etracker vs Friendly Analytics

Compare etracker and Friendly Analytics on capabilities, jurisdiction, assurance, and fit for European buyers.

Both listed as alternatives to: Google Analytics, Matomo

Logo: etracker

etracker

Germany· Web Analytics

Needs review

Shortlist etracker when you need German-hosted marketing-grade web analytics with a cookieless default, integrated tag/consent tooling, and optional ad conversion sync. Skip when you must self-host open source (prefer Matomo) or only need lightweight pageview charts (prefer Plausible or similar). Treat ePrivacyseal consent-free claims as vendor-audited posture—confirm with your counsel and DPIA.

Cookieless default trackingEU/DE hosted (IPHH)ePrivacyseal (claimed)Tag + consent suiteAd conversion syncSaaS only (not self-host)
Logo: Friendly Analytics

Friendly Analytics

Switzerland· Web Analytics

Needs review

Shortlist when you need full Matomo depth (heatmaps, funnels, ecommerce, API) with Swiss product hosting and managed privacy defaults—especially regulated CH/EU orgs leaving Google Analytics. Skip when you only want a minimal pageview counter, a free self-serve tier, or pure DIY Matomo ops—consider Plausible, etracker, or self-hosted Matomo instead.

Matomo-as-a-ServiceCookieless by defaultSwiss product hostingISO 27001 (claimed)DPA availableEU / on-prem option
etracker vs Friendly Analytics: Snapshot
FeatureLogo: etrackeretrackerLogo: Friendly AnalyticsFriendly Analytics
Country of originGermanySwitzerland
CategoryWeb AnalyticsWeb Analytics
Open sourceNoYes
Self-hostedNoYes
HeadquartersGermanySwitzerland
Legal entityJustRelate Deutschland GmbH (Charlottenburg HRB 218235); product brand JustRelate etracker / etrackerFriendly LLC (Friendly GmbH on DPA), Werkhofstrasse 5, 6052 Hergiswil, Switzerland
Governing lawNot listedSwiss law (per customer principal agreement / DPA framework)
US parent / controlNo known US parentNo known US parent
CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)LowMedium
Hosting / residencyPrimary analytics processing on etracker's own servers in Germany/EU with housing at IPHH Internet Port Hamburg GmbH (vendor: no third-party access to apps/data for housing). Optional customer-enabled outbound paths to Google/Meta/TikTok/Microsoft Ads (conversion upload) and Google Looker Studio connectors—not core storage hosts.Analytics product: Infomaniak (CH) primary hosting; Netstream and Hosttech (CH) backups. AWS listed only for Friendly Automate email, not Analytics. Enterprise marketing also offers EU or on-premise hosting. Company ops: US SaaS including Google Workspace, HelpScout, Stripe, Notion, Calendly, Cloudflare (help docs).
Summary

German SaaS web and marketing analytics from JustRelate: cookieless default tracking, integrated tag/consent management, e-commerce and ad conversion sync on EU-hosted servers.

Swiss Matomo-as-a-Service: cookieless-by-default web analytics with heatmaps, funnels, and ecommerce, product data hosted in Switzerland, plus enterprise DPA and on-prem options.

Tags
At a glance: etracker vs Friendly Analytics
At a glanceLogo: etrackeretrackerLogo: Friendly AnalyticsFriendly Analytics
HQ / legal entityJustRelate Deutschland GmbH, Berlin (product ops Hamburg)Not listed
Product typeWeb & marketing analytics SaaS (+ tag/CMP modules)Not listed
HostingOwn servers, IPHH housing, Hamburg/GermanyNot listed
Open sourceNoNot listed
Self-hostedNoNot listed
Commercial modelUsage-based SaaS licence (hit tiers); trial commonly offeredHit-based SaaS; enterprise custom; no free trial
HQNot listedHergiswil, Switzerland
Legal entityNot listedFriendly LLC / Friendly GmbH
StackNot listedMatomo (unmodified + premium plugins)
Product hostsNot listedInfomaniak; backups Netstream & Hosttech (CH)
Open source baseNot listedMatomo; portable to other Matomo hosts
Key capabilities: etracker vs Friendly Analytics
Key capabilitiesLogo: etrackeretrackerLogo: Friendly AnalyticsFriendly Analytics
Cookieless default trackingYesYes
EU/DE hosted (IPHH)YesNot listed
ePrivacyseal (claimed)YesNot listed
Tag + consent suiteYesNot listed
Ad conversion syncYesNot listed
SaaS only (not self-host)YesNot listed
Matomo-as-a-ServiceNot listedYes
Swiss product hostingNot listedYes
ISO 27001 (claimed)Not listedYes
DPA availableNot listedYes
EU / on-prem optionNot listedYes

etracker

  • Cookieless session analytics (consent-oriented default)

