Open Web Analytics vs Shynet
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Open Web Analytics | Shynet |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 69 · Good |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,690 | ★ 3,155 |
| First released | 2008 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are Open Web Analytics and Shynet?
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
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
Open Web Analytics vs Shynet: key differences
Open Web Analytics is written in PHP, while Shynet is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Open Web Analytics versus Apache-2.0 for Shynet. Open Web Analytics is the more established project (first released 2008), while Shynet arrived in 2020.
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 Shynet if…
- Strong privacy
- Works without JS
- Detailed sessions
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Fewer integrations
Frequently asked questions
Is Open Web Analytics or Shynet better?
Shynet is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Open Web Analytics if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Open Web Analytics and Shynet free and open-source?
Yes. Open Web Analytics is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Shynet under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Open Web Analytics and Shynet with Docker?
Open Web Analytics: yes. Shynet: yes.