Aptabase vs Rakam Analytics
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Aptabase
Privacy-first analytics for apps and games
VS
Rakam Analytics
Custom analytics platform with SQL on event data
| Feature | Aptabase | Rakam Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,821 | ★ 790 |
| First released | 2023 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Firebase Analytics, Mixpanel | Mixpanel, Amplitude |
What are Aptabase and Rakam Analytics?
Aptabase
Aptabase is a privacy-first, open-source analytics platform built for mobile, desktop, and web applications. It records anonymous usage events and renders simple dashboards.
- App usage analytics
- Privacy first
- SDKs for many platforms
- Simple dashboards
Rakam Analytics
Rakam is an analytics platform that lets you collect custom events and run SQL queries to build reports. It is designed for product teams that want flexible self-hosted analytics.
- Custom event collection
- SQL on event data
- Flexible reports
- Self-hosted control
Aptabase vs Rakam Analytics: key differences
Aptabase is written in TypeScript, while Rakam Analytics is built with Java. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Aptabase versus Apache-2.0 for Rakam Analytics. Aptabase is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Rakam Analytics. Rakam Analytics is the more established project (first released 2014), while Aptabase arrived in 2023. Aptabase has the considerably larger community, at 1,821 GitHub stars versus 790.
Why pick each one
Choose Aptabase if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Choose Rakam Analytics if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Java
Frequently asked questions
Is Aptabase or Rakam Analytics better?
Aptabase is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Rakam Analytics if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Aptabase and Rakam Analytics free and open-source?
Yes. Aptabase is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Rakam Analytics under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Aptabase and Rakam Analytics with Docker?
Aptabase: yes. Rakam Analytics: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Aptabase or Rakam Analytics?
Aptabase has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Rakam Analytics. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.