📝 Quick summary: The right free website analytics tools show you how many people visit, where they come from and what they read. This list covers 10 options with a free route, from big names to simple privacy-friendly choices, using facts from their official sites.
You cannot grow a blog if you cannot see your visitors. Analytics tells you which posts work, which pages lose readers and where your traffic comes from.
Free plans and limits change, so check each official site before you decide. Where a limit is not published, I say so instead of guessing.
🔍 What to Look For in Free Website Analytics Tools
- 🔒 Privacy and cookies. Some tools use no cookies, which can mean no cookie banner. Others collect more data.
- 📈 Traffic limits. A few free plans cap sessions or events each month. Make sure your site fits inside.
- 🏠 Hosted or self-hosted. Self-hosting is free in software cost, but you pay for a server and do the upkeep.
- 🗓️ Data retention. Some free plans keep data for only days or months.
- 🧩 Ease of setup. Most tools need one small code snippet. Some need no code at all.
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Access | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics | Free of charge | Full reports and Google tools |
| Microsoft Clarity | Free forever, no traffic limits | Seeing how visitors behave |
| Cloudflare Web Analytics | Free, cookieless | Simple, private stats |
| Matomo On-Premise | Free self-hosted, unlimited hits | Owning your data |
| Umami | Free self-hosting; cloud Hobby plan | Light, cookieless tracking |
| GoatCounter | Free for reasonable public use | Small blogs |
| PostHog | 1M events free each month | Product and web analytics |
| Statcounter | Basic plan, 5,000 sessions a month | Small sites, live visitors |
| Plausible Community Edition | Free to self-host | Open-source simplicity |
| Counter.dev | Free for everyone | Minimal private analytics |
🏆 The 10 Free Website Analytics Tools
1️⃣ Google Analytics
Google Analytics is the tool most site owners meet first. It tracks the journey of visitors across websites and apps, so you can see which pages bring people in and what they do next.
Google states that it gives you the tools “free of charge”. The official page does not list quotas or data retention, so check the official site for current limits. A big strength is its link with Google Ads, Search Console and Google Cloud. The cost of that power is complexity: the reports can feel heavy for a new blogger.
| 💰 Free plan | Free of charge; limits not stated on the main page |
| 🎯 Best for | Detailed reports and Google tool links |
| 💻 Works on | Websites and apps |
| 👤 Account | Google account |
- Works with Search Console and Google Ads
- Tracks web and app visitors
- Used almost everywhere, so help is easy to find
- Can feel complex for beginners
- Free limits are not clear on the main page
💡 Pro tip: Connect it to Search Console so you can see search queries next to your traffic.
2️⃣ Microsoft Clarity
Clarity is about behaviour. Instead of only counting visits, it helps you understand how people use your pages, so you can find spots where readers get stuck or leave.
The official site says “Free forever” and “No limits on traffic”. It works for websites and also for mobile apps on Android, iOS, Flutter and React Native. The site states it is “GDPR & CCPA ready” and links to its privacy and cookie details. Retention and project limits are not stated on the home page, so check the official site.
| 💰 Free plan | Free forever; no limits on traffic |
| 🎯 Best for | Understanding visitor behaviour |
| 💻 Works on | Websites, Android, iOS, Flutter, React Native |
| 👤 Account | Required |
- No traffic limits
- Covers web and mobile apps
- Shows behaviour, not just counts
- Retention limits are not stated
- Best used with a classic stats tool
💡 Pro tip: Run Clarity beside another analytics tool. One counts visitors, the other explains their behaviour.
3️⃣ Cloudflare Web Analytics
Cloudflare Web Analytics keeps things simple. It describes itself as privacy-first, accurate, essential web analytics, offered for free.
It does not use client-side state such as cookies or localStorage, and it does not fingerprint visitors by IP address or user agent. You can add one line of JavaScript, or, if your site already runs through Cloudflare DNS, use the proxy route with no code. Free limits and retention are not stated on the page, so check the official site. It is “essential” analytics, so expect fewer reports than the big tools.
| 💰 Free plan | Free; limits not stated |
| 🎯 Best for | Simple, private stats |
| 💻 Works on | Any site via JavaScript beacon; no-code option with Cloudflare proxy |
| 👤 Account | Cloudflare account |
- No cookies or localStorage
- No code needed if proxied by Cloudflare
- Clean, easy reports
- Essential features only
- Limits and retention are not stated
💡 Pro tip: If you already use Cloudflare for DNS, switch it on there first. It takes a minute.
