Sitesights vs Swetrix

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

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

Logo: Sitesights

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
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
Sitesights vs Swetrix: Snapshot
FeatureLogo: SitesightsSitesightsLogo: SwetrixSwetrix
Country of originGermanyUnited Kingdom
CategoryWeb AnalyticsWeb Analytics
Open sourceNoYes
Self-hostedNoYes
HeadquartersGermanyUnited Kingdom
Legal entityDrude, Grossert GbRSwetrix Ltd (SC797389), Edinburgh, Scotland
US parent / controlNo known US parentNo known US parent
CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)MediumMedium
Hosting / residencyProduct 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.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 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.

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: Sitesights vs Swetrix
At a glanceLogo: SitesightsSitesightsLogo: SwetrixSwetrix
HQ / entityDrude, Grossert GbR, GermanyNot listed
CategoryWeb analytics (SaaS)Not listed
Hosting (product)Hetzner, Germany (vendor docs)Not listed
Tracking modelCookieless; 48h rotating server hashNot listed
Open sourceNo (libs/plugins public; core SaaS proprietary)Yes — github.com/Swetrix/swetrix
Commercial modelFree start; pageviews + events subscriptions (Paddle)Event-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: Sitesights vs Swetrix
Key capabilitiesLogo: SitesightsSitesightsLogo: SwetrixSwetrix
Cookieless trackingYesYes
EU-operated (DE)YesNot listed
Hetzner Germany (claimed)YesNot listed
Server-side APIYesNot listed
Funnels + page flowYesNot listed
Multi-project / agenciesYesNot listed
Hetzner DE hostingNot listedYes
Open source (AGPLv3)Not listedYes
Self-host CENot listedYes
Funnels + errors + RUMNot listedYes
Public DPANot listedYes

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.

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: Sitesights vs Swetrix
Assurance & complianceLogo: SitesightsSitesightsLogo: SwetrixSwetrix
Independent security / no-logs audit
Not found

No public third-party security or no-logs audit PDF located on the official site or docs.

Not found

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

ISO 27001
Not found

No public ISO 27001 certificate found on official pages.

Not found

No public ISO 27001 certification claim found on primary pages.

SOC 2 / SOC 3
Not found

No public SOC 2/3 report found on official pages.

Not found

No public SOC 2/3 report found.

GDPR / EU data protection
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.

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

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.

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)
Not found

No standalone public DPA download found during research; request under contract for B2B processing.

Vendor claimed

Public DPA at swetrix.com/dpa incorporated by Terms; acceptance by use of Service; signed copy on request.

EU AI Act
Not applicable

Web analytics product; not marketed as an AI system under the EU AI Act.

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: Sitesights vs Swetrix
Considerations & known limitationsLogo: SitesightsSitesightsLogo: SwetrixSwetrix
No public independent security audit
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.

Not listed
Incomplete public subprocessor list
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.

Not listed
US-group CDN on marketing site
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.

Not listed
48-hour hash limits long-term visitor analytics
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.

Not listed
On-premise availability is marketing-only detail
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.

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.

No public ISO/SOC or third-party auditNot listed
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.

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

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.

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

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?

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?