Friendly Analytics vs Tinylytics

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

Both listed as alternatives to: Fathom Analytics, Google Analytics

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
Logo: Tinylytics

Tinylytics

United Kingdom· Web Analytics

Needs review

Shortlist Tinylytics when you want cookieless page analytics plus bundled uptime/SSL/content checks for a handful of small sites, with primary data on Hetzner in Germany and founder support. Skip when you need self-host/open source, formal ISO/SOC packs, or enterprise multi-tenant governance—consider Plausible Analytics or Simple Analytics instead.

Cookieless analyticsPrimary host: Hetzner DEUptime + SSL monitoringBroken-link crawlsSaaS only (no self-host)Solo-founder UK
Friendly Analytics vs Tinylytics: Snapshot
FeatureLogo: Friendly AnalyticsFriendly AnalyticsLogo: TinylyticsTinylytics
Country of originSwitzerlandUnited Kingdom
CategoryWeb AnalyticsWeb Analytics
Open sourceYesNo
Self-hostedYesNo
HeadquartersSwitzerlandUnited Kingdom
Legal entityFriendly LLC (Friendly GmbH on DPA), Werkhofstrasse 5, 6052 Hergiswil, SwitzerlandVincent Ritter Consulting (service brand; terms state not separately incorporated yet)
Governing lawSwiss law (per customer principal agreement / DPA framework)Not clearly stated as a single governing-law clause on the public terms page; confirm contractually
US parent / controlNo known US parentNo known US parent
CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)MediumMedium
Hosting / residencyAnalytics 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).Primary analytics storage: Hetzner Falkenstein (Germany). CDN/security: Cloudflare. Error monitoring: Sentry.io. Payments: Paddle and Lemon Squeezy (Stripe company). Optional: IPinfo geo fallback for API hits; opt-in AI Insights via xAI and Google Gemini. No public backup-provider detail beyond that stack.
Summary

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.

Privacy-first cookieless web analytics for small sites, with bundled uptime/SSL checks, content monitoring, events, and founder support—hosted primarily on Hetzner in Germany.

Tags
At a glance: Friendly Analytics vs Tinylytics
At a glanceLogo: Friendly AnalyticsFriendly AnalyticsLogo: TinylyticsTinylytics
HQHergiswil, SwitzerlandNot listed
Legal entityFriendly LLC / Friendly GmbHNot listed
StackMatomo (unmodified + premium plugins)Not listed
Product hostsInfomaniak; backups Netstream & Hosttech (CH)Not listed
Commercial modelHit-based SaaS; enterprise custom; no free trialPaid site-count plans; short trial; no permanent free tier
Open source baseMatomo; portable to other Matomo hostsNot listed
HQ / operatorNot listedVincent Ritter Consulting, United Kingdom
LaunchedNot listed12 June 2023 (live counters on homepage)
Primary hostingNot listedHetzner, Falkenstein, Germany
DeploymentNot listedManaged SaaS only (not open source, not self-hosted)
DifferentiatorsNot listedAnalytics + uptime/SSL/content monitoring + widgets
Key capabilities: Friendly Analytics vs Tinylytics
Key capabilitiesLogo: Friendly AnalyticsFriendly AnalyticsLogo: TinylyticsTinylytics
Matomo-as-a-ServiceYesNot listed
Cookieless by defaultYesNot listed
Swiss product hostingYesNot listed
ISO 27001 (claimed)YesNot listed
DPA availableYesNot listed
EU / on-prem optionYesNot listed
Cookieless analyticsNot listedYes
Primary host: Hetzner DENot listedYes
Uptime + SSL monitoringNot listedYes
Broken-link crawlsNot listedYes
SaaS only (no self-host)Not listedYes
Solo-founder UKNot listedYes

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.

Tinylytics

  • Cookie-free unique hits with rotating salts

    Page views and unique hits without tracking cookies or fingerprinting. Uniques combine truncated request signals with a 12-hour rotating salt and one-way hash, reset daily at midnight UTC; visitor IPs are not stored in hits. Suited to indie sites that want trendable uniques without consent banners for analytics cookies.

  • Thunder Clap uptime, SSL, and domain alerts

    In-house multi-region health checks (default every 10 minutes) confirm downtime before emailing, plus SSL expiry notices and domain monitoring. Ultra can shorten intervals. Replaces a separate uptime tool for small fleets—but false downs can occur if WAFs block the Tinylytics monitor user-agent.

  • Daily content crawl for broken links and mixed content

    Subscribed sites can crawl up to 50 pages (two levels deep) on a daily cadence, flagging broken links and mixed HTTP assets on HTTPS pages, with ignore lists and re-check. Ultra adds optional AI spell-check on visible copy—keep it off if AI subprocessors are out of policy.

  • Attribute-based event tracking (beta)

    Enable events on the embed script and mark elements with data-tinylytics-event using category.action names (optional values for downloads). No GTM required; beacon mode helps navigations. Still beta—expect API/schema changes and incomplete capture under aggressive blockers.

  • Public stats, kudos, hit counters, API, and webhooks

    Share passcode-protected public stats, embed hit counters and kudos buttons, export CSV, call the documented API, and push signed webhooks for visits, events, and monitoring. Built for transparent blogs and light automation rather than enterprise BI warehouses.

