Plausible vs Shynet
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Plausible
Lightweight, privacy-friendly website analytics
VS
Shynet
Modern, privacy-friendly, detailed web analytics
| Feature | Plausible | Shynet |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 69 · Good |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Elixir | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 29,197 | ★ 3,155 |
| First released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
What are Plausible and Shynet?
Plausible
Plausible is a lightweight, open-source, privacy-friendly web analytics tool that needs no cookies and is GDPR compliant. It targets site owners who want simple, ethical analytics. It is deployed via Docker.
- Cookie-free and GDPR compliant
- Tiny tracking script
- Clean single-page dashboard
- Goal and funnel tracking
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
Plausible vs Shynet: key differences
Plausible is written in Elixir, while Shynet is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Plausible versus Apache-2.0 for Shynet. Shynet is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Plausible. Plausible has the considerably larger community, at 29,197 GitHub stars versus 3,155.
Why pick each one
Choose Plausible if…
- Privacy-friendly by design
- Simple and fast
- Lightweight script
Watch out for
- Self-host needs Postgres and ClickHouse
- Fewer deep reports than Matomo
Choose Shynet if…
- Strong privacy
- Works without JS
- Detailed sessions
Watch out for
- Smaller community
- Fewer integrations
Frequently asked questions
Is Plausible or Shynet better?
Neither is universally better. Plausible 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 Plausible and Shynet free and open-source?
Yes. Plausible is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Shynet under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Plausible and Shynet with Docker?
Plausible: yes. Shynet: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Plausible or Shynet?
Shynet has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Plausible. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.