    Server-side session tokens link interactions without analytical cookies or device fingerprinting by default; IP truncation and daily-rotating hashes limit long-term recognition. Suits sites that want visit/conversion metrics under legitimate interest while keeping optional hybrid cookies behind consent.

  • Integrated tag and consent management

    One product surface to load etracker and third-party tags and sync them with consent rules, reducing dual maintenance between a separate CMP and GTM. Best when marketers need gated Maps/ads tags without rebuilding the full Google stack.

  • Server-side conversion sync to major ad platforms

    Upload conversions measured in etracker to Google Ads, Meta, TikTok, and Microsoft Ads so bid algorithms receive server-side signals. Customer-controlled outbound path—useful for paid media, but introduces destination-platform processing outside German housing.

  • E-commerce, UX scrollmaps, and multi-level drill-downs

    Shop funnels from product list to order (including vouchers and abandonment), scrollmaps projected on pages, and reports with multi-dimension drill-downs plus attribution model switching. Aimed at merchandising and growth teams, not just pageview counters.

  • First-party tracking domain and BI exports

    Optional own-subdomain tracking (including Let's Encrypt workflow docs) to reduce ad-blocker and ITP loss; connectors/API/SFTP-style raw data paths toward Looker Studio, Power BI, and warehouses. Ops teams still configure domains and data pipelines themselves.

Friendly Analytics

  • Matomo-as-a-Service with privacy defaults

    Runs unmodified Matomo plus selected premium plugins, preconfigured for cookieless tracking, IP truncation, and nFADP/GDPR-oriented defaults so teams avoid operating Matomo themselves while keeping exit paths to another Matomo host.

  • Heatmaps, funnels, session recording, and ecommerce

    Beyond pageviews: heatmaps, privacy-oriented session replays, conversion funnels, form analytics, A/B tests, and ecommerce reporting for UX and revenue analysis without bolting on a separate US product suite.

  • Swiss product hosting with EU or on-prem options

    Visitor analytics hosted with Infomaniak in Switzerland; backups via Netstream and Hosttech (CH). Enterprise can contract Swiss, EU, or on-premise placement—confirm region in the order form rather than assuming SaaS-only CH.

  • Ads conversion export without third-party pixels

    Advertising Conversion Export sends conversions to Google or Bing via API so campaigns can be optimized without placing those vendors' tracking codes on your site—useful when privacy policy bans extra ad tags.

  • GA import, reporting API, and Matomo portability

    Historical Google Analytics data can be imported (manual, effort-billed). Reporting API and live export links feed BI tools; data can move to another Matomo instance, limiting classic SaaS lock-in.

  • Enterprise contracts, SSO, and dedicated instances

    Enterprise tier adds custom DPA/DORA/NDA/SLA paperwork, dedicated account management, SSO, custom domain, dedicated instance, and phone/video support for banks, insurers, and public bodies.

Assurance & compliance: etracker vs Friendly Analytics
Assurance & complianceLogo: etrackeretrackerLogo: Friendly AnalyticsFriendly Analytics
Independent security / privacy audit
Vendor claimed

ePrivacyseal materials and vendor pages describe independent ePrivacy Consult audit of consent-free cookieless analytics posture; not a full public penetration-test report. Vendor also claims regular infrastructure pen tests.

Not found

Vendor describes anonymization defaults and mentions external pen tests in ISO materials; no public independent no-logs audit report found.

ISO 27001
Partial

IPHH housing described as ISO/IEC 27001:2013-certified. No public organisation-level ISO 27001 certificate for etracker/JustRelate analytics found in materials reviewed.

