Fathom Lite vs Matomo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Matomo
Powerful, privacy-respecting web analytics platform
| Feature | Fathom Lite | Matomo |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 57 · Fair | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,019 | ★ 21,893 |
| First released | 2018 | 2007 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are Fathom Lite and Matomo?
Fathom Lite
Fathom Lite is the open-source edition of Fathom Analytics, providing simple, privacy-focused website analytics. It targets users who want a lightweight self-hosted analytics tool. It is deployed as a single binary or via Docker.
- Simple privacy-focused analytics
- Single-binary deployment
- No cookies
- Lightweight dashboard
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
Fathom Lite vs Matomo: key differences
Fathom Lite is written in Go, while Matomo is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for Fathom Lite versus GPL-3.0 for Matomo. Fathom Lite is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Matomo. Matomo is the more established project (first released 2007), while Fathom Lite arrived in 2018. Matomo has the considerably larger community, at 21,893 GitHub stars versus 8,019.
Why pick each one
Choose Fathom Lite if…
- Very easy to run
- Privacy-friendly
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Lite edition no longer actively developed
- Basic feature set
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 Fathom Lite or Matomo better?
Neither is universally better. Matomo has the larger community, while Fathom Lite is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Fathom Lite and Matomo free and open-source?
Yes. Fathom Lite is licensed under MIT and Matomo under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Fathom Lite and Matomo with Docker?
Fathom Lite: yes. Matomo: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Fathom Lite or Matomo?
Fathom Lite has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Matomo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.