GoatCounter vs Highlight.io
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
Highlight.io
Open-source session replay and product monitoring
| Feature | GoatCounter | Highlight.io |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | EUPL-1.2 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,864 | ★ 9,357 |
| First released | 2019 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | LogRocket, Sentry |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is GoatCounter or Highlight.io better?
Neither is universally better. Highlight.io has the larger community, while GoatCounter is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are GoatCounter and Highlight.io free and open-source?
Yes. GoatCounter is licensed under EUPL-1.2 and Highlight.io under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GoatCounter and Highlight.io with Docker?
GoatCounter: yes. Highlight.io: yes.