Vendor claimed

Vendor publishes ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification covering the company/products with a certificate PDF; not independently re-verified against the cert body registry in this draft.

SOC 2 / SOC 3
Not found

No public SOC 2/SOC 3 report located on official trust/security pages reviewed.

Not found

No SOC 2/3 claim found on security/about pages reviewed.

GDPR / EU data protection
Vendor claimed

EU/DE controller-processor setup; cookieless default under legitimate interest; Art. 28 DPA on registration; privacy notice + objection patterns documented.

Vendor claimed

Swiss entity; public materials assert nFADP and GDPR alignment; cookieless defaults and CH processing described in DPA.

US CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)
Partial

EuropeanStack assessment: German entity, no known US parent, own-server housing at IPHH (no public AWS/GCP/Azure analytics store) → core exposure low. Partial because optional conversion sync and Google connectors can send data to US-group destinations when enabled by the customer. Not legal advice.

Partial

Swiss entity, no known US parent; Analytics product hosts are Swiss (Infomaniak/Netstream/Hosttech). Medium/partial because company subprocessors include US SaaS (e.g. Google Workspace, HelpScout, Stripe, Cloudflare). AWS not used for Analytics per vendor list. Indicative only—not legal advice.

Data processing agreement (B2B)
Vendor claimed

Vendor states DPA/AV concludes on account registration; public DPA PDFs and in-app DPA under Settings → Data processing agreement.

Vendor claimed

Public DPA text for Friendly GmbH; customers asked to contact to sign. Enterprise also references DORA/NDA/SLA packs.

ePrivacyseal (privacy seal)
Vendor claimed

Vendor and ePrivacy listing materials assert seal for consent-free cookieless mode under GDPR/TDDDG. Scope is privacy/consent posture, not a general security cert.

Not listed
EU AI Act
Not applicable

Product is web/marketing analytics, not an AI-system offering as primary positioning.

Not applicable

Web analytics SaaS; not positioned as an AI system product.

ISO 9001Not listed
Vendor claimed

Vendor publishes ISO 9001 certification materials alongside ISO 27001.

Considerations & known limitations: etracker vs Friendly Analytics
Considerations & known limitationsLogo: etrackeretrackerLogo: Friendly AnalyticsFriendly Analytics
Consent-free claims still need local legal review
Medium

ePrivacyseal and vendor guidance support cookieless default under TDDDG/GDPR, but hybrid cookies, marketing tags, and non-German supervisory interpretations can change the picture. Operators remain responsible for DPIA and notices.

Not listed
Optional conversion sync / BI connectors to US platforms
Medium

Core storage is claimed German; enabling Google/Meta/TikTok/Microsoft conversion upload or Looker Studio connectors creates additional processing at those destinations. Map each integration in your transfer assessment.

Not listed
Limited public enterprise security certs
Low

No public SOC 2 or org-level ISO 27001 package found; IPHH housing ISO and ePrivacyseal are the main published assurance artefacts. May slow enterprise security questionnaires.

Not listed
SaaS-only, closed source
Low

No self-host path. Exit requires export/API planning; multi-year usage contracts are common in this category—confirm terms on the vendor site.

Not listed
No exhaustive public subprocessor register
Low

Housing (IPHH) is named; a full live subprocessor schedule (support tooling, email, etc.) was not found as a single public table. Request under NDA/procurement if required.

Not listed
US company-operation subprocessorsNot listed
Medium

Support, email/calendar, payments, CRM/docs, and help-docs edge use US-headquartered SaaS even though Analytics visitor data hosts are Swiss. Material for DPIAs that demand zero US processors in any vendor process.

Cookie features can reintroduce consent needsNot listed
Low

Default is cookieless, but enabling cookie-based Matomo capabilities may require banners for EU visitors—configuration discipline required.

Small Swiss operator dependencyNot listed
Low

Seven-person-scale Open Startup; mitigations include Matomo portability and open financial transparency, but capacity and roadmap still depend on a small firm.

Certifications vendor-publishedNot listed
Low

ISO 27001/9001 are claimed with PDFs on the vendor site; procurement should verify certificate validity with the issuing body.

Do not conflate with Friendly AutomateNot listed
Medium

Automate uses AWS for email sending. Scope assessments to Analytics-only subprocessors unless you also buy Automate.

