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Fathom Lite vs Offen Fair Web Analytics

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?
FA Fathom Lite Simple, open-source website analytics VS OF Offen Fair Web Analytics Transparent, fair web analytics that respects users
FeatureFathom LiteOffen Fair Web Analytics
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score57 · Fair46 · Fair
CategoryWeb AnalyticsWeb Analytics
LicenseMITApache-2.0
LanguageGoJavaScript
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM128 MB256 MB
Deploymentbinary, dockerdocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 8,019★ 981
First released20182019
ReplacesGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Analytics

What are Fathom Lite and Offen Fair Web Analytics?

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

Read the full Fathom Lite guide →

Offen Fair Web Analytics

Offen Fair Web Analytics is a privacy-focused analytics tool that gives website operators insights while letting visitors see and delete their own data. It is transparent and consent-based.

  • Visitor data transparency
  • End-to-end encrypted data
  • Consent-based tracking
  • Users can delete their data

Fathom Lite vs Offen Fair Web Analytics: key differences

Fathom Lite is written in Go, while Offen Fair Web Analytics is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — MIT for Fathom Lite versus Apache-2.0 for Offen Fair Web Analytics. Fathom Lite is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Offen Fair Web Analytics. Fathom Lite has the considerably larger community, at 8,019 GitHub stars versus 981.

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
Fathom Lite details

Choose Offen Fair Web Analytics if…

  • Exceptionally privacy-respecting
  • Builds visitor trust

Watch out for

  • Less mainstream
  • Consent UI changes metrics
Offen Fair Web Analytics details

Frequently asked questions

Is Fathom Lite or Offen Fair Web Analytics better?

Fathom Lite is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Offen Fair Web Analytics if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Fathom Lite and Offen Fair Web Analytics free and open-source?

Yes. Fathom Lite is licensed under MIT and Offen Fair Web Analytics under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Fathom Lite and Offen Fair Web Analytics with Docker?

Fathom Lite: yes. Offen Fair Web Analytics: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, Fathom Lite or Offen Fair Web Analytics?

Fathom Lite has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Offen Fair Web Analytics. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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