etracker vs Swetrix

Compare etracker and Swetrix 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: Swetrix

Swetrix

United Kingdom· Web Analytics

Needs review

Shortlist Swetrix when you want cookieless traffic plus product-oriented tools (funnels, RUM, errors, optional Cloud replays) under a UK company with Hetzner DE hosting and AGPLv3 self-host CE. Skip when you need public ISO/SOC packs, zero US-group subprocessors, multi-year cookie retention cohorts, or free forever hosted analytics—consider Plausible Analytics or Simple Analytics for minimal traffic-only privacy analytics, or Matomo for heavyweight self-host control.

Cookieless trackingHetzner DE hostingOpen source (AGPLv3)Self-host CEFunnels + errors + RUMPublic DPA
etracker vs Swetrix: Snapshot
FeatureLogo: etrackeretrackerLogo: SwetrixSwetrix
Country of originGermanyUnited Kingdom
CategoryWeb AnalyticsWeb Analytics
Open sourceNoYes
Self-hostedNoYes
HeadquartersGermanyUnited Kingdom
Legal entityJustRelate Deutschland GmbH (Charlottenburg HRB 218235); product brand JustRelate etracker / etrackerSwetrix Ltd (SC797389), Edinburgh, Scotland
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.Cloud analytics data: Hetzner Online GmbH (Germany) per DPA/Data Policy. End User error monitoring sub-processor: Sentry / Functional Software Inc. (United States). Customer-side Privacy Policy list also includes Paddle (UK payments), Fastmail (Australia business email), AWS (US transactional/marketing email), OpenRouter (US optional AI chat). No known US parent.
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.

Cookieless, privacy-first web analytics from a UK company: traffic, funnels, errors, and performance on Hetzner in Germany, with AGPLv3 self-host Community Edition and optional Cloud session replays.

Tags
At a glance: etracker vs Swetrix
At a glanceLogo: etrackeretrackerLogo: SwetrixSwetrix
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 sourceNoYes — github.com/Swetrix/swetrix
Self-hostedNoNot listed
Commercial modelUsage-based SaaS licence (hit tiers); trial commonly offeredEvent-volume Cloud subscription; free self-host CE; timed trial
HQNot listedEdinburgh, United Kingdom
Legal entityNot listedSwetrix Ltd (SC797389)
Governing lawNot listedScotland (Terms)
Primary hostingNot listedHetzner Online GmbH, Germany
LicenseNot listedAGPLv3 (Community Edition)
Key capabilities: etracker vs Swetrix
Key capabilitiesLogo: etrackeretrackerLogo: SwetrixSwetrix
Cookieless default trackingYesNot listed
EU/DE hosted (IPHH)YesYes
ePrivacyseal (claimed)YesNot listed
Tag + consent suiteYesNot listed
Ad conversion syncYesNot listed
SaaS only (not self-host)YesNot listed
Cookieless trackingNot listedYes
Open source (AGPLv3)Not listedYes
Self-host CENot listedYes
Funnels + errors + RUMNot listedYes
Public DPANot 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.

Swetrix

  • Cookieless traffic analytics with hashed sessions

    Lightweight script captures pageviews, referrers/UTMs, devices, and city-level geo without cookies or client-side storage. Per the Data Policy, IP and User-Agent are hashed in memory with a daily rotating salt; only a random session id is stored—so you get sessions without long-term cross-day visitor retention.

  • Funnels, custom events, and goals

    Instrument signups, purchases, and other conversions as custom events; build multi-step funnels and goals in the dashboard. Useful for product and growth teams who need drop-off analysis without bolting on a second product-analytics SaaS.

  • Real-user performance and client error tracking

    Records Web Performance API timings (TTFB, DNS, TLS, render, full page load) and optional JavaScript errors with stack/context by page and browser. Bridges marketing traffic views with engineering signals that pure pageview tools omit.

  • Opt-in Cloud session replays with privacy modes

    Cloud projects can call startSessionReplay() to record DOM and interactions; default modes mask text/inputs. Replays are not created by ordinary pageviews—customers must enable them and own consent, masking, and page exclusions. Cloud-only versus Community Edition.

  • AGPLv3 open source with Docker self-host CE

    Core platform is public on GitHub under GNU AGPLv3; Community Edition deploys via official Docker docs with MySQL, ClickHouse, and Redis. CE includes core analytics, events, sessions, funnels, performance, and errors—but not all Cloud extras (replays, some alerts/org/AI features).

  • Alerts, API, GA import, and team access

    Configure alerts to email, Slack, Telegram, Discord, webhooks, or push; pull or push data via the API; import GA4 history; invite organisations with roles or share password-protected/public dashboards. Fits agencies and multi-site operators who outgrow single-user tools.

