Pirsch vs Rybbit
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Rybbit
Open-source, privacy-friendly Google Analytics alternative
| Feature | Pirsch | Rybbit |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,030 | ★ 13,061 |
| First released | 2020 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics, Mixpanel |
What are Pirsch and Rybbit?
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
Rybbit
Rybbit is an open-source and privacy-friendly web and product analytics platform. It is cookieless, GDPR compliant, and offers an intuitive dashboard for tracking traffic and user behavior.
- Cookieless and GDPR compliant
- Real-time dashboard
- Funnels and user journeys
- Web and product analytics
Pirsch vs Rybbit: key differences
Pirsch is written in Go, while Rybbit is built with TypeScript. Pirsch is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Rybbit. Pirsch is the more established project (first released 2020), while Rybbit arrived in 2024. Rybbit has the considerably larger community, at 13,061 GitHub stars versus 1,030.
Why pick each one
Choose Pirsch if…
- GDPR-friendly by design
- Fast and efficient
Watch out for
- Self-hosting needs assembly
- Smaller ecosystem
Choose Rybbit if…
- Modern intuitive UI
- Combines web and product analytics
Watch out for
- Newer project
- Requires ClickHouse
Frequently asked questions
Is Pirsch or Rybbit better?
Neither is universally better. Rybbit has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Pirsch and Rybbit free and open-source?
Yes. Pirsch is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Rybbit under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Pirsch and Rybbit with Docker?
Pirsch: yes. Rybbit: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Pirsch or Rybbit?
Pirsch has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Rybbit. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.