Plausible Analytics is a privacy-first, open-source web analytics platform that answers the essential questions, pages read, referrers, conversions, on a single-page dashboard with no cookies and no personal data collected. The hosted Cloud is a paid subscription from a bootstrapped ten-person team, and the same codebase self-hosts as a free Community Edition under AGPLv3.[1][2]
Quick verdict
People who want honest, low-ceremony web stats benefit most from Plausible: a sub-kilobyte-class script plus a single-page dashboard remove both the page-weight cost and the consent-banner burden of incumbent analytics. The constraint is scope: it answers the essential handful of questions and declines the rest, and the free edition is one you operate yourself. Sites wanting simple private stats with optional self-hosting should choose Plausible; sites wanting a free hosted suite with deep segmentation should stay with Google Analytics.[1][2]
Key features
Lightweight tracking script Lightweight tracking script: the vendor states its script is 54 times smaller than Google Analytics, cutting about 135KB of page weight.[1]
Single-page dashboard Single-page dashboard: the essential stats, pages read, referrers, conversions, live on one page instead of a reporting suite.[1]
Google Analytics import Google Analytics import: bring existing historical stats across with the import wizard when switching.[1]
Goals, funnels, and revenue Goals, funnels, and revenue: conversion tracking and revenue attribution on the same dashboard, per the published catalogue record.[1]
Shareable public dashboards Shareable public dashboards: publish stats for clients or the open web, per the published catalogue record.[1]
Scheduled email and Slack reports Scheduled email and Slack reports: recurring stats delivery without opening the dashboard, per the published catalogue record.[1]
No cookies and EU hosting No cookies and EU hosting: no cookies, no cross-site identifiers, no consent banner needed, with data hosted in the EU and full site-owner data ownership.[1][2]
AGPL community edition AGPL community edition: the same codebase self-hosts free of subscription fees under AGPLv3, with some premium features staying Cloud-only.[1]
Who will love it
Privacy-regulated site owners: no cookies and EU hosting remove the consent-banner negotiation that cookie analytics forces.[1]
Small teams drowning in GA4: the one-page dashboard serves people who stopped opening their reporting suite.[1]
Independent publishers and bootstrappers: public dashboards plus a free self-hosted edition keep transparent stats cheap.[1][2]
Who should avoid it
Analysts needing deep segmentation: Plausible deliberately declines every question beyond the essential handful.[1]
Buyers wanting a free hosted tier: Cloud is a paid subscription, and the free edition is one you operate yourself.[1][2]
Teams wanting every feature self-hosted: premium Cloud-only features and trailing Community Edition releases keep the editions apart.[1]
Alternatives and compatibility
Google Analytics is the incumbent in the published catalogue relationship and decides the privacy-versus-depth question for buyers choosing between simplicity and a free full suite.[1]
Google Analytics fits people who want a free, deeply featured, widely documented suite and accept cookies and consent work.[1]
Switching is a script swap plus the stats import; self-hosters additionally take on the Elixir, ClickHouse, and PostgreSQL Docker deployment.[1][2]
Questions worth asking
What is the best Plausible alternative for non-technical users?
Google Analytics itself, the incumbent in this catalogue relationship, is the safer pick for non-technical users because it is free, has guided setup, and has the largest support and tutorial ecosystem. The tradeoff is the complexity and cookie-consent burden Plausible buyers are leaving behind.[1]
Is Plausible really no-code?
Yes for its purpose: tracking needs one added script tag and the dashboard needs no configuration, with an import wizard for existing Google Analytics stats. The technical part is operational only if you self-host the Community Edition.[1]
How much does Plausible cost per month?
Independent 2026 comparisons consistently report Cloud entry at $9 per month for up to 10,000 monthly pageviews, with a 30-day free trial and no credit card required; the vendor pricing page could not be read directly in this session, so confirm the current tiers before buying. The self-hosted Community Edition carries no subscription fee. Checked October 9, 2026.[1][2]
Can you self-host Plausible?
Yes. The Community Edition is the same codebase under AGPLv3 and self-hosts with Docker, free of subscription fees. Expect some premium features to stay Cloud-only and Community Edition releases to trail Cloud.[1]
Sources and editorial review
Source research. Reviewed on October 9, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.
We have not run or tested this product.
- Plausible homepage (official)
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Official homepage: one-page dashboard, GA import, script-size claim, no-cookie positioning, EU hosting, customer count, team page, trial mention.
- Open source page (official)
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Official open-source page: AGPLv3 Community Edition, Cloud versus CE comparison, premium Cloud-only features, trailing CE releases, subscription funding, 30-day trial, public stats link.
- Plausible pricing page (official, corroborated)
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Vendor pricing page; direct fetch failed in this session. Entry figure corroborated across multiple independent 2026 comparisons reporting $9/month for 10,000 pageviews.