Pirsch Analytics

Pirsch is a powerful, privacy-friendly, open-source alternative to Google Analytics—lightweight, cookie-free, and easily integrated into any website or app.

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Key Features

The intuitive dashboard shows pageviews, unique visitors, bounce rates, sessions, referrers, devices, browsers, operating systems, and locations in real time. Filters let users slice data by time, tags, or events with one click. Saved views and time comparisons speed analysis. Automatic email reports and traffic spike alerts keep teams informed without constant checks. Data exports to CSV provide flexibility.

Beyond basics, Pirsch tracks custom events like button clicks or signups, sets conversion goals, and maps multi-step funnels to spot drop-offs. A/B testing and segmentation use tags for attribution. Session exploration reveals individual paths, including outbound links, downloads, and 404s. Webhooks integrate with other apps. E-commerce revenue tracking and custom event metrics add depth for Plus and Enterprise users.

Add via JS snippet, server-side API, or plugins for WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Laravel, Drupal, Framer, React, Vue, Angular, and Go. Import historical data from competitors. White-label with custom domains, themes, logos for agencies. Unlimited members, teams, and data retention. Enterprise offers SAML SSO, raw data access, and on-premise options. All plans include 100% data ownership.

Pirsch Analytics: Privacy-Focused Web Analytics from Germany

Pirsch Analytics handles hundreds of millions of pageviews each month across thousands of sites for more than 500 customers. This German tool stands out in web analytics by prioritizing user privacy from the start. Developed by Emvi Software GmbH in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, it avoids cookies entirely and stores no personal data. Instead, it generates temporary anonymous IDs from visitor IP hashes that last just 24 hours.

Launched as a SaaS platform around 2020, Pirsch addresses common pain points with traditional trackers like Google Analytics. JavaScript blockers often disrupt those, and privacy rules add complexity with consent banners. Pirsch sidesteps both issues. Its servers run on Hetzner in Germany, meeting GDPR, CCPA, PECR, and Schrems II standards without extra setup. Developers can embed a lightweight JS snippet, use server-side APIs, or pick from plugins for platforms like WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Laravel, and Framer. Data imports from Google Analytics, Plausible, or Fathom make switching straightforward.

The dashboard delivers real-time metrics on pageviews, unique visitors, bounce rates, referrers, devices, and locations. Users report quick load times and clear visuals. Agencies value white-label options with custom themes, logos, and domains. Pricing starts at $6 monthly for 10,000 pageviews, scaling to enterprise plans.

What is Pirsch Analytics?

Pirsch Analytics is a web analytics service created by Emvi Software GmbH, headquartered in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany. The company formed in 2019 when founders Marvin Blum, who handles backend and infrastructure, and Daniel Schramm, focused on UI/UX and design, started building it. Blum first developed an open-source Go library for server-side tracking on his personal site. Frustrated by ad blockers blocking client-side JavaScript and growing privacy worries, he sought a better way.

This library grew into Pirsch's full SaaS offering by 2020, complete with a modern dashboard. The core remains open-source on GitHub under pirsch-analytics, allowing public review for transparency. All data stays on secure German servers, using a hash of IP address, User-Agent, date, and a site-specific salt for 16-digit anonymous visitor IDs. These expire after 24 hours, blocking cross-site tracking and ensuring no personal identifiable information (PII) persists.

Pirsch fits developers, small businesses, agencies, and larger organizations needing ethical analytics. It supports multiple sites, team access with roles, and organizations for client management. Features expanded over time to include multi-step funnels, conversion goals, A/B testing via tags, session replays, webhooks, email reports, and traffic alerts. A built-in URL shortener aids campaigns. Integrations cover popular stacks, and imports ease migration. With continuous updates, it processes millions of events reliably.

Who Uses Pirsch Analytics?

Pirsch serves developers building personal sites, agencies managing client portfolios, SMBs tracking e-commerce, and enterprises needing scalable analytics. Freelance webmarketers like Alexandra Koeniguer use it for client onboarding thanks to easy sharing and support. Health professionals, such as Dr. Karin Leipold, choose it for simple insights without data overload.

Customers include Global X, Maglr, Superblog, Stillalive Studios, Toffolo, Studio Lenzing, Senja, and Spectate. Developers praise quick Next.js setups, as Bjarn Bronsveld noted. Designers like Leander Lenzing highlight the clean UI. It fits indie sites, SaaS products, and Electron/UWP apps prioritizing privacy. Agencies leverage teams and white-labeling for client dashboards. Monthly, it tracks millions of views across diverse sectors without consent hassles.

European Advantage

Based in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Germany, Pirsch benefits from EU data sovereignty. Servers on Hetzner ensure data never leaves the region, aligning with Schrems II rulings against US transfers. Full GDPR compliance means no cookies or PII, eliminating consent banners—a boon for EU sites. Founders Marvin Blum and Daniel Schramm maintain a European team, offering localized support in German, English, French, and more. This setup provides legal certainty amid tightening privacy laws, unlike tools hosted elsewhere.

How Pirsch Analytics Compares

Pirsch positions against Plausible Analytics (Estonian, open-source, lightweight), Fathom Analytics (Canadian, simple dashboards), and Simple Analytics (Dutch, basic metrics). All share cookie-free privacy, but Pirsch's German hosting offers stronger EU compliance. It exceeds in enterprise tools: funnels, A/B testing, white-labeling, and session analysis appear in Plus plans, while competitors limit these or charge more. Unlimited data retention across tiers beats Plausible's caps on lower plans. Extensive plugins and imports make migration easier. Users note Pirsch's speed and visuals edge out others.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Pirsch offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. Paid plans start at $6/month for 10,000 pageviews (Standard) or $12/month for unlimited sites and advanced features (Plus). Enterprise is custom. Open-source core is free on GitHub for self-hosting.

Yes. Cookie-free tracking uses expiring IP hashes, stores no PII, and hosts data exclusively in Germany on Hetzner servers. It meets GDPR, CCPA, PECR, and Schrems II without consent banners. A Data Processing Agreement is available.

- **Plausible Analytics**: Open-source, lightweight, but limited funnels and enterprise features; Estonian hosting. - **Fathom Analytics**: Simple US-based tool; lacks advanced segmentation and white-labeling. - **Simple Analytics**: Basic Dutch option; fewer integrations and no A/B testing.