Plausible Analytics vs Sitesights

Compare Plausible Analytics and Sitesights on capabilities, jurisdiction, assurance, and fit for European buyers.

Both listed as alternatives to: Fathom Analytics, Google Analytics, Matomo

Plausible Analytics

Estonia· Web Analytics

Needs review

Shortlist when you need cookieless website analytics with EU-owned visitor hosting, a lightweight script, AGPL transparency, and either managed Cloud or self-hosted CE. Skip when you need heatmaps/session replay, multi-day user-level product analytics, HIPAA/BAA, free forever hosted analytics, or zero non-EU SaaS anywhere in vendor ops—consider Matomo-class (e.g. Friendly Analytics / Piwik PRO), Pirsch, or Simple Analytics depending on depth vs simplicity.

Cookieless by designEU-owned visitor hostsAGPLv3 open sourceSelf-host CEDPA automaticLightweight script

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Sitesights

Germany· Web Analytics

Needs review

Shortlist Sitesights when you need German-operated cookieless web analytics with real-time dashboards, funnels, page flow, and a server-side API—especially agencies and SaaS teams that want Hetzner Germany hosting claims without running Matomo. Skip when you need public ISO/SOC audits, long-term visitor identity, session replay, or a fully published subprocessor pack; consider Plausible Analytics or self-hosted Matomo instead.

Cookieless trackingEU-operated (DE)Hetzner Germany (claimed)Server-side APIFunnels + page flowMulti-project / agencies

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Highlighted rows differ between the two products.

Plausible Analytics vs Sitesights: Snapshot
Feature	Plausible Analytics	Sitesights
Country of origin	Estonia	Germany
Category	Web Analytics	Web Analytics
Open source	Yes	No
Self-hosted	Yes	No
Headquarters	Estonia	Germany
Legal entity	Plausible Insights OÜ, Västriku tn 2, 50403 Tartu, Estonia	Drude, Grossert GbR
Governing law	Estonian / EU law context for the OÜ; confirm contract terms for governing law clauses	Not listed
US parent / control	No known US parent	No known US parent
CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)	Medium	Medium
Hosting / residency	Visitor analytics: Hetzner (Falkenstein, Germany), UpCloud (Finland, DB/exports), Bunny (Slovenia, CDN/DNS/DDoS)—European-owned; vendor states visitor data never leaves the EU. Customer-account subprocessors include Paddle (payments), Postmark (email), Gravatar, optional Google (GA import), Help Scout, Nolt; site tools may include hCaptcha, Algolia, Mailchimp. SCCs claimed for non-EU processors.	Product databases and app servers claimed in Germany on Hetzner. Marketing site uses Cloudflare (US) CDN. Payments via Paddle. Full product subprocessor/backup list not published on main site.
Summary	Estonian open-source, cookieless web analytics (AGPLv3): lightweight script, EU-owned hosting on Hetzner/UpCloud/Bunny, managed Cloud plus self-hosted Community Edition.	German cookieless web analytics SaaS with real-time dashboards, events, funnels, and server-side APIs. Operated by Drude, Grossert GbR; product data claimed on Hetzner in Germany.
Tags	analytics privacy cookieless gdpr saas web-analytics open-source self-hosted estonia google-analytics-alternative	analytics privacy cookieless gdpr saas api germany

At a glance: Plausible Analytics vs Sitesights
At a glance	Plausible Analytics	Sitesights
HQ	Tartu, Estonia	Not listed
Legal entity	Plausible Insights OÜ (reg. 14709274)	Not listed
Visitor hosts	Hetzner DE; UpCloud FI; Bunny SI	Not listed
License	AGPLv3; Cloud + Community Edition	Not listed
Commercial model	Pageview-based Cloud SaaS; free CE self-host	Free start; pageviews + events subscriptions (Paddle)
Tracking model	Cookieless; daily rotating hash; no PII stored	Cookieless; 48h rotating server hash
HQ / entity	Not listed	Drude, Grossert GbR, Germany
Category	Not listed	Web analytics (SaaS)
Hosting (product)	Not listed	Hetzner, Germany (vendor docs)
Open source	Not listed	No (libs/plugins public; core SaaS proprietary)

