GoatCounter vs Swetrix
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
Swetrix
Privacy-focused, cookieless web analytics service
| Feature | GoatCounter | Swetrix |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 83 · 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 | ★ 5,994 | ★ 1,202 |
| First released | 2019 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are GoatCounter and Swetrix?
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
Swetrix
Swetrix is an open-source, privacy-focused web analytics platform that is fully cookieless and GDPR compliant. It tracks page views, user flows, and custom events without identifying visitors.
- Cookieless tracking
- User flow analysis
- Custom events
- Performance metrics
GoatCounter vs Swetrix: key differences
GoatCounter is written in Go, while Swetrix is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — EUPL-1.2 for GoatCounter versus AGPL-3.0 for Swetrix. GoatCounter is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Swetrix. GoatCounter is the more established project (first released 2019), while Swetrix arrived in 2021. GoatCounter has the considerably larger community, at 5,994 GitHub stars versus 1,202.
Why pick each one
Choose GoatCounter if…
- Extremely easy to run
- Very lightweight
- Privacy-friendly
Watch out for
- Basic reporting depth
- Small project
Choose Swetrix if…
- No cookie banner needed
- Detailed flow reports
Watch out for
- Needs ClickHouse and Redis
- Setup is multi-component
Frequently asked questions
Is GoatCounter or Swetrix better?
GoatCounter is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Swetrix if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are GoatCounter and Swetrix free and open-source?
Yes. GoatCounter is licensed under EUPL-1.2 and Swetrix under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GoatCounter and Swetrix with Docker?
GoatCounter: yes. Swetrix: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, GoatCounter or Swetrix?
GoatCounter has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Swetrix. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.