Plausible vs Umami: Which Self-Hosted Analytics Tool Should You Choose? (2026)
Both Plausible and Umami replace Google Analytics with cookie-free, privacy-first tracking that you can self-host on your own VPS. Both are actively maintained, both run on Docker Compose, and both score well for GDPR compliance. The difference is operational: they diverge significantly in RAM footprint, database requirements, feature depth, and license terms.
TL;DR comparison
| Dimension | Plausible | Umami |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Idle RAM | ~1.8 GB | ~400 MB |
| Database | PostgreSQL + ClickHouse | PostgreSQL only (or MySQL) |
| Setup complexity | Moderate (two databases) | Simple (one database) |
| UTM / funnel / goals | Full support | Basic (events only, no funnels) |
| High-traffic performance | Excellent (ClickHouse) | Good (PostgreSQL, limits above ~10M/mo events) |
| Minimum Liquid Web VPS | 4 GB | 2 GB |
| Winner | Features, UTM, scale | Simplicity, RAM, license |
Setup complexity
Umami ships as a single Docker image with one external dependency: a PostgreSQL (or MySQL) database. The entire docker-compose.yml is under 30 lines. Environment variables are minimal — database URL, a secret hash salt, and your port. Most developers can go from zero to live in under 20 minutes.
Plausible requires two databases: PostgreSQL for user accounts and site settings, and ClickHouse for event storage. The official docker-compose.yml includes four services (plausible, plausible-db, plausible-events-db, and a migration runner). ClickHouse is well-documented and the Plausible team maintains a hosting repository with ready-made configs, but it is a meaningfully heavier operation than a single-database setup.
Winner: Umami. If operational simplicity is your primary constraint, Umami's single-database setup is the clear choice.
RAM footprint
Measured on a fresh Docker Compose deployment with no traffic:
| Tool | Idle RAM |
|---|---|
| Umami (app + PostgreSQL) | ~400 MB total |
| Plausible (app + PostgreSQL + ClickHouse) | ~1.8 GB total |
ClickHouse accounts for most of Plausible's footprint. It is a column-oriented database optimized for analytical queries at high event volume — it genuinely earns its RAM when you are running millions of pageviews per month. At low traffic, it is overhead.
Winner: Umami. Four times lighter at idle. On a shared 2 GB VPS, Umami runs without issue; Plausible cannot.
Feature depth
Umami covers the analytics fundamentals: pageviews, unique visitors, session duration, referrers, devices, operating systems, and browsers. Custom events are supported. What is absent: UTM campaign tracking is basic (no UTM breakdown in the dashboard), funnel analysis does not exist, and revenue/goal tracking is not available. Umami is a traffic counter, not a conversion analysis tool.
Plausible adds UTM campaign breakdown (source, medium, campaign, content, term), goal tracking with custom events, funnel analysis (conversion step-by-step), ecommerce revenue tracking, and custom properties on events. The Plausible dashboard surfaces the same data GA4 does, in a far simpler interface.
Winner: Plausible. If you run paid campaigns and need UTM attribution, or if you track goals and conversions, Plausible is the only self-hosted option in this pair that covers those workflows.
License
Umami is MIT-licensed. You can use it, modify it, and embed it in commercial products without license obligations. No copyleft, no share-alike requirements.
Plausible is AGPL-3.0. If you modify Plausible and deploy it as a network service, you must publish your modifications under AGPL-3.0. For internal self-hosting without distribution, AGPL imposes no practical constraints. If you plan to build a commercial SaaS on top of Plausible, consult legal counsel first.
Winner: Umami for maximum licensing freedom.
Cloud pricing vs self-hosting cost
If you prefer managed hosting, both tools have cloud plans:
| Plausible Cloud | Umami Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $9/mo (10k pageviews) | $9/mo (100k events) |
| Growth | $19/mo (100k pageviews) | $19/mo (1M events) |
| Scale | $69/mo (1M pageviews) | Custom |
Self-hosting either tool on a Liquid Web 2–4 GB Managed VPS costs approximately $20–$40/month and supports unlimited sites and pageviews. At 100k+ monthly pageviews, self-hosting pays for itself quickly.
Database requirements
Umami: Single PostgreSQL (or MySQL) instance. Simple backups — pg_dump covers everything. Straightforward to migrate or upgrade.
Plausible: PostgreSQL for app data plus ClickHouse for event data. Backup requires two separate strategies: pg_dump for PostgreSQL and ClickHouse's native backup tooling (or volume snapshots) for event data. ClickHouse upgrades require following their versioning sequence (you cannot skip major versions).
If you already operate a PostgreSQL instance and want to share it, Umami drops in cleanly. Plausible requires a dedicated ClickHouse instance.
Which should you choose?
Choose Umami if:
- You want the simplest possible setup (one database, 30-line Compose file)
- You are on a 2 GB VPS or want to run analytics alongside other services
- You need MIT licensing
- Your analytics needs are traffic reporting, not conversion funnels
Choose Plausible if:
- You run paid advertising and need UTM campaign attribution
- You track goals, conversions, or ecommerce revenue
- You expect high event volume (1M+ pageviews/month) where ClickHouse's performance advantage matters
- You want feature parity with Google Analytics in a privacy-first wrapper
Both tools have setup guides on this site:
Yes, but only comfortably on a 8 GB VPS or larger. Plausible alone idles at ~1.8 GB; Umami adds ~400 MB. Together with OS overhead, a 4 GB VPS would be tight under any load. If you want to A/B test them, a temporary dual deployment on an 8 GB VPS is reasonable — then drop one once you decide.
Yes. Umami supports multiple websites from a single installation. Each site gets its own tracking script with a unique site ID. The dashboard lets you switch between sites. The same is true for Plausible — both tools are multi-site from the first install.
Plausible's approach to GDPR compliance is documented on their site: they do not use cookies, do not collect personal data (no IP addresses stored, no cross-site tracking), and their tracking is designed to be exempt from cookie consent requirements under the ePrivacy Directive. Many operators run Plausible without a cookie banner. However, GDPR and ePrivacy compliance depend on your specific use case and jurisdiction — verify with your legal counsel before removing consent banners on regulated sites.