Key capabilities: Plausible Analytics vs Sitesights
Key capabilities	Plausible Analytics	Sitesights
Cookieless by design	Yes	Yes
EU-owned visitor hosts	Yes	Not listed
AGPLv3 open source	Yes	Not listed
Self-host CE	Yes	Not listed
DPA automatic	Yes	Not listed
Lightweight script	Yes	Not listed
EU-operated (DE)	Not listed	Yes
Hetzner Germany (claimed)	Not listed	Yes
Server-side API	Not listed	Yes
Funnels + page flow	Not listed	Yes
Multi-project / agencies	Not listed	Yes

Plausible Analytics

Cookieless measurement with daily rotating visitor hash
No cookies, localStorage, or persistent IDs. Uniques use hash(daily_salt + domain + IP + UA); salt rotates every 24 hours and raw IP/UA are never stored—so analytics can often run without a consent banner, at the cost of no multi-day user stitching.
Lightweight script and single-page traffic dashboard
Vendor claims a script ~54× smaller than Google Analytics with real-time updates (~30s), sources, pages, devices, UTM channels, scroll-depth goals, and optional Google Search Console import—built for marketers who refuse GA4 report complexity.
Goals, custom events, funnels, and revenue on Cloud
Codeless page goals, file downloads, outbound clicks, custom events/properties, AI-referral traffic views, and (on higher Cloud plans) funnels, user journeys, and ecommerce revenue attribution—not session replay or in-app product analytics.
EU-owned visitor hosting (Hetzner, UpCloud, Bunny)
Cloud visitor data is processed on European-owned infrastructure: Hetzner (Germany), UpCloud (Finland), Bunny CDN (Slovenia). Plausible states visitor data never leaves the EU and is not stored on US hyperscalers.
AGPLv3 open source with Community Edition self-host
Full codebase on GitHub; free CE for self-host (long-term releases ~twice yearly). Cloud-only features include advanced bot filtering, funnels/journeys, ecommerce revenue, SSO, and Sites API—self-host ops, backups, and upgrades are yours.
Automatic DPA, Stats API, exports, and enterprise SSO
Public DPA applies to Cloud customers by use; CSV export and Stats API for BI; Business/Enterprise add higher API limits, raw event exports, managed proxy, and SAML SSO (Google Workspace, Okta, Microsoft Entra ID per docs).

Sitesights

Cookieless 48-hour rotating session hash
Standard tracking does not set cookies. Sitesights generates a server-side salted hash from IP, User-Agent, and site id with a salt that rotates every 48 hours, so long-term cross-day visitor re-identification is intentionally broken. Useful when teams want essential traffic metrics without a cookie-consent banner solely for analytics—confirm legal basis with counsel for your jurisdiction and data fields (including geo).
Sub-1 KB client script plus WordPress and Shopify plugins
Drop-in client snippet marketed as under 1 KB, with official WordPress and Shopify integration paths for non-engineers. Fits marketing sites and stores that need quick instrumentation without a heavy tag manager stack.
Server-side REST API with C# and Node libraries
Send page views and events from your backend with API-key auth so ad blockers cannot strip the beacon. MIT-licensed C# and Node.js libraries on GitHub speed integration; keep API keys off the client. Preferred path for accuracy-critical SaaS and app backends.
Real-time overview with campaign and device filters
Live dashboard for visitors, pageviews, and sessions with advanced filters, UTM/campaign views, geo, browser, OS, screen size, and daytime patterns. Aimed at operators who want essential marketing analytics in one place rather than a full product-analytics suite.
Custom funnels and page-flow journey maps
Build multi-step funnels and visual page-flow maps to see entry paths, routes, and exits. Helps conversion and UX work without session replay. Depth is journey-oriented, not identity-graph product analytics.
Multi-project workspaces with roles for agencies
Group sites and apps into projects, assign roles/permissions, and invite clients or teammates. Marketing materials reference high ceilings for team seats and properties on paid plans—verify current limits on the official pricing page.

