Fathom Lite vs Shynet
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Fathom Lite | Shynet |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 57 · Fair | 69 · Good |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,019 | ★ 3,155 |
| First released | 2018 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are Fathom Lite and Shynet?
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
Shynet
Shynet is a modern, privacy-friendly, and detailed web analytics platform that works without cookies and even without JavaScript. It targets users wanting solid analytics with strong privacy. It is deployed via Docker.
- Works without JavaScript or cookies
- Detailed session insights
- Multiple sites and users
- Privacy-respecting
Fathom Lite vs Shynet: key differences
Fathom Lite is written in Go, while Shynet is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for Fathom Lite versus Apache-2.0 for Shynet. Fathom Lite is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Shynet. Fathom Lite is the more established project (first released 2018), while Shynet arrived in 2020. Fathom Lite has the considerably larger community, at 8,019 GitHub stars versus 3,155.
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 Shynet if…
- Strong privacy
- Works without JS
- Detailed sessions
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Fewer integrations
Frequently asked questions
Is Fathom Lite or Shynet 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 Shynet free and open-source?
Yes. Fathom Lite is licensed under MIT and Shynet under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Fathom Lite and Shynet with Docker?
Fathom Lite: yes. Shynet: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Fathom Lite or Shynet?
Fathom Lite has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Shynet. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.