Assurance & compliance: etracker vs Swetrix
Assurance & complianceLogo: etrackeretrackerLogo: SwetrixSwetrix
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

Searched marketing, DPA, privacy, and data policy; no public independent audit PDF located. Open-source code is available for review.

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.

Not found

No public ISO 27001 certification claim found on primary pages.

SOC 2 / SOC 3
Not found

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

Not found

No public SOC 2/3 report found.

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

UK company; public GDPR/PECR discussion in Data Policy; cookieless design with non-stored IPs for standard analytics; Hetzner DE hosting; public DPA. Optional replays may be personal data depending on configuration—customer assesses legal basis.

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

No known US parent; primary analytics on Hetzner DE. Material exception: Sentry (US) processes End User error data per DPA; Privacy Policy also lists AWS and OpenRouter (US) for customer email/AI. Indicative medium exposure—not a clean bill. 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 at swetrix.com/dpa incorporated by Terms; acceptance by use of Service; signed copy on request.

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

Core product is web analytics, not an AI system. Optional Ask AI / OpenRouter is ancillary; confirm if your deployment enables it.

Considerations & known limitations: etracker vs Swetrix
Considerations & known limitationsLogo: etrackeretrackerLogo: SwetrixSwetrix
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.

Medium

Assurance relies on first-party policies, Hetzner infrastructure claims, and open source. Enterprise questionnaires that hard-gate on certs will stall until materials are provided under NDA or produced.

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-group subprocessors (Sentry, AWS, OpenRouter)Not listed
Medium

Primary analytics hosting is Hetzner DE, but Sentry (US) is an End User error-tracking sub-processor on the DPA, and AWS/OpenRouter appear for customer email/AI. Orgs with strict no-US-cloud rules need explicit acceptance or self-host CE to avoid those paths.

Session replay is opt-in and controller-ownedNot listed
Medium

Cloud replays can capture DOM and inputs unless masked. Customers must enable startSessionReplay(), configure privacy modes/exclusions, and provide notices/consent where required—misconfiguration can reintroduce personal data risk that standard cookieless pageviews avoid.

Cloud vs Community Edition feature gapNot listed
Low

Self-host CE is free and covers core analytics, but replays and several Cloud growth/ops features are limited or Cloud-only. Budget and feature planning must not assume feature parity.

Daily salt rotation limits retention metricsNot listed
Low

Cookieless design deliberately prevents classic multi-day visitor retention. Teams that need that metric class need another product or consented identity.

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

Swetrix

Best fit when

  • SMEs, agencies, and product teams replacing GA4 who need cookieless traffic stats without a cookie banner driven only by analytics
  • Engineering-minded buyers who want error tracking and real-user performance in the same privacy-first dashboard as pageviews
  • Teams that may enable Cloud session replays later but can treat them as explicit opt-in with their own legal basis
  • Operators willing to run Docker Community Edition (MySQL/ClickHouse/Redis) when Cloud commercial terms or feature limits do not fit
  • Buyers who need a public B2B DPA, API access, GA4 import, and multi-channel alerts under a UK legal entity

Poor fit when

  • Enterprises that require published ISO 27001 / SOC 2 certificates or independent audit PDFs before shortlist
  • Policies that forbid any US-group subprocessors (Sentry is listed for End User error data; AWS/OpenRouter appear for customer services)
  • Use cases that depend on long-term cookie-based retention or cross-device identity graphs
  • Buyers who only want free hosted analytics with no paid Cloud tier and no self-host operations burden
  • Sites that will run session replays on sensitive flows without capacity to configure masking, exclusions, and consent

Consider instead when

  • When: You only need minimal cookieless pageviews/referrers with the smallest possible product surface

    Consider: Plausible Analytics or Simple Analytics

    Swetrix adds funnels, errors, RUM, and Cloud replays; peers stay closer to pure traffic analytics.

  • When: You need deep on-prem control, plugins, and mature enterprise self-host packaging

    Consider: Matomo (self-host or managed EU hosts such as Matomo by Stackhero)

    Heavier ops and optional cookies; stronger fit for large controlled deployments.

  • When: You must stay inside Google advertising measurement and free GA4 ecosystem tooling

    Consider: Google Analytics

    Trade privacy, consent, and transfer complexity for ads integration and zero software fee.

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?

Swetrix

  • Can Enterprise contracts exclude or replace Sentry (and other US-group subprocessors) for End User data paths?
  • Are ISO 27001, SOC 2, or pen-test summaries available under NDA?
  • What is the exact backup/DR location topology beyond “secure backups” wording on the DPA?
  • Which Cloud-only features remain permanently out of CE versus delayed open-source release?
  • For session replay at your traffic volumes, what retention defaults and export/delete SLAs apply on your plan?