Assurance & compliance: Plausible Analytics vs Sitesights
Assurance & compliance	Plausible Analytics	Sitesights
Independent security / no-logs audit	Not found Open-source code and security overview published; no public independent pen-test or no-logs audit PDF found on compliance/security pages.	Not found No public third-party security or no-logs audit PDF located on the official site or docs.
ISO 27001	Not found No ISO 27001 claim located on security or compliance hub pages reviewed.	Not found No public ISO 27001 certificate found on official pages.
SOC 2 / SOC 3	Not found No SOC 2/3 claim located on security or compliance hub pages reviewed.	Not found No public SOC 2/3 report found on official pages.
GDPR / EU data protection	Vendor claimed EU entity; cookieless non-PII design; public data policy, DPA, and vendor-published legal assessment on GDPR/ePrivacy positioning.	Vendor claimed German controller (Drude, Grossert GbR); cookieless hashing and EU hosting claims in docs/privacy. Confirm DPA and legal basis for IP/geo with counsel.
US CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)	Partial Estonian OÜ, no known US parent; visitor data on EU-owned Hetzner/UpCloud/Bunny. Partial/medium because customer-account subprocessors include US-oriented SaaS (e.g. Postmark, Help Scout, Gravatar, optional Google). Indicative only—not legal advice.	Partial EU entity / no known US parent; product hosting claimed on Hetzner Germany. Marketing site lists Cloudflare (US); payments via Paddle; full SaaS subprocessor list not public. Indicative only—not legal advice.
Data processing agreement (B2B)	Vendor claimed Public DPA applies automatically to Cloud customers by use of the service; lists processor duties and 48-hour breach notification target.	Not found No standalone public DPA download found during research; request under contract for B2B processing.
EU AI Act	Not applicable Website analytics product; not marketed as an AI system under the AI Act.	Not applicable Web analytics product; not marketed as an AI system under the EU AI Act.

Considerations & known limitations: Plausible Analytics vs Sitesights
Considerations & known limitations	Plausible Analytics	Sitesights
US-linked customer-account subprocessors	Medium Visitor metrics stay on EU-owned hosts, but billing, email, support, and optional integrations use providers such as Postmark, Paddle, Help Scout, Gravatar, and Google—material for zero-US-processor policies.	Not listed
No public ISO 27001 / SOC 2	Medium Compliance hub emphasizes product design and EU hosting rather than ISO/SOC certificates; orgs with mandatory cert checklists must request evidence or accept open-source + DPA packaging.	Not listed
Self-host CE feature and release lag	Low CE is free but long-term releases (~twice yearly) and omits Cloud-only funnels, journeys, ecommerce revenue, SSO, and advanced bot filtering—ops burden sits with you.	Not listed
No multi-day user identity or replay	Low Daily hash resets prevent cross-day visitor stitching by design; heatmaps/session replay are out of scope—teams needing those must add other tools.	Not listed
Misconfiguration can reintroduce personal data	Medium Passing emails, patient IDs, or other identifiers in URLs or custom properties undermines the non-PII model; vendor also states no HIPAA/BAA.	Not listed
No public independent security audit	Not listed	Medium ISO 27001, SOC 2, and third-party security audits were not found on public pages. Enterprises may need to commission questionnaires or wait for vendor artifacts under NDA.
Incomplete public subprocessor list	Not listed	Medium Hetzner (product) and Cloudflare (marketing site) are documented; backups, email, support, and monitoring vendors for the SaaS are not fully listed. Ask for a current subprocessor annex.
US-group CDN on marketing site	Not listed	Low Privacy policy lists Cloudflare Inc. (US) for the public website CDN. Separate from claimed Hetzner product data path, but relevant to overall vendor surface area.
48-hour hash limits long-term visitor analytics	Not listed	Low By design, the rotating salt prevents durable cross-day visitor recognition. Teams needing retention cohorts or multi-week funnels by person must model events differently or choose product-analytics tools.
On-premise availability is marketing-only detail	Not listed	Low About page claims on-prem hosting; docs do not provide a self-serve install guide. Treat as sales-assisted until scope is confirmed in writing.