4️⃣ Matomo On-Premise
Matomo is a full analytics suite. If you want to own your data instead of sending it to another company, the self-hosted version is a strong choice.
The Community plan on the pricing page is listed as free forever, with unlimited users and hits and forum support only. Its cloud plan is paid, with a free trial that needs no card. The catch is that you run the server yourself, so you handle installation, updates and backups. That suits people with a hosting account and a little technical comfort.
| 💰 Free plan | Community plan free forever; unlimited users and hits; forum support |
| 🎯 Best for | People who want full data ownership |
| 💻 Works on | Self-hosted on your own server |
| 👤 Account | None for self-hosting (you run it) |
- Unlimited users and hits
- You own your data
- Full-featured suite
- You must host and maintain it
- Support is forum-only
💡 Pro tip: Take a backup before every update, because you are in charge of the server.
5️⃣ Umami
Umami is simple, open-source web analytics. Its pages are easy to read, and it is a popular pick for people who want something lighter than Google Analytics.
The Hobby plan lists up to 100K events per month, 1 website and 6 months of data retention. The pricing page also says self-hosting is always free. Umami states it does not use cookies and does not collect personal data, so no cookie banner is needed. The cloud free tier is small, so larger sites may prefer to self-host.
| 💰 Free plan | Hobby: 100K events a month, 1 website, 6 months retention; self-hosting always free |
| 🎯 Best for | Light, cookieless tracking |
| 💻 Works on | Cloud or self-hosted |
| 👤 Account | Required for cloud |
- No cookies or personal data
- Free self-hosting
- Clean, simple dashboard
- Cloud free plan covers only 1 site
- 100K events cap on cloud
💡 Pro tip: Start on the cloud Hobby plan to test it, and move to self-hosting if you outgrow it.
6️⃣ GoatCounter
GoatCounter is a lightweight, open-source tool made for people who want a few clear numbers and nothing more. It is a good match for a small personal blog.
The hosted service is described as currently offered for free for reasonable public usage. There is no numeric cap, but sending millions of pageviews a day is not considered reasonable, and heavy users are pointed to self-hosting. Visits are identified without cookies or long-term storage of personal data. Because the word “currently” is used, do not assume the free offer is guaranteed forever.
| 💰 Free plan | Free for reasonable public usage; no numeric cap stated |
| 🎯 Best for | Small blogs |
| 💻 Works on | Hosted, or open source for self-hosting |
| 👤 Account | Required for hosted |
- No numeric cap for normal blogs
- Open source
- No cookies
- “Reasonable usage” is vague
- Free offer says “currently”
💡 Pro tip: Export your data now and then, so a change in terms never leaves you empty-handed.
7️⃣ PostHog
PostHog started as a product analytics tool and also covers web analytics and session replay. It is bigger than a simple blog counter, but its free allowance is generous.
The pricing page says the first 1M events are free every month, with 5K session recordings free each month. Events are kept for 1 year on free plans and recordings for 1 month. Allowances reset monthly and do not roll over. Because it is built for product teams, a plain blog may find it heavier than needed.
| 💰 Free plan | 1M events and 5K recordings free every month |
| 🎯 Best for | Sites and apps that need deeper analysis |
| 💻 Works on | Check the official site |
| 👤 Account | Required |
- Large free event allowance
- Session replay included
- Data kept for 1 year on free
- Aimed at product teams
- Can be heavy for a simple blog
💡 Pro tip: Track only the events you need, so you stay far below the monthly free allowance.
8️⃣ Statcounter
Statcounter is one of the older names in web stats. It works as a hit counter and a traffic analyzer, and it is easy to set up.
The Basic plan is free forever and includes 5,000 sessions per month, where each visit counts as one session. Data is kept for 14 days and there are no monthly recordings. You get trend charts, a dashboard, real-time visitor feeds and basic email reports. For a new blog, 5,000 sessions may be enough. As traffic grows, you will hit the cap.
| 💰 Free plan | Basic: 5,000 sessions a month, 14 days of data |
| 🎯 Best for | New small sites that want live visitors |
| 💻 Works on | Check the official site |
| 👤 Account | Required |
- Real-time visitor feed
- Simple setup
- Email reports included
- Only 5,000 sessions a month
- Only 14 days of data
💡 Pro tip: Note your key numbers weekly, because the free plan only keeps 14 days of history.
