Plausible vs Fathom: Best Privacy Analytics Comparison
Reviewed by Sarah Chen
Updated June 3, 2026
Quick Comparison
| Plausible Analytics | Fathom Analytics | |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Privacy-conscious developers and EU businesses wanting lean code | Agencies or creators managing many medium-traffic domains |
| Pricing | 30-day trial / $9/mo starting | 7-day trial / $15/mo starting |
| Winner | Our Pick |
Tool Breakdown
Overall Winner
Plausible Analytics
Open-source transparency and low $9 entry price make it top choice for privacy-focused site owners.
What it does well
- Self-host community edition free
- Lower entry price point
- Full open-source transparency
Watch out for
- Price scales fast with traffic
- Report filtering limited compared to GA4
Best For
Privacy-conscious developers and EU businesses wanting lean code
Pricing
30-day trial / $9/mo starting
Fathom Analytics
Clean single-page dashboard handles multiple sites on one plan.
What it does well
- Unlimited sites included
- High 100k pageview base limit
- Fast dashboard UI
Watch out for
- Closed source software
- Short 7-day trial period
Best For
Agencies or creators managing many medium-traffic domains
Pricing
7-day trial / $15/mo starting
Frequently Asked Questions
Which tool is better for self-hosting? +
Plausible. It has free community edition for Docker; Fathom is cloud-only.
Do I need cookie banners for these? +
No. Both use cookieless tracking and anonymize IP addresses by default.
Is Fathom worth the higher starting price? +
Only if site exceeds 10k pageviews. Plausible is cheaper for tiny projects.