Software · head to head
Countly vs Fathom Analytics
The short version
- Only Countly has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Countly the private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit; Fathom Analytics there is no free tier, only a 7 day trial
- They diverge on capability: Countly covers Event tracking, Fathom Analytics covers Page view tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Countly and Fathom Analytics actually diverge.
| Attribute | Countly | Fathom Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $14/month |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Mobile, Api | Web |
| Founded | 2012 | 2014 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Countly
- Event tracking
- Crash reporting
- Analytics dashboard
- User retention
- Open-source
- On-premise deployment
- Mobile support
- Api support
Only in Fathom Analytics
- Page view tracking
- Goal tracking
- Real-time analytics
- Referrer tracking
- Privacy-focused
- GDPR compliant
- 20+ languages language support
Both cover
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Countly
- Product analytics for mobile and web applicationsnot Fathom Analytics
- Self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisationnot Fathom Analytics
Fathom Analytics
- Privacy-focused web analytics without cookie bannersnot Countly
- A lightweight Google Analytics replacementnot Countly
- Tracking many sites from one accountnot Countly
- Long-term historical reporting while subscribednot Countly
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Countly
- The private cloud plan starts at $175 a month and is described as usage based without stating the unit
- No event cap, data point limit or user limit is published for either paid plan
- The self hosted Enterprise edition is custom priced and billed annually
- Adaptivity and intelligence features are separately priced add ons on the cheaper plan
Fathom Analytics
- There is no free tier, only a 7 day trial
- Priced on pageviews, from $45 a month at the 500,000 pageview level
- Custom events count against the pageview allowance rather than being tracked separately
- Site allowances come in packs, with additional 50-site packs at $10 a month
- Data is retained forever only while the subscription is active
Pricing, plan by plan
Countly
Free- Open SourceFree
- Open-source
- Self-hosted
- Full features
Fathom Analytics
$14/month- Starter$14/month
- Unlimited page views
- 1 site
- Real-time analytics
Which should you pick?
Choose Countly if
- You need event tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
- You also want crash reporting.
Choose Fathom Analytics if
- You need page view tracking.
- You also want goal tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is Countly or Fathom Analytics better?
- Neither clearly leads. Countly starts at Free and Fathom Analytics at $14/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Countly or Fathom Analytics?
- Countly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Countly and $14/month for Fathom Analytics.
- Does Countly or Fathom Analytics run on more platforms?
- Countly runs on Web, Mobile, Api. Fathom Analytics runs on Web.
- Can I use Countly for free?
- Yes. Countly has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fathom Analytics starts at $14/month.
- What is Countly best used for?
- Countly is most often used for product analytics for mobile and web applications, self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisation. Of those, product analytics for mobile and web applications and self hosting analytics where data cannot leave the organisation are not what Fathom Analytics is typically brought in for.
- What can Countly do that Fathom Analytics cannot?
- Countly covers Event tracking, Crash reporting, Analytics dashboard, User retention. Fathom Analytics covers Page view tracking, Goal tracking, Real-time analytics, Referrer tracking. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support.