Assurance & compliance: Friendly Analytics vs Tinylytics
Assurance & complianceLogo: Friendly AnalyticsFriendly AnalyticsLogo: TinylyticsTinylytics
Independent security / no-logs audit
Not found

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

Not found

No public third-party security or no-logs audit report found on official docs.

ISO 27001
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.

Not found

No ISO 27001 claim found on privacy, compliance, or hosting pages.

SOC 2 / SOC 3
Not found

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

Not found

No SOC 2/3 report or claim found on public site.

GDPR / EU data protection
Vendor claimed

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

Vendor claimed

Vendor documents GDPR-oriented design (cookieless, data minimisation, EU primary host, deletion). Not independent certification.

US CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)
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.

Partial

UK operator, no known US parent, primary host Hetzner DE; partial exposure via Cloudflare, Sentry, Lemon Squeezy/Paddle, optional IPinfo and opt-in US AI APIs. Not legal advice.

Data processing agreement (B2B)
Vendor claimed

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

Not found

No public DPA/downloadable processor agreement found; ask the vendor before B2B rollout.

EU AI Act
Not applicable

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

Not applicable

Core product is analytics/monitoring; optional AI insights are secondary and opt-in.

ISO 9001
Vendor claimed

Vendor publishes ISO 9001 certification materials alongside ISO 27001.

Not listed
Considerations & known limitations: Friendly Analytics vs Tinylytics
Considerations & known limitationsLogo: Friendly AnalyticsFriendly AnalyticsLogo: TinylyticsTinylytics
US company-operation subprocessors
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.

Not listed
Cookie features can reintroduce consent needs
Low

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

Not listed
Small Swiss operator dependency
Low

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

Not listed
Certifications vendor-published
Low

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

Not listed
Do not conflate with Friendly Automate
Medium

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

Not listed
US-group subprocessors on the data pathNot listed
Medium

Cloudflare, Sentry, payment processors (incl. Lemon Squeezy/Stripe group), optional IPinfo and opt-in xAI/Gemini mean the stack is not EU-only end-to-end despite Hetzner primary storage.

Solo-founder operational concentrationNot listed
Medium

Service is provided by Vincent Ritter Consulting / a solo developer. Support is personal and fast for indies, but bus-factor and formal SLA expectations differ from larger vendors.

No public ISO/SOC/audit or DPA packNot listed
Medium

Enterprise security questionnaires will hit gaps until the vendor supplies audits and a B2B DPA under NDA or email.

Scale and feature boundariesNot listed
Low

Content crawls are depth/page limited; event tracking is beta; fair-usage applies to extreme hit volumes; no self-host escape hatch.

Optional AI shares aggregated analyticsNot listed
Low

AI Insights and related AI spell-check are opt-in and send aggregated (not visitor PII per vendor) data to third-party AI providers—leave disabled under strict AI policies.

Fit

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.

Tinylytics

Best fit when

  • Indie blogs, portfolios, and side projects that want simple cookieless stats without Google Analytics
  • Small sites that also want uptime, SSL expiry, and broken-link checks in the same tool
  • Operators who prefer founder-answered support and lightweight embeds over enterprise marketing stacks
  • Teams OK with managed EU primary hosting and willing to review named US-group subprocessors (CDN, payments, optional AI)
  • Agencies managing a modest number of client sites with public stats or kudos-style engagement widgets

Poor fit when

  • Orgs that require self-hosted collectors or open-source audit of the full analytics stack
  • Procurement needing published ISO 27001, SOC 2, independent audits, or a downloadable DPA out of the box
  • Very high-traffic properties needing contractual capacity/SLA commitments beyond fair-usage conversation
  • Policies that ban Cloudflare/Sentry/US payment or optional US AI APIs on any data path
  • Teams that need session replay, heatmaps, or deep advertising attribution (Clarity/GA territory)

Consider instead when

  • When: You need open-source and optional self-hosting of the analytics stack

    Consider: Plausible Analytics

    Estonian product with Cloud plus Community Edition self-host; less bundling of uptime/content monitors.

  • When: You want European cookieless analytics with a simpler analytics-only scope

    Consider: Simple Analytics

    Strong privacy positioning; compare feature depth and monitoring separately.

  • When: You need free-at-scale marketing analytics, ads integrations, or attribution depth

    Consider: Google Analytics (incumbent) — or stay on a privacy tool if GA is disallowed

    Different privacy and sovereignty profile entirely.

  • When: You need session replay or heatmaps and accept that privacy model

    Consider: Microsoft Clarity or specialised replay tools

    Tinylytics deliberately avoids fingerprinting-style session products.

Open questions for due diligence

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?

Tinylytics

  • Will Vincent Ritter Consulting sign a GDPR Article 28 DPA and provide a current subprocessor list under contract?
  • Are backups/DR and email delivery fully covered by the named providers, or are there additional hosts?
  • Is there any roadmap for independent security review, SOC 2, or ISO 27001?
  • What contractual terms apply for accounts consistently above the fair-usage hit threshold?
  • For AI Insights: exact retention, regions, and processor terms at xAI and Google for the paid API plans used?