Counterscale vs Shynet
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Counterscale | Shynet |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 80 · Excellent | 69 · Good |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | one-click, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,147 | ★ 3,155 |
| First released | 2024 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are Counterscale and Shynet?
Counterscale
Counterscale is a simple, privacy-friendly web analytics tool designed to be easy to deploy and maintain on Cloudflare Workers. It tracks page views and visitors with minimal infrastructure.
- Runs on Cloudflare Workers
- Privacy-friendly tracking
- Minimal infrastructure
- Cheap to operate
Shynet
Shynet is a modern, privacy-friendly, and detailed web analytics platform that works without cookies and even without JavaScript. It targets users wanting solid analytics with strong privacy. It is deployed via Docker.
- Works without JavaScript or cookies
- Detailed session insights
- Multiple sites and users
- Privacy-respecting
Counterscale vs Shynet: key differences
Counterscale is written in TypeScript, while Shynet is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for Counterscale versus Apache-2.0 for Shynet. Counterscale is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Shynet. Shynet is the more established project (first released 2020), while Counterscale arrived in 2024. Shynet lists first-class Docker deployment; Counterscale does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Counterscale if…
- Almost free to run
- Very easy deployment
Watch out for
- Cloudflare dependency
- Basic feature set
Choose Shynet if…
- Strong privacy
- Works without JS
- Detailed sessions
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Fewer integrations
Frequently asked questions
Is Counterscale or Shynet better?
Neither is universally better. Shynet has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Counterscale and Shynet free and open-source?
Yes. Counterscale is licensed under MIT and Shynet under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Counterscale and Shynet with Docker?
Counterscale: check the project docs for container support. Shynet: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Counterscale or Shynet?
Counterscale has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Shynet. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.