Fathom Lite vs Rybbit
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Rybbit
Open-source, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative
| Feature | Fathom Lite | Rybbit |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 57 · Fair | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,019 | ★ 13,061 |
| First released | 2018 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics, Mixpanel |
What are Fathom Lite and Rybbit?
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
Rybbit
Rybbit is an open-source and privacy-friendly web and product analytics platform. It is cookieless, GDPR compliant, and offers an intuitive dashboard for tracking traffic and user behavior.
- Cookieless and GDPR compliant
- Real-time dashboard
- Funnels and user journeys
- Web and product analytics
Fathom Lite vs Rybbit: key differences
Fathom Lite is written in Go, while Rybbit is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for Fathom Lite versus AGPL-3.0 for Rybbit. Fathom Lite is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Rybbit. Fathom Lite is the more established project (first released 2018), while Rybbit arrived in 2024.
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 Rybbit if…
- Modern intuitive UI
- Combines web and product analytics
Watch out for
- Newer project
- Requires ClickHouse
Frequently asked questions
Is Fathom Lite or Rybbit better?
Neither is universally better. Rybbit 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 Rybbit free and open-source?
Yes. Fathom Lite is licensed under MIT and Rybbit under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Fathom Lite and Rybbit with Docker?
Fathom Lite: yes. Rybbit: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Fathom Lite or Rybbit?
Fathom Lite has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Rybbit. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.