Plausible vs Fathom
Plausible Analytics vs Fathom Analytics — two leading privacy-first analytics tools compared on pricing, features, and performance.
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Feature comparison
| Feature | Plausible Analytics | Fathom Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| Cookieless | ✓ | ✓ |
| GDPR-friendly | ✓ | ✓ |
| Realtime data | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom events | ✓ | ✓ |
| Funnels | — | — |
| Heatmaps | — | — |
| Session recordings | — | — |
| A/B testing | — | — |
| Product analytics | — | — |
| Self-hostable | ✓ | — |
Quick answer
Plausible and Fathom solve the same core problem: simple, privacy-respecting website analytics without the complexity of GA4. The choice usually comes down to pricing at your traffic level, whether you need self-hosting, and UI preference.
Privacy
Both tools are built privacy-first. Neither uses cookies by default. Neither sells visitor data. Both are popular among developers and marketers who want to drop the cookie consent banner.
Pricing
Plausible’s entry tier ($9/mo for 10K pageviews) makes it accessible for side projects and small blogs. Fathom’s entry tier ($15/mo for 100K pageviews) offers more headroom per dollar for growing sites.
At higher traffic volumes, compare both using our pricing calculator — the cheaper option depends on your exact pageview count.
Features
Both cover the essentials: realtime dashboard, top pages, referrers, goals, and UTM tracking. Neither is a full product analytics suite — for funnels, cohorts, and feature flags, look at PostHog instead.
Plausible’s self-hosted option appeals to teams with strict data residency requirements. Fathom’s cloud-only model means less ops overhead.
UI and experience
Fathom is often praised for its clean, minimal dashboard. Plausible’s UI is similarly straightforward with a slightly more technical feel. Both are dramatically simpler than GA4.
Bottom line
You can’t go wrong with either for privacy-focused web analytics. Choose Plausible for lower entry pricing and self-hosting. Choose Fathom for a polished out-of-the-box experience at moderate traffic levels.
Frequently asked questions
- Are Plausible and Fathom both cookieless?
- Yes. Both tools are designed to work without cookies and without collecting personal data, making them popular GDPR-friendly choices.
- Which is cheaper for a small blog?
- Plausible starts at $9/month for 10K pageviews. Fathom starts at $15/month for 100K pageviews. For very small sites, Plausible is typically less expensive.
- Can I self-host either tool?
- Plausible offers a self-hosted open-source version. Fathom is cloud-only and does not offer self-hosting.
- Do both support custom events?
- Yes. Both Plausible and Fathom support custom event tracking for goals like signups, downloads, and button clicks.
Try these tools
Plausible Analytics
Affiliate link · 20% recurring
Fathom Analytics
Affiliate link · 25% recurring