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Matomo vs Offen Fair Web Analytics

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?
Matomo Powerful, privacy-respecting web analytics platform VS OF Offen Fair Web Analytics Transparent, fair web analytics that respects users
FeatureMatomoOffen Fair Web Analytics
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score96 · Excellent46 · Fair
CategoryWeb AnalyticsWeb Analytics
LicenseGPL-3.0Apache-2.0
LanguagePHPJavaScript
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 21,893★ 981
First released20072019
ReplacesGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Analytics

What are Matomo and Offen Fair Web Analytics?

Matomo

Matomo is a powerful, open-source web analytics platform that gives full ownership of data as a privacy-friendly alternative to Google Analytics. It targets organizations that need detailed analytics with data control. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.

  • Full-featured analytics suite
  • 100% data ownership
  • Heatmaps and funnels via plugins
  • GDPR-friendly configuration

Read the full Matomo guide →

Offen Fair Web Analytics

Offen Fair Web Analytics is a privacy-focused analytics tool that gives website operators insights while letting visitors see and delete their own data. It is transparent and consent-based.

  • Visitor data transparency
  • End-to-end encrypted data
  • Consent-based tracking
  • Users can delete their data

Matomo vs Offen Fair Web Analytics: key differences

Matomo is written in PHP, while Offen Fair Web Analytics is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Matomo versus Apache-2.0 for Offen Fair Web Analytics. Offen Fair Web Analytics is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Matomo. Matomo is the more established project (first released 2007), while Offen Fair Web Analytics arrived in 2019. Matomo has the considerably larger community, at 21,893 GitHub stars versus 981.

Why pick each one

Choose Matomo if…

  • Comprehensive analytics
  • Privacy-respecting
  • Mature and extensible

Watch out for

  • Heavier to self-host
  • Some features in paid plugins
Matomo details

Choose Offen Fair Web Analytics if…

  • Exceptionally privacy-respecting
  • Builds visitor trust

Watch out for

  • Less mainstream
  • Consent UI changes metrics
Offen Fair Web Analytics details

Frequently asked questions

Is Matomo or Offen Fair Web Analytics better?

Neither is universally better. Matomo has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Matomo and Offen Fair Web Analytics free and open-source?

Yes. Matomo is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Offen Fair Web Analytics under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Matomo and Offen Fair Web Analytics with Docker?

Matomo: yes. Offen Fair Web Analytics: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, Matomo or Offen Fair Web Analytics?

Offen Fair Web Analytics has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Matomo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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