Open Web Analytics 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?
Open Web Analytics
Self-hosted web analytics with click and heatmap tracking
VS
Pirsch
Privacy-friendly, cookie-free web analytics platform
| Feature | Open Web Analytics | Pirsch |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,682 | ★ 1,027 |
| First released | 2008 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
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
Frequently asked questions
Is Open Web Analytics or Pirsch better?
Neither is universally better. Open Web Analytics has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Open Web Analytics and Pirsch free and open-source?
Yes. Open Web Analytics is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Pirsch under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Open Web Analytics and Pirsch with Docker?
Open Web Analytics: yes. Pirsch: yes.