Matomo vs Shynet
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Matomo
Powerful, privacy-respecting web analytics platform
VS
Shynet
Modern, privacy-friendly, detailed web analytics
| Feature | Matomo | Shynet |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 69 · Good |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 21,893 | ★ 3,155 |
| First released | 2007 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are Matomo and Shynet?
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
Shynet
Shynet is a modern, privacy-friendly, and detailed web analytics platform that works without cookies and even without JavaScript. It targets users wanting solid analytics with strong privacy. It is deployed via Docker.
- Works without JavaScript or cookies
- Detailed session insights
- Multiple sites and users
- Privacy-respecting
Matomo vs Shynet: key differences
Matomo is written in PHP, while Shynet is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Matomo versus Apache-2.0 for Shynet. Shynet is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Matomo. Matomo is the more established project (first released 2007), while Shynet arrived in 2020. Matomo has the considerably larger community, at 21,893 GitHub stars versus 3,155.
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
Choose Shynet if…
- Strong privacy
- Works without JS
- Detailed sessions
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Fewer integrations
Frequently asked questions
Is Matomo or Shynet better?
Neither is universally better. Matomo has the larger community, while Shynet is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Matomo and Shynet free and open-source?
Yes. Matomo is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Shynet under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Matomo and Shynet with Docker?
Matomo: yes. Shynet: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Matomo or Shynet?
Shynet has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Matomo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.