source?
Yes. Ackee is licensed under MIT and Tianji under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ackee and Tianji with Docker?
Ackee: yes. Tianji: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Ackee or Tianji?
Ackee has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Tianji. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.