GoatCounter vs Pirsch
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
Pirsch
Go library and API for privacy-friendly, cookie-free web analytics
| Feature | GoatCounter | Pirsch |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | EUPL-1.2 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,997 | ★ 1,030 |
| First released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are GoatCounter and Pirsch?
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
Pirsch
Pirsch is a Go library for server-side, cookie-free web analytics. The open-source repository provides the tracking and statistics code you embed in your own application; the hosted pirsch.io dashboard is a separate commercial product.
- Cookie-free tracking
- No personal data collected
- Lightweight tracking script
- Go analytics engine
GoatCounter vs Pirsch: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — EUPL-1.2 for GoatCounter versus AGPL-3.0 for Pirsch. GoatCounter is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Pirsch. GoatCounter has the considerably larger community, at 5,997 GitHub stars versus 1,030.
Why pick each one
Choose GoatCounter if…
- Extremely easy to run
- Very lightweight
- Privacy-friendly
Watch out for
- Basic reporting depth
- Small project
Choose Pirsch if…
- GDPR-friendly by design
- Fast and efficient
Watch out for
- Self-hosting needs assembly
- Smaller ecosystem
Frequently asked questions
Is GoatCounter or Pirsch better?
GoatCounter is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Pirsch if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are GoatCounter and Pirsch free and open-source?
Yes. GoatCounter is licensed under EUPL-1.2 and Pirsch under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GoatCounter and Pirsch with Docker?
GoatCounter: yes. Pirsch: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, GoatCounter or Pirsch?
GoatCounter has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Pirsch. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.