Counter.dev Selfhost vs Swetrix
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Swetrix
Privacy-focused, cookieless web analytics service
| Feature | Counter.dev Selfhost | Swetrix |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 78 · Good | 83 · 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 | ★ 1,202 |
| First released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are Counter.dev Selfhost and Swetrix?
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
Swetrix
Swetrix is an open-source, privacy-focused web analytics platform that is fully cookieless and GDPR compliant. It tracks page views, user flows, and custom events without identifying visitors.
- Cookieless tracking
- User flow analysis
- Custom events
- Performance metrics
Counter.dev Selfhost vs Swetrix: key differences
Counter.dev Selfhost is written in JavaScript, while Swetrix is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for Counter.dev Selfhost versus AGPL-3.0 for Swetrix. Counter.dev Selfhost is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Swetrix.
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 Swetrix if…
- No cookie banner needed
- Detailed flow reports
Watch out for
- Needs ClickHouse and Redis
- Setup is multi-component
Frequently asked questions
Is Counter.dev Selfhost or Swetrix better?
Neither is universally better. Swetrix 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 Swetrix free and open-source?
Yes. Counter.dev Selfhost is licensed under MIT and Swetrix under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Counter.dev Selfhost and Swetrix with Docker?
Counter.dev Selfhost: yes. Swetrix: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Counter.dev Selfhost or Swetrix?
Counter.dev Selfhost has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Swetrix. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.