Software · head to head
Fathom Analytics vs GitHub
The short version
- Only GitHub has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Fathom Analytics there is no free tier, only a 7 day trial; GitHub acquired by Microsoft in 2018, reducing pure independence despite operational autonomy
- They diverge on capability: Fathom Analytics covers Page view tracking, GitHub covers Git repositories.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Fathom Analytics and GitHub actually diverge.
| Attribute | Fathom Analytics | GitHub |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $14/month | Free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Desktop, Mobile |
| Founded | 2014 | 2008 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Fathom Analytics
- Page view tracking
- Goal tracking
- Real-time analytics
- Referrer tracking
- Privacy-focused
- GDPR compliant
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
Only in GitHub
- Git repositories
- Pull requests
- Code review
- Issues & projects
- GitHub Actions CI/CD
- GitHub Pages
- Security scanning
- Dependency management
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Fathom Analytics
- Privacy-focused web analytics without cookie bannersnot GitHub
- A lightweight Google Analytics replacementnot GitHub
- Tracking many sites from one accountnot GitHub
- Long-term historical reporting while subscribednot GitHub
GitHub
- Version controlnot Fathom Analytics
- Code collaborationnot Fathom Analytics
- CI/CD pipelinesnot Fathom Analytics
- Project managementnot Fathom Analytics
- Documentation hostingnot Fathom Analytics
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
GitHub
- Acquired by Microsoft in 2018, reducing pure independence despite operational autonomy
- Primary focus on source control differs from purpose-built project management tools like Jira
- Pricing for enterprise features and private repositories adds up compared to some self-hosted alternatives
Pricing, plan by plan
Fathom Analytics
$14/month- Starter$14/month
- Unlimited page views
- 1 site
- Real-time analytics
GitHub
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited public/private repos
- 2,000 CI/CD minutes/month
- 500MB package storage
- Team$4/month
- Everything in Free
- 3,000 CI/CD minutes/month
- 2GB package storage
- Enterprise$21/month
- Everything in Team
- 50,000 CI/CD minutes/month
- 50GB package storage
Which should you pick?
Choose Fathom Analytics if
- You need page view tracking.
- You also want goal tracking.
Choose GitHub if
- You need git repositories.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
- You also want pull requests.
Questions people ask
- Is Fathom Analytics or GitHub better?
- Neither clearly leads. Fathom Analytics starts at $14/month and GitHub at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Fathom Analytics or GitHub?
- GitHub has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $14/month for Fathom Analytics and Free for GitHub.
- Does Fathom Analytics or GitHub run on more platforms?
- Fathom Analytics runs on Web. GitHub runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
- Can I use GitHub for free?
- Yes. GitHub has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fathom Analytics starts at $14/month.
- What is Fathom Analytics best used for?
- Fathom Analytics is most often used for privacy-focused web analytics without cookie banners, a lightweight google analytics replacement, tracking many sites from one account, long-term historical reporting while subscribed. Of those, privacy-focused web analytics without cookie banners and a lightweight google analytics replacement are not what GitHub is typically brought in for.
- What can Fathom Analytics do that GitHub cannot?
- Fathom Analytics covers Page view tracking, Goal tracking, Real-time analytics, Referrer tracking. GitHub covers Git repositories, Pull requests, Code review, Issues & projects.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
GitHub: What is a Git repository and how does GitHub use it?
A repository is the centralized database that stores the complete collection of files and folders for a codebase, along with the revision history. GitHub uses Git to provide distributed version control access to repositories with version tracking, branching, and collaboration features.
SourceGitHub: How does GitHub authentication work?
When you connect to a GitHub repository from Git, you need to authenticate with GitHub using either HTTPS or SSH. GitHub supports multiple authentication methods including passwords, personal access tokens, SSH keys, and GitHub Apps.
SourceGitHub: How long has GitHub been operating?
GitHub was founded in 2008 and launched publicly on April 10, 2008, making it the dominant git hosting platform for nearly two decades.
SourceGitHub: Who owns GitHub and when did the acquisition occur?
Microsoft acquired GitHub for $7.5 billion USD, with the deal announced June 4, 2018 and completed October 26, 2018. GitHub operates as an independent subsidiary within Microsoft.
SourceRelated pages
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