5 Privacy-First Google Analytics Alternatives You Can Self-Host (2026)
Google Analytics 4 is free, but you pay with your users' data — every pageview ships to Google's servers, GDPR cookie banners become mandatory, and your analytics are subject to GA4's data-retention limits. Self-hosted analytics tools eliminate that tradeoff: your data stays on your VPS, cookie consent banners are often unnecessary, and you own the retention policy.
The five tools below cover the full range from minimal script analytics to full product intelligence — all self-hostable on a Liquid Web VPS. Each entry lists GitHub stars (as of May 2026), license, idle RAM footprint, and whether a setup guide exists on this site.
Plausible Analytics
Plausible is a cookie-free, GDPR-compliant analytics platform built for simplicity. Its tracking script is under 1 KB — about 45× smaller than GA4's — and it never sets a cookie or fingerprints users, making it exempt from most EU cookie consent requirements. The self-hosted version is identical to the cloud product.
- Stars: ~24.6k
- License: AGPL-3.0
- Stack: Elixir + PostgreSQL + ClickHouse
- Idle RAM: ~1.8 GB (ClickHouse is the heavy component)
- Minimum VPS: 4 GB RAM
- Setup guide: Self-Host Plausible Analytics
Plausible is the best choice if you want Google Analytics parity (traffic sources, UTM, goals, funnels) without the privacy cost. The dual-database requirement (PostgreSQL for metadata, ClickHouse for event storage) is its main operational burden — but ClickHouse is what makes it fast at scale.
Umami
Umami is the lightest production-ready analytics tool in this list. A single Node.js process with a PostgreSQL or MySQL backend — no ClickHouse, no Elixir, no queues. The entire stack idles at around 400 MB, making it the clear choice for a shared VPS or a project with modest traffic.
- Stars: ~36.4k
- License: MIT
- Stack: Node.js + PostgreSQL (or MySQL)
- Idle RAM: ~400 MB
- Minimum VPS: 2 GB RAM
- Setup guide: Self-Host Umami Analytics
Umami covers the core analytics use cases — pageviews, referrers, devices, custom events — without Plausible's full funnel and revenue tracking. If you want the smallest possible footprint and MIT licensing (no AGPL obligations), Umami is the pick.
PostHog
PostHog is not just an analytics tool — it is a full product analytics suite: events, funnels, cohorts, session recording, feature flags, A/B testing, and a data warehouse. The self-hosted Docker Compose deployment bundles Kafka, ClickHouse, and multiple services.
- Stars: ~31.9k
- License: MIT (open-source features) / ELv2 (enterprise features)
- Stack: Python/Django + ClickHouse + Kafka + Redis + PostgreSQL
- Idle RAM: ~2–3 GB (Docker Compose minimal config)
- Minimum VPS: 8 GB RAM (16 GB recommended for production)
- Setup guide: Self-Host PostHog
PostHog replaces the full Mixpanel/Amplitude/LaunchDarkly toolchain. Self-hosting PostHog is not recommended for small sites — the Kafka + ClickHouse stack is genuinely heavy. For SaaS products that want session replay and feature flags alongside analytics, it justifies the footprint.
Matomo
Matomo is the most feature-complete Google Analytics alternative, with over a decade of development and a feature set that closely mirrors GA Universal. It is the only self-hosted option with a genuine Google Analytics import tool, making it the natural landing spot for teams migrating off GA4 with historical data.
- Stars: ~20k
- License: GPL-3.0
- Stack: PHP + MySQL/MariaDB
- Idle RAM: ~200–400 MB (PHP-FPM + MySQL)
- Minimum VPS: 2 GB RAM
- Setup guide: No self-hosted guide on this site yet — official Matomo on-premise docs
Matomo's PHP + MySQL stack is operationally familiar for anyone who runs WordPress. Its E-Commerce, Goals, Heatmaps, and Tag Manager features are unmatched among self-hosted tools. The main downside: it still uses cookies by default (you can enable cookieless mode), and the UI feels dated compared to Plausible or PostHog.
Ackee
Ackee takes minimalism further than Umami: a small Node.js server with MongoDB, designed for developers who want basic traffic data without a full analytics product. It anonymises all data by default — no IPs, no device fingerprinting — and the entire setup fits in under 200 MB.
- Stars: ~4.4k
- License: MIT
- Stack: Node.js + MongoDB
- Idle RAM: ~200 MB
- Minimum VPS: 1–2 GB RAM
- Setup guide: No guide on this site yet — official Ackee self-hosting docs
Ackee suits personal projects and small sites where even Umami feels like overkill. It has no user sessions, no funnels, and no event tracking beyond basic page and link interactions. If your analytics need is "how much traffic did this page get today," Ackee delivers that with minimal operational overhead.
Comparison table
| Tool | Stars | License | Idle RAM | Min VPS | Cookie-free | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plausible | ~24.6k | AGPL-3.0 | ~1.8 GB | 4 GB | Yes | Guide |
| Umami | ~36.4k | MIT | ~400 MB | 2 GB | Yes | Guide |
| PostHog | ~31.9k | MIT/ELv2 | ~2–3 GB | 8 GB | Yes | Guide |
| Matomo | ~20k | GPL-3.0 | ~300 MB | 2 GB | Opt-in | Docs only |
| Ackee | ~4.4k | MIT | ~200 MB | 1–2 GB | Yes | Docs only |
Picking the right tool:
- Smallest footprint, MIT license: Umami on a 2 GB VPS
- GA4 feature parity + GDPR compliance: Plausible on a 4 GB VPS
- Full product analytics + session replay: PostHog on an 8 GB VPS
- Migrating from GA Universal with historical data: Matomo
- Personal blog, minimal needs: Ackee
The two lightest options — Plausible and Umami — are compared directly in the Plausible vs Umami comparison.
In most cases, no. Plausible and Umami are designed to operate without cookies and without collecting personal data (no IP storage, no fingerprinting). Under GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive, a cookie banner is only required if you set cookies or process personal data. Neither Plausible nor Umami do either by default. You should still review your specific deployment and jurisdiction with legal counsel, but the main reason GA4 requires a cookie banner — third-party data sharing — is absent when you self-host.
Yes, but Plausible's ClickHouse requirement means the combined footprint on a single host is roughly 2.2 GB idle (1.8 GB for Plausible, 400 MB for Umami). A 4 GB Liquid Web VPS handles both with headroom. Use separate Docker networks and expose each on a different subdomain through Caddy. In practice, most sites pick one — run Plausible if you need funnel tracking, Umami if you want minimal overhead.
Partially. PostHog splits its codebase: the core product analytics, session recording, and feature flags are MIT-licensed. Enterprise features (SSO, advanced permissions, some data warehouse capabilities) are under the ELv2 license, which prohibits reselling PostHog as a managed service. For most self-hosters this distinction doesn't matter — the MIT-licensed feature set already replaces Mixpanel and LaunchDarkly.