OpenPanel vs Pirsch
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
VS
Pirsch
Go library and API for privacy-friendly, cookie-free web analytics
| Feature | OpenPanel | Pirsch |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,042 | ★ 1,030 |
| First released | 2024 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Mixpanel, Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are OpenPanel and Pirsch?
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
Pirsch
Pirsch is a Go library for server-side, cookie-free web analytics. The open-source repository provides the tracking and statistics code you embed in your own application; the hosted pirsch.io dashboard is a separate commercial product.
- Cookie-free tracking
- No personal data collected
- Lightweight tracking script
- Go analytics engine
OpenPanel vs Pirsch: key differences
OpenPanel is written in TypeScript, while Pirsch is built with Go. Pirsch is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for OpenPanel. Pirsch is the more established project (first released 2020), while OpenPanel arrived in 2024. OpenPanel has the considerably larger community, at 7,042 GitHub stars versus 1,030.
Why pick each one
Choose OpenPanel if…
- Mixpanel-style features open-source
- Modern dashboard
Watch out for
- Newer project
- Multi-service deployment
Choose Pirsch if…
- GDPR-friendly by design
- Fast and efficient
Watch out for
- Self-hosting needs assembly
- Smaller ecosystem
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenPanel or Pirsch 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 OpenPanel and Pirsch free and open-source?
Yes. OpenPanel is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Pirsch under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenPanel and Pirsch with Docker?
OpenPanel: yes. Pirsch: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, OpenPanel or Pirsch?
Pirsch has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for OpenPanel. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.