Fit

etracker

Best fit when

  • EU/German organisations replacing GA4 to reduce consent-mode data loss and US-linked analytics storage
  • Performance marketers needing campaign attribution plus server-side conversion upload to major ad platforms
  • E-commerce teams measuring product-to-checkout funnels, vouchers, and abandonment in one privacy-oriented SaaS
  • Agencies managing multi-account portfolios that want integrated tag and consent management without a separate CMP licence stack
  • Publishers and regulated sectors that require a German processor, Art. 28 DPA, and documented objection mechanisms

Poor fit when

  • Teams that must self-host open-source analytics with full infrastructure control (Matomo, Offen, etc.)
  • Sites that only need minimal cookieless pageviews without shop, UX, or paid-media depth
  • Procurement that requires published SOC 2 or organisation-level ISO 27001 for the analytics vendor before shortlisting
  • Buyers expecting a durable free-forever tier comparable to Google Analytics

Consider instead when

  • When: You need open-source self-host or full data-plane control on your own infrastructure

    Consider: Matomo (self-host or Matomo by Stackhero / Friendly Analytics managed)

    etracker is closed-source SaaS only

  • When: You want a lightweight EU cookieless counter without marketing suites

    Consider: Plausible Analytics, Wide Angle Analytics, or digistats Analytics

    Simpler product surface; fewer e-commerce and ad-sync features

  • When: You stay fully inside Google Ads optimisation and accept consent/US-transfer tradeoffs

    Consider: Google Analytics 4

    Deeper Google ecosystem wiring; different privacy posture

Friendly Analytics

Best fit when

  • Teams that want Matomo's full feature set without self-hosting ops burden
  • Swiss and EU organizations prioritizing CH product residency (Infomaniak + CH backups)
  • Sites aiming for cookieless measurement under default privacy configuration
  • Marketing teams needing heatmaps, funnels, ecommerce, and ad conversion export without Google Analytics
  • Enterprises needing DPA/DORA/SLA paperwork, SSO, or dedicated instances

Poor fit when

  • Buyers who only need lightweight pageview analytics and prefer a free tier (see Plausible-class tools)
  • Teams that must self-operate every component with no SaaS operator in the path
  • Orgs that require zero US-headquartered tools anywhere in the vendor's company stack (support/billing SaaS is disclosed)
  • Use cases outside web/app analytics (Friendly Automate is a different product with different subprocessors)

Consider instead when

  • When: You want a minimal, open-source, cookieless counter with simpler SaaS UX

    Consider: Plausible Analytics

    Less Matomo plugin depth; different hosting/operator story (Estonia).

  • When: You need German enterprise analytics with long public-sector track record

    Consider: etracker

    Different stack (not Matomo); compare cookieless claims and contracts directly.

  • When: You prefer a modern EU analytics product with open-source core and lean UI

    Consider: Pirsch Analytics

    Germany-based; trade Matomo feature breadth for a different product surface.

  • When: You already run Matomo well and only need software, not a Swiss operator

    Consider: Self-hosted Matomo

    Maximum control; you own privacy config, updates, and hosting risk.

Open questions for due diligence

etracker

  • Will procurement receive a current subprocessor list covering support, email, and any non-IPHH infrastructure?
  • Does JustRelate publish an organisation-level ISO 27001 or SOC 2 report for the analytics service (beyond IPHH housing)?
  • For your jurisdictions outside Germany, does counsel accept the cookieless legitimate-interest posture without a consent banner?
  • Which optional outbound integrations (ads conversion upload, Looker Studio, third-party tags) will you enable, and how are those transfers documented?

Friendly Analytics

  • Will the signed DPA and order form pin hosting to Switzerland only, or allow EU/on-prem variants?
  • Which company subprocessors (HelpScout, Google Workspace, Stripe, etc.) receive which categories of customer personal data in practice?
  • Can the current ISO 27001 certificate be validated against the certification body's public register (scope, dates, sites)?
  • For enterprise: what is the RPO/RTO and whether backups remain exclusively in Switzerland?
  • If both Analytics and Automate are purchased, how are subprocessors and data paths segmented contractually?