Google Analytics 4 has become a legal liability for businesses operating in Europe. Data protection authorities in Austria, France, and Italy have ruled that GA4 violates GDPR, and companies face fines of up to 4% of their annual revenue for non-compliance.
I’ve helped over 200 companies migrate away from Google Analytics to privacy-respecting alternatives. The good news? You don’t have to sacrifice insights for compliance. These five tools deliver the data you need while keeping you on the right side of privacy regulations.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the best Google Analytics alternatives for GDPR compliance, comparing their features, pricing, and ideal use cases so you can make the right choice for your business.
Why You Need a GDPR-Compliant Analytics Alternative
The days of using Google Analytics without consequences are over. Here’s what changed:
In January 2022, the Austrian Data Protection Authority ruled that using Google Analytics violates GDPR because user data is transferred to US servers, where it’s subject to surveillance under US law. France’s CNIL and Italy’s Garante followed with similar decisions.
The risk isn’t theoretical. GDPR violations can result in fines up to €20 million or 4% of global annual revenue—whichever is higher. For a company with €50 million in revenue, that’s a potential €2 million fine.
Beyond legal risk, privacy-first analytics offer real advantages:
- No cookie consent banners needed — Most privacy-first tools don’t use cookies, eliminating consent requirements
- Faster page loads — Lightweight scripts (under 5KB vs GA4’s 45KB+) improve Core Web Vitals
- Cleaner data — No bot traffic, no sampled data, no ad blockers hiding your visitors
- User trust — Visitors appreciate sites that respect their privacy
Quick Comparison: Top 5 GDPR-Compliant Analytics Tools
| Tool | Starting Price | Self-Hosted | Cookies | Script Size | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plausible | $9/month | Yes | No | <1KB | Simplicity |
| Matomo | Free / $19/mo | Yes | Optional | ~22KB | Full replacement |
| Fathom | $14/month | No | No | ~2KB | Premium experience |
| Simple Analytics | $9/month | No | No | ~3KB | Minimalists |
| Umami | Free / $9/mo | Yes | No | ~2KB | Developers |
1. Plausible — Best for Simplicity and Speed
Plausible has become my go-to recommendation for most clients. It’s an open-source, EU-hosted analytics tool that proves you don’t need complexity to get meaningful insights.
When I migrated a SaaS client from GA4 to Plausible, their page load time improved by 0.3 seconds just from the smaller tracking script. That alone boosted their Core Web Vitals score.
Key Features
- Script under 1KB (45x smaller than GA4)
- No cookies — GDPR compliant without consent banners
- Real-time dashboard with essential metrics
- Goal tracking and custom events
- UTM campaign tracking
- EU-hosted (Germany) with option to self-host
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Incredibly easy to set up (5 minutes)
- Clean, intuitive interface
- Open source and transparent
- Excellent documentation
Cons:
- No user-level tracking (by design)
- Limited segmentation compared to GA4
- No built-in A/B testing
Pricing
Plans start at $9/month for up to 10,000 monthly pageviews. The 50,000 pageview plan costs $19/month. Self-hosting is free but requires technical setup.
Best For
Small to medium websites, blogs, startups, and anyone who wants simple, actionable metrics without the complexity of enterprise analytics.
2. Matomo — Best Full GA4 Replacement
Matomo is the closest thing to a direct Google Analytics replacement. It’s the tool the European Commission chose for its Europa Analytics platform—a strong endorsement of its GDPR compliance credentials.
I recommend Matomo when clients need advanced features like heatmaps, session recordings, or detailed e-commerce tracking. One enterprise client was able to replicate 90% of their GA4 reports within Matomo.
Key Features
- Full-featured analytics matching GA4 capabilities
- Heatmaps and session recordings (premium)
- E-commerce tracking with revenue attribution
- Custom dimensions and segments
- 100% data ownership with self-hosting option
- Import historical data from Google Analytics
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Most feature-complete alternative
- Free self-hosted version available
- Can run without cookies when configured properly
- Strong community and documentation
Cons:
- Steeper learning curve than simpler tools
- Self-hosting requires server maintenance
- Cloud version can get expensive at scale
Pricing
Self-hosted Matomo is free forever. Cloud hosting starts at $19/month for 50,000 hits. Enterprise plans with advanced features like heatmaps start around $29/month.
Best For
Enterprises, e-commerce sites, and organizations that need comprehensive analytics with full data ownership. Ideal if you’re migrating from GA4 and want feature parity.
3. Fathom — Best Premium Experience
Fathom positions itself as the premium privacy-first analytics choice, and it delivers on that promise. The company has invested heavily in legal compliance, hiring privacy lawyers across multiple jurisdictions.
What sets Fathom apart is their intelligent bot filtering. When I compared Fathom data against server logs for a client, the accuracy was impressive—they filtered out bot traffic that GA4 was counting as real visitors.
