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Friendly Analytics

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.

Open sourceSelf-hosted
analyticsmatomoprivacyopen-sourceswitzerlandgdprnfadpenterpriseself-hosted
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Friendly Analytics is a Swiss-hosted web analytics service from Friendly LLC (also styled Friendly GmbH) in Hergiswil, Switzerland. It is Matomo-as-a-Service: the company runs an unmodified Matomo stack plus selected premium plugins, preconfigured for strong privacy defaults.

It exists for teams that want heatmaps, funnels, ecommerce, and a reporting API without running Matomo themselves. Product data is hosted in Switzerland. Enterprise DPA and on-prem options are part of the offer.

The concrete differentiator is that full Matomo surface (including premium plugins) as a Swiss-operated service, cookieless by default, rather than a minimalist pageview-only tool.

Matomo-as-a-ServiceCookieless by defaultSwiss product hostingISO 27001 (claimed)DPA availableEU / on-prem option

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.

Key capabilities

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

At a glance

HQ
Hergiswil, Switzerland
Legal entity
Friendly LLC / Friendly GmbH
Stack
Matomo (unmodified + premium plugins)
Product hosts
Infomaniak; backups Netstream & Hosttech (CH)
Commercial model
Hit-based SaaS; enterprise custom; no free trial
Open source base
Matomo; portable to other Matomo hosts

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.

Jurisdiction & ownership

Legal entity
Friendly LLC (Friendly GmbH on DPA), Werkhofstrasse 5, 6052 Hergiswil, Switzerland
Governing law
Swiss law (per customer principal agreement / DPA framework)
US parent / control
No known US parent
CLOUD Act exposure (indicative)
Medium
Hosting / residency
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).

No known US parent. Product visitor data path is Swiss-hosted per public subprocessor list; company support/billing tools include US providers—hence indicative CLOUD Act exposure medium/partial, not low. Not legal advice.

  • Independent security / no-logs auditNot found
  • ISO 27001Vendor claimed
  • SOC 2 / SOC 3Not found
  • GDPR / EU data protectionVendor claimed
  • +4

Considerations & known limitations

  • MediumUS company-operation subprocessors

    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.

  • LowCookie features can reintroduce consent needs

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

  • LowSmall Swiss operator dependency

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

  • LowCertifications vendor-published

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

  • MediumDo not conflate with Friendly Automate

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

Open questions for due diligence

  • 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?
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Frequently Asked Questions

Friendly is managed Matomo: same open-source core (plus premium plugins), Swiss/EU/on-prem hosting options, privacy defaults applied by the vendor, and Swiss support. Self-hosted Matomo is free to download but you own security, updates, and configuration risk. Matomo Cloud is another SaaS path; Friendly's comparison materials emphasize Swiss HQ and Swiss product hosts versus Matomo Cloud's New Zealand operator and AWS hosting—verify current Matomo Cloud terms independently.

For Friendly Analytics product data, Friendly lists Infomaniak (CH) for hosting and Netstream plus Hosttech (CH) for backups. AWS is disclosed for email on Friendly Automate only, not Analytics. Company tools on the same subprocessor page include US SaaS such as Google Workspace, HelpScout, Stripe, Notion, Calendly, and Cloudflare (help docs/DNS). Treat visitor-data residency and operational tooling separately in DPIAs.

With default cookieless settings, Friendly states a banner is usually not required. If you enable cookie-based Matomo features or collect more identifying data, EU-facing sites may need consent again. Banner necessity remains a legal judgment for your counsel; the product only reduces the technical trigger by default.

Yes in Matomo terms: data belongs to the customer; Friendly can transfer data to another Matomo instance, and Enterprise can get a full database export (manual, effort-based). Because the stack is standard Matomo, self-hosting or another Matomo host is a realistic exit.

Paid hit-based subscriptions (hits = pageviews, events, downloads, etc.), unlimited users on listed plans, no free trial (30-day money-back instead), monthly cancellation on standard terms, and nonprofit/startup discounts on request. Enterprise is custom (hits/sites by agreement, legal packs, hosting region). Check friendly.ch for current tiers—do not hard-code figures into policies.