Open Web Analytics vs OpenPanel
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
OpenPanel
Open-source web and product analytics in one tool
| Feature | Open Web Analytics | OpenPanel |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 89 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,690 | ★ 7,042 |
| First released | 2008 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Mixpanel, Google Analytics |
What are Open Web Analytics and OpenPanel?
Open Web Analytics
Open Web Analytics (OWA) is a long-standing self-hosted web analytics framework that tracks visitors, click streams, and heatmaps. It can be embedded in WordPress and MediaWiki.
- Click stream tracking
- Heatmaps
- WordPress integration
- Visitor profiles
OpenPanel
OpenPanel is an open-source analytics platform that combines web analytics with product analytics, positioned as a mix of Mixpanel and Plausible. It tracks events, funnels, and user retention.
- Web and product analytics
- Funnels and retention
- Real-time event tracking
- Privacy-friendly design
Open Web Analytics vs OpenPanel: key differences
Open Web Analytics is written in PHP, while OpenPanel is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Open Web Analytics versus AGPL-3.0 for OpenPanel. Open Web Analytics is the more established project (first released 2008), while OpenPanel arrived in 2024. OpenPanel has the considerably larger community, at 7,042 GitHub stars versus 2,690.
Why pick each one
Choose Open Web Analytics if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Choose OpenPanel if…
- Mixpanel-style features open-source
- Modern dashboard
Watch out for
- Newer project
- Multi-service deployment
Frequently asked questions
Is Open Web Analytics or OpenPanel better?
Neither is universally better. OpenPanel has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Open Web Analytics and OpenPanel free and open-source?
Yes. Open Web Analytics is licensed under GPL-2.0 and OpenPanel under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Open Web Analytics and OpenPanel with Docker?
Open Web Analytics: yes. OpenPanel: yes.