Plausible vs Fathom vs Umami: Privacy-First Analytics Compared
Choosing a privacy-first analytics tool is no longer optional for EU-facing SaaS products — it's a GDPR necessity. Google Analytics requires consent banners for most EU use cases. Plausible, Fathom, and Umami offer cookie-free, GDPR-compliant alternatives that work without consent banners in most cases. Here's how they compare on every dimension that matters.
Plausible
Lightweight, open source, privacy-friendly
Best for: Most SaaS teams starting out with privacy-first analytics
plausible.io ↗Fathom
Simple, fast, privacy-focused analytics
Best for: Teams that want zero configuration and strong EU data residency
usefathom.com ↗Umami
Open-source alternative to Google Analytics
Best for: Self-hosters who want full data control at minimal cost
umami.is ↗| Criterion | Plausible | Fathom | Umami | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
GDPR Compliance (no consent banner) Whether the tool can be used without a cookie consent banner for EU visitors | Yes — no cookies, no personal data storage, no consent required in most cases | Yes — cookie-free, no personal data, consent-free for most EU use | Yes — no cookies by default, but depends on self-host configuration | Tie (Plausible and Fathom) |
Pricing Monthly cost for typical SaaS usage (up to 100k pageviews/month) | $9/month cloud (up to 10k pageviews) — $19 for 100k; free to self-host | $15/month cloud (unlimited sites, 100k pageviews) | Free to self-host; cloud starts at $9/month | Umami (self-hosted is free) |
EU Data Residency Whether data is stored in the EU by default | Yes — EU-based hosting by default on cloud plan | Yes — EU isolation option available on higher plans | Depends on where you self-host; cloud is US-based | Plausible |
Script Size Size of the analytics tracking script (affects page performance) | < 1KB gzipped | < 2KB gzipped | ~2KB gzipped | Plausible |
Self-Hosting Ease and quality of self-hosting option | Yes — Docker image, well-documented, community support | No self-hosting option (cloud-only) | Yes — primary deployment model, excellent Docker support | Umami |
Real-Time Data Whether real-time visitor data is available in the dashboard | Yes — real-time dashboard included | Yes — real-time dashboard included | Yes — real-time data available | Tie |
Custom Events Support for tracking custom user interactions beyond pageviews | Yes — custom events and goals with a simple API | Yes — event tracking with custom attributes | Yes — custom events with full flexibility on self-hosted | Tie |
Revenue Tracking Ability to track revenue events and conversion value | Yes — revenue goals with monetary values | Yes — revenue attribution on plans | Not natively — requires custom event workarounds | Plausible and Fathom |
Team & Multi-Site Support Managing multiple sites and team member access | Yes — multi-site dashboard, team members with roles | Yes — unlimited sites on all plans, team sharing | Yes — multiple sites, team accounts | Fathom (unlimited sites from entry plan) |
Open Source Whether the codebase is publicly available and auditable | Yes — AGPL-3.0 licensed | No — proprietary | Yes — MIT licensed | Plausible and Umami |
Our Verdict
All three tools are strong GDPR-compliant alternatives to Google Analytics. Plausible hits the best balance of features, EU hosting, and ease of use for most SaaS teams. Fathom wins on simplicity — zero config, reliable, and great support. Umami is the choice when budget is a constraint and you're comfortable self-hosting.
Use-Case Recommendations
Scenario: EU-based SaaS startup, no DevOps resource
→ Plausible Cloud
EU hosting by default, easy setup, no infrastructure to manage, compliant out of the box.
Scenario: Developer who wants zero ongoing maintenance
→ Fathom
Cloud-only means no servers to maintain, excellent uptime, and strong support.
Scenario: Cost-sensitive project or privacy-maximalist self-hoster
→ Umami (self-hosted)
Free, full data ownership, can host on the same VPS as your app.
Scenario: Tracking revenue and conversions alongside traffic
→ Plausible or Fathom
Both have native revenue tracking; Umami requires workarounds for monetary event values.