GoatCounter vs Counter.dev Selfhost
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
GoatCounter
Easy and privacy-friendly web analytics
VS
Counter.dev Selfhost
Minimalist privacy-respecting web analytics
| Feature | GoatCounter | Counter.dev Selfhost |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 78 · Good |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | EUPL-1.2 | MIT |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,997 | ★ 1,009 |
| First released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are GoatCounter and Counter.dev Selfhost?
GoatCounter
GoatCounter is an open-source web analytics platform that is easy to use and privacy-friendly, collecting no personal data. It targets small site owners and hobbyists. It is deployed as a single binary or via Docker.
- No personal data collected
- Single-binary deployment
- Works without JavaScript
- Lightweight and fast
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
GoatCounter vs Counter.dev Selfhost: key differences
GoatCounter is written in Go, while Counter.dev Selfhost is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — EUPL-1.2 for GoatCounter versus MIT for Counter.dev Selfhost. GoatCounter has the considerably larger community, at 5,997 GitHub stars versus 1,009.
Why pick each one
Choose GoatCounter if…
- Extremely easy to run
- Very lightweight
- Privacy-friendly
Watch out for
- Basic reporting depth
- Small project
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)
Frequently asked questions
Is GoatCounter or Counter.dev Selfhost better?
Neither is universally better. GoatCounter has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are GoatCounter and Counter.dev Selfhost free and open-source?
Yes. GoatCounter is licensed under EUPL-1.2 and Counter.dev Selfhost under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GoatCounter and Counter.dev Selfhost with Docker?
GoatCounter: yes. Counter.dev Selfhost: yes.