Pirsch vs Vince Analytics
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Pirsch | Vince Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 42 · Fair |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,030 | ★ 2,015 |
| First released | 2020 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are Pirsch and Vince Analytics?
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
Vince Analytics
Vince is a self-hosted, privacy-friendly alternative to Google Analytics packaged as a single small binary. It focuses on low resource usage and a simple Plausible-style dashboard.
- Single small binary
- Privacy-friendly tracking
- Plausible-style dashboard
- Low resource usage
Pirsch vs Vince Analytics: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Vince Analytics is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Pirsch. Pirsch is the more established project (first released 2020), while Vince Analytics arrived in 2023.
Why pick each one
Choose Pirsch if…
- GDPR-friendly by design
- Fast and efficient
Watch out for
- Self-hosting needs assembly
- Smaller ecosystem
Choose Vince Analytics if…
- Trivial to deploy
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Younger project
- Smaller community
Frequently asked questions
Is Pirsch or Vince Analytics better?
Vince Analytics is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Pirsch if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Pirsch and Vince Analytics free and open-source?
Yes. Pirsch is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Vince Analytics under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Pirsch and Vince Analytics with Docker?
Pirsch: yes. Vince Analytics: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Pirsch or Vince Analytics?
Vince Analytics has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Pirsch. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.