GoatCounter vs Rybbit
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
Rybbit
Open-source, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative
| Feature | GoatCounter | Rybbit |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | EUPL-1.2 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,997 | ★ 13,061 |
| First released | 2019 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics, Mixpanel |
What are GoatCounter and Rybbit?
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
Rybbit
Rybbit is an open-source and privacy-friendly web and product analytics platform. It is cookieless, GDPR compliant, and offers an intuitive dashboard for tracking traffic and user behavior.
- Cookieless and GDPR compliant
- Real-time dashboard
- Funnels and user journeys
- Web and product analytics
GoatCounter vs Rybbit: key differences
GoatCounter is written in Go, while Rybbit is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — EUPL-1.2 for GoatCounter versus AGPL-3.0 for Rybbit. GoatCounter is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Rybbit. GoatCounter is the more established project (first released 2019), while Rybbit arrived in 2024. Rybbit has the considerably larger community, at 13,061 GitHub stars versus 5,997.
Why pick each one
Choose GoatCounter if…
- Extremely easy to run
- Very lightweight
- Privacy-friendly
Watch out for
- Basic reporting depth
- Small project
Choose Rybbit if…
- Modern intuitive UI
- Combines web and product analytics
Watch out for
- Newer project
- Requires ClickHouse
Frequently asked questions
Is GoatCounter or Rybbit better?
Neither is universally better. Rybbit 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 Rybbit free and open-source?
Yes. GoatCounter is licensed under EUPL-1.2 and Rybbit under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GoatCounter and Rybbit with Docker?
GoatCounter: yes. Rybbit: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, GoatCounter or Rybbit?
GoatCounter has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Rybbit. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.