Fathom Lite vs GoatCounter
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Fathom Lite
Simple, open-source website analytics
VS
GoatCounter
Easy and privacy-friendly web analytics
| Feature | Fathom Lite | GoatCounter |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | EUPL-1.2 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | binary, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,013 | ★ 5,864 |
| First released | 2018 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Fathom Lite or GoatCounter better?
Neither is universally better. Fathom Lite has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Fathom Lite and GoatCounter free and open-source?
Yes. Fathom Lite is licensed under MIT and GoatCounter under EUPL-1.2. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Fathom Lite and GoatCounter with Docker?
Fathom Lite: yes. GoatCounter: yes.