Fit

Plausible Analytics

Best fit when

Teams replacing GA4 who want aggregate marketing metrics without cookies or user profiles
EU orgs that require visitor analytics on European-owned infrastructure (Hetzner/UpCloud/Bunny)
Sites that prioritize script weight, Core Web Vitals, and a one-page dashboard
Buyers who want AGPL auditability and optional Community Edition self-host exit
Agencies and multi-site operators needing shared links, team seats, and pageview-tiered Cloud plans
Procurement paths that value a public DPA, data policy, and subprocessor list over ISO/SOC certificates

Poor fit when

Product analytics needs: multi-day user identity, cohorts, retention, feature experiments
UX research that requires heatmaps, session replay, or rage-click recording
Healthcare or other programs that require HIPAA and a BAA (explicitly not offered)
Buyers who need free forever hosted analytics with no subscription
Orgs that forbid any US-linked SaaS in vendor account tooling (Postmark, Help Scout, etc. are listed)

Consider instead when

When: You need Matomo-depth features (heatmaps, session recording, heavy on-prem packaging)
Consider: Friendly Analytics, Piwik PRO, or self-hosted Matomo
Trade Plausible’s minimalism for plugin breadth and different operators.
When: You want a lean EU privacy analytics peer with a different stack or license posture
Consider: Pirsch Analytics or Simple Analytics
Compare hosting ownership, funnels/ecommerce gates, and self-host options side by side.
When: You only need edge-level basic counts and already run Cloudflare
Consider: Cloudflare Web Analytics
Simpler install path; US company and thinner marketing analytics surface.
When: You need free hosted analytics and accept Google’s data practices
Consider: Google Analytics
Different legal and commercial model—not an EU privacy substitute.

Sitesights

Best fit when

EU teams replacing GA4 with cookieless SaaS and wanting funnels/page-flow beyond a bare traffic counter
Agencies and freelancers managing many client sites with projects and role-based invites
Engineering-led installs that prefer server-side pageview/event ingestion against ad blockers
WordPress or Shopify properties that want official plugin paths plus a light client script
Orgs that value a German GbR legal entity and Hetzner Germany hosting claims over US multi-region analytics

Poor fit when

Product analytics requiring long-term user identity, cross-device stitching, or CDP-style profiles (48h hash by design)
Buyers who need public ISO 27001, SOC 2, or independent audit PDFs before shortlist
Teams that require self-serve open-source self-host as the primary deployment (on-prem only claimed, not documented as OSS)
UX research needs for heatmaps or session replay
Procurement that requires a complete public subprocessor list without an NDA conversation

Consider instead when

When: You want a minimal EU cookieless SaaS or a well-known self-host option
Consider: Plausible Analytics
Simpler metric set; strong self-host story. Sitesights markets deeper funnels/page-flow and multi-project agency features.
When: You need full self-host control, on-prem by default, or mature open-source governance
Consider: Matomo (self-hosted)
Heavier stack, deeper feature surface, and you operate the data plane yourself.
When: You need identity-rich product analytics, retention cohorts, or event warehouses
Consider: Mixpanel or similar product-analytics platforms
Different category—Sitesights is website/app growth analytics, not a full product analytics suite.
When: You need heatmaps, recordings, or UX feedback loops
Consider: Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity, or EU UX-analytics tools
Sitesights focuses on traffic, events, funnels, and flows—not session replay.

Open questions for due diligence

Plausible Analytics

Which exact customer personal data categories does each account subprocessor (Postmark, Paddle, Help Scout, etc.) receive in production?
Can Enterprise contracts exclude optional integrations (Google, Help Scout) or pin subprocessor lists for regulated buyers?
Are independent pen-test reports or ISO/SOC roadmaps available under NDA?
What are contracted RPO/RTO and backup locations beyond the high-level Hetzner/UpCloud description?
For CE self-host: which Cloud-only features remain permanently out of CE versus merely delayed on the long-term release train?

Sitesights

Will the vendor sign a B2B DPA and provide a complete subprocessor list (backups, email, support, monitoring)?
Is the Hetzner Germany residency contractual for all analytics tenant data, including DR/backups?
What is the formal on-premise offering (SLA, update model, supported regions) versus SaaS-only?
Are any ISO 27001 / SOC 2 / penetration-test reports available under NDA?
How should geolocation fields and IP hashing be assessed under your counsel's GDPR legal-basis analysis?