Counter.dev Selfhost vs Tianji
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Tianji
Insight hub combining analytics, uptime, and server status
| Feature | Counter.dev Selfhost | Tianji |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 78 · Good | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,009 | ★ 3,100 |
| First released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are Counter.dev Selfhost and Tianji?
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
Tianji
Tianji is an all-in-one insight hub that combines website analytics, uptime monitoring, and server status into a single application. It offers a unified dashboard for observing your sites and infrastructure.
- Website analytics
- Uptime monitoring
- Server status reporting
- Unified insight dashboard
Counter.dev Selfhost vs Tianji: key differences
Counter.dev Selfhost is written in JavaScript, while Tianji is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for Counter.dev Selfhost versus Apache-2.0 for Tianji. Counter.dev Selfhost is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Tianji. Counter.dev Selfhost is the more established project (first released 2020), while Tianji arrived in 2023. Tianji has the considerably larger community, at 3,100 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 Tianji if…
- Multiple tools in one
- Clean interface
Watch out for
- Jack-of-all-trades scope
- Younger project
Frequently asked questions
Is Counter.dev Selfhost or Tianji better?
Neither is universally better. Tianji 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 Tianji free and open-source?
Yes. Counter.dev Selfhost is licensed under MIT and Tianji under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Counter.dev Selfhost and Tianji with Docker?
Counter.dev Selfhost: yes. Tianji: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Counter.dev Selfhost or Tianji?
Counter.dev Selfhost has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Tianji. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.