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GoatCounter vs Offen Fair Web Analytics

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
GoatCounter Easy and privacy-friendly web analytics VS OF Offen Fair Web Analytics Transparent, fair web analytics that respects users
FeatureGoatCounterOffen Fair Web Analytics
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score85 · Excellent46 · Fair
CategoryWeb AnalyticsWeb Analytics
LicenseEUPL-1.2Apache-2.0
LanguageGoJavaScript
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM128 MB256 MB
Deploymentbinary, dockerdocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 5,997★ 981
First released20192019
ReplacesGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Analytics

What are GoatCounter and Offen Fair Web Analytics?

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

Read the full GoatCounter guide →

Offen Fair Web Analytics

Offen Fair Web Analytics is a privacy-focused analytics tool that gives website operators insights while letting visitors see and delete their own data. It is transparent and consent-based.

  • Visitor data transparency
  • End-to-end encrypted data
  • Consent-based tracking
  • Users can delete their data

GoatCounter vs Offen Fair Web Analytics: key differences

GoatCounter is written in Go, while Offen Fair Web Analytics is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — EUPL-1.2 for GoatCounter versus Apache-2.0 for Offen Fair Web Analytics. GoatCounter is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Offen Fair Web Analytics. GoatCounter has the considerably larger community, at 5,997 GitHub stars versus 981.

Why pick each one

Choose GoatCounter if…

  • Extremely easy to run
  • Very lightweight
  • Privacy-friendly

Watch out for

  • Basic reporting depth
  • Small project
GoatCounter details

Choose Offen Fair Web Analytics if…

  • Exceptionally privacy-respecting
  • Builds visitor trust

Watch out for

  • Less mainstream
  • Consent UI changes metrics
Offen Fair Web Analytics details

Frequently asked questions

Is GoatCounter or Offen Fair Web Analytics better?

GoatCounter is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Offen Fair Web Analytics if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are GoatCounter and Offen Fair Web Analytics free and open-source?

Yes. GoatCounter is licensed under EUPL-1.2 and Offen Fair Web Analytics under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run GoatCounter and Offen Fair Web Analytics with Docker?

GoatCounter: yes. Offen Fair Web Analytics: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, GoatCounter or Offen Fair Web Analytics?

GoatCounter has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Offen Fair Web Analytics. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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