OpenPanel vs Shynet
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
Shynet
Modern, privacy-friendly, detailed web analytics
| Feature | OpenPanel | Shynet |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 69 · Good |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,042 | ★ 3,155 |
| First released | 2024 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Mixpanel, Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are OpenPanel and Shynet?
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
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
OpenPanel vs Shynet: key differences
OpenPanel is written in TypeScript, while Shynet is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for OpenPanel versus Apache-2.0 for Shynet. Shynet 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 3,155.
Why pick each one
Choose OpenPanel if…
- Mixpanel-style features open-source
- Modern dashboard
Watch out for
- Newer project
- Multi-service deployment
Choose Shynet if…
- Strong privacy
- Works without JS
- Detailed sessions
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Fewer integrations
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenPanel or Shynet better?
Neither is universally better. OpenPanel 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 OpenPanel and Shynet free and open-source?
Yes. OpenPanel is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Shynet under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenPanel and Shynet with Docker?
OpenPanel: yes. Shynet: yes.