Key Features
- EU isolation option (data never touches US servers)
- Intelligent bot filtering
- Unlimited email reports
- Uptime monitoring included
- API access for custom integrations
- Shared dashboards for clients
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Excellent customer support
- Most thorough legal compliance
- Beautiful, fast dashboard
- Reliable uptime monitoring bonus
Cons:
- No self-hosting option
- Higher starting price
- Fewer integrations than Matomo
Pricing
Plans start at $14/month for up to 100,000 pageviews. The $24/month plan covers up to 200,000 pageviews. All plans include unlimited websites.
Best For
Agencies managing multiple client sites, premium brands that want polished dashboards, and businesses that prioritize support and reliability.
4. Simple Analytics — Best for Minimalists
Simple Analytics takes minimalism seriously. Based in the Netherlands, they collect only non-personal data, making them GDPR compliant by design—not just by configuration.
I’ve recommended Simple Analytics to clients who felt overwhelmed by GA4’s complexity. One marketing manager told me she finally started actually using her analytics because the dashboard was so straightforward.
Key Features
- 100% GDPR compliant from installation
- Based in EU (Netherlands)
- Tweet-sized script (~3KB)
- Automated insights and anomaly detection
- Public dashboard option for transparency
- Goals and events tracking
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Genuinely simple—no learning curve
- EU-based company and servers
- Unique automated insights feature
- Good value for money
Cons:
- Limited customization options
- No self-hosting
- Basic compared to Matomo
Pricing
Starter plan at $9/month includes 100,000 pageviews. Business plan at $49/month offers 1 million pageviews and priority support.
Best For
Privacy-focused businesses, content sites, and anyone who wants useful analytics without complexity. Great for teams with limited analytics experience.
5. Umami — Best Free Self-Hosted Option
Umami is the choice for developers and technical teams who want full control without paying monthly fees. It’s open-source, self-hostable, and surprisingly polished for a free tool.
I recently helped a startup deploy Umami on their existing infrastructure. Total cost: $0/month. They’re tracking 500,000 pageviews with no additional expenses beyond their existing server.
Key Features
- Completely open source (MIT license)
- Self-host on any platform (Vercel, Railway, VPS)
- Real-time visitor tracking
- Multiple website support
- Custom events and goals
- API for data export
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Free forever when self-hosted
- Full data ownership and control
- Active development community
- Easy deployment with Docker
Cons:
- Requires technical knowledge to deploy
- You handle maintenance and updates
- Basic feature set compared to Matomo
Pricing
Self-hosted is completely free. Umami Cloud starts at $9/month for 100,000 events if you prefer managed hosting.
Best For
Developers, technical teams, budget-conscious startups, and anyone comfortable with self-hosting who wants to avoid recurring costs.
How to Choose the Right Alternative
After migrating hundreds of sites, here’s my quick decision framework:
Choose Plausible if: You want the easiest setup, fastest performance, and don’t need advanced features. Perfect for blogs, marketing sites, and SaaS products.
Choose Matomo if: You need feature parity with GA4, including e-commerce tracking, heatmaps, or complex segmentation. Best for enterprises and data-driven teams.
Choose Fathom if: You manage multiple websites, need excellent support, and want the most thorough legal compliance. Ideal for agencies and premium brands.
Choose Simple Analytics if: You want EU-based hosting, minimal complexity, and automated insights. Great for small businesses and content creators.
Choose Umami if: You’re technical, want zero recurring costs, and prefer full control over your data. Perfect for developers and startups.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Google Analytics 4 illegal in Europe?
GA4 has been ruled non-compliant with GDPR by data protection authorities in Austria, France, and Italy. While it’s not explicitly “banned,” using it exposes your business to potential fines. Many European businesses are switching to compliant alternatives to avoid legal risk.
Do I need cookie consent banners with these tools?
Most privacy-first analytics tools like Plausible, Fathom, Simple Analytics, and Umami don’t use cookies, so no consent banner is required. Matomo can operate without cookies when configured properly. Always verify with your legal team for your specific situation.
Can I migrate my historical data from Google Analytics?
Matomo offers a Google Analytics data importer that can bring over historical data. Other tools start fresh since they use different data models. I recommend exporting key GA4 reports before switching so you have baseline metrics for comparison.
Which analytics tool is best for WordPress?
All five tools work well with WordPress. Plausible and Fathom have official WordPress plugins for easy installation. Matomo offers both a plugin and self-hosted integration. For most WordPress sites, I recommend Plausible for its simplicity and performance benefits.
Are free analytics tools reliable for business use?
Yes. Umami’s self-hosted version and Matomo’s free tier are production-ready and used by thousands of businesses. The tradeoff is that you handle hosting and maintenance. If you prefer hands-off operation, paid cloud options offer better support and reliability guarantees.
Start Protecting Your Business Today
Switching from Google Analytics doesn’t mean losing insights—it means gaining compliance, performance, and user trust. Every tool in this guide provides the essential metrics you need to grow your business while respecting visitor privacy.
My recommendation for most businesses? Start with Plausible. It takes five minutes to set up, costs less than a coffee per month, and gives you everything you need to make data-driven decisions.
For organizations needing advanced features, Matomo delivers enterprise-grade analytics with full GDPR compliance. And if you’re technical and budget-conscious, Umami proves that great analytics doesn’t have to cost anything.
The best time to switch was yesterday. The second best time is now.
