Counter.dev Selfhost 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 | Counter.dev Selfhost | Rybbit |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 78 · Good | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,009 | ★ 13,058 |
| First released | 2020 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics, Mixpanel |
What are Counter.dev Selfhost and Rybbit?
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
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
Counter.dev Selfhost vs Rybbit: key differences
Counter.dev Selfhost is written in JavaScript, while Rybbit is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for Counter.dev Selfhost versus AGPL-3.0 for Rybbit. Counter.dev Selfhost is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Rybbit. Counter.dev Selfhost is the more established project (first released 2020), while Rybbit arrived in 2024. Rybbit has the considerably larger community, at 13,058 GitHub stars versus 1,009.
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 Rybbit if…
- Modern intuitive UI
- Combines web and product analytics
Watch out for
- Newer project
- Requires ClickHouse
Frequently asked questions
Is Counter.dev Selfhost or Rybbit better?
Neither is universally better. Rybbit 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 Rybbit free and open-source?
Yes. Counter.dev Selfhost is licensed under MIT and Rybbit under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Counter.dev Selfhost and Rybbit with Docker?
Counter.dev Selfhost: yes. Rybbit: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Counter.dev Selfhost or Rybbit?
Counter.dev Selfhost 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.