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.
Not the right match-up?
Fathom Lite
Simple, open-source website analytics
VS
Matomo
Powerful, privacy-respecting web analytics platform
| Feature | Fathom Lite | Matomo |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ★ 8,013 | ★ 21,749 |
| First released | 2018 | 2007 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
Why pick each one
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.