9️⃣ Plausible Community Edition
Plausible is known for light, privacy-friendly analytics. Its Community Edition lets you run the same idea on your own server.
The official page says it is free to self-host under the AGPLv3 licence. You pay your own server, CDN and backup costs, and you handle upgrades and security. Releases come twice a year with community-only support. Some features, such as funnels, ecommerce revenue goals, SSO and the sites API, are not included. Plausible states that its approach needs no cookies, no personal data and no consent banners.
| 💰 Free plan | Free to self-host; you pay for your own server |
| 🎯 Best for | Open-source fans with a server |
| 💻 Works on | Any server you run |
| 👤 Account | None (self-hosted) |
- Free and open source
- Simple, readable dashboard
- Data can move to and from Plausible Cloud
- You manage upgrades and security
- Some paid-edition features are missing
💡 Pro tip: Only choose this if you are happy running a server. Otherwise a hosted free tool saves time.
🔟 Counter.dev
Counter.dev is a very small, friendly project. Its message is short: a free, privacy-friendly analytics service for everyone.
The site states “No Cookies. No logging. No IP address fingerprinting.” and invites you to “start paying whenever you want”, so the service is free to use. Limits and data retention are not stated, and the page does not say whether you can self-host, so check the official site. The source code is published under the AGPL-v3 licence. It suits a personal site that needs only basic numbers.
| 💰 Free plan | Free to use; check the official site for current limits |
| 🎯 Best for | Personal sites that need basics |
| 💻 Works on | Check the official site |
| 👤 Account | Required |
- No cookies and no IP fingerprinting
- Free for everyone
- Open source code
- Limits and retention not stated
- Fewer features than larger tools
💡 Pro tip: If you enjoy the service, the “pay whenever you want” option helps keep a small project alive.
🚀 Tips for Using Free Website Analytics Tools Well
| Tip | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| Pick one main tool first | Too many tools give different numbers and cause confusion. |
| Check your top pages every week | You learn which topics deserve more posts. |
| Watch traffic sources | You see if search, social or links bring readers. |
| Tell visitors about tracking | A clear privacy page builds trust and helps with local rules. |
| Export data regularly | Protects you from retention limits on free plans. |
Once you can see your traffic, grow it. Start with these free keyword research tools, then check who links to you with a free backlink checker. A free link shortener also helps you track clicks on shared links. For setup details, see the official Google Analytics page.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What are free website analytics tools?
They are tools that count and describe your site visitors at no cost. They show things like page views, sources and popular pages.
Which free tool is best for a new blog?
Google Analytics works well if you want full reports. Cloudflare Web Analytics, Umami and GoatCounter are simpler if you want something lighter.
Do any of these tools avoid cookies?
Cloudflare Web Analytics, Umami, GoatCounter and Counter.dev all say they avoid cookies. Plausible makes the same claim about its approach.
Do I need a cookie banner?
It depends on your tool and your local rules. Tools that use no cookies may not need one, but check the law that applies to your visitors.
What does self-hosted mean?
You install the software on your own server. The software is free, but you pay for the server and handle updates. Matomo, Umami, Plausible CE and GoatCounter offer this.
Which tool has no traffic limits?
Microsoft Clarity says “No limits on traffic”. Matomo On-Premise lists unlimited hits when self-hosted.
How much data do free plans keep?
It varies. Statcounter Basic keeps 14 days, Umami Hobby keeps 6 months and PostHog keeps events for 1 year on free plans.
Can I use two analytics tools together?
Yes. Many bloggers run one stats tool and Clarity for behaviour. Numbers may differ slightly between tools, which is normal.
Will analytics slow down my site?
Each script adds a little load. Lightweight tools are designed to be small, but test your page speed after adding any tracker.
Can I track a mobile app too?
Google Analytics covers web and app, and Microsoft Clarity lists Android, iOS, Flutter and React Native. PostHog also suits apps.
Are free analytics tools safe?
Use tools from official sites and read their privacy notes. Never share more visitor data than you need.
When should I upgrade?
Upgrade if you pass a plan cap, need longer data history or want features that the free plan lacks.