Counter.dev Selfhost vs Pirsch
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Counter.dev Selfhost | Pirsch |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 78 · Good | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,009 | ★ 1,030 |
| First released | 2020 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are Counter.dev Selfhost and Pirsch?
Counter.dev Selfhost
Counter.dev is a minimalist, privacy-respecting web analytics service that can be self-hosted. It records page visits without cookies and shows a compact stats view.
- Cookie-free analytics
- Minimal dashboard
- Easy embed
- Privacy respecting
Pirsch
Pirsch is a Go library for server-side, cookie-free web analytics. The open-source repository provides the tracking and statistics code you embed in your own application; the hosted pirsch.io dashboard is a separate commercial product.
- Cookie-free tracking
- No personal data collected
- Lightweight tracking script
- Go analytics engine
Counter.dev Selfhost vs Pirsch: key differences
Counter.dev Selfhost is written in JavaScript, while Pirsch is built with Go. Licensing differs — MIT for Counter.dev Selfhost versus AGPL-3.0 for Pirsch. Counter.dev Selfhost is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Pirsch.
Why pick each one
Choose Counter.dev Selfhost if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
Choose Pirsch if…
- GDPR-friendly by design
- Fast and efficient
Watch out for
- Self-hosting needs assembly
- Smaller ecosystem
Frequently asked questions
Is Counter.dev Selfhost or Pirsch better?
Neither is universally better. Pirsch has the larger community, while Counter.dev Selfhost is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Counter.dev Selfhost and Pirsch free and open-source?
Yes. Counter.dev Selfhost is licensed under MIT and Pirsch under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Counter.dev Selfhost and Pirsch with Docker?
Counter.dev Selfhost: yes. Pirsch: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Counter.dev Selfhost or Pirsch?
Counter.dev Selfhost has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Pirsch. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.