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.
Not the right match-up?
GoatCounter
Easy and privacy-friendly web analytics
VS
Pirsch
Privacy-friendly, cookie-free web analytics platform
| Feature | GoatCounter | Pirsch |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ★ 5,864 | ★ 1,027 |
| First released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
Why pick each one
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.