Software · head to head
Fathom Analytics vs Matomo
The short version
- Only Matomo 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; Matomo the self hosted Community Edition is free but excludes A/B testing, heatmaps, session recording, cohorts, crash analytics and multi channel attribution, all of which are paid plugins
- They diverge on capability: Fathom Analytics covers Page view tracking, Matomo covers Web analytics.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Fathom Analytics and Matomo actually diverge.
| Attribute | Fathom Analytics | Matomo |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $14/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Web, On-premise |
| Founded | 2014 | 2007 |
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 Fathom Analytics
- Page view tracking
- Real-time analytics
- Referrer tracking
- GDPR compliant
- 20+ languages language support
Only in Matomo
- Web analytics
- Real-time reports
- Custom dimensions
- E-commerce tracking
- Google Search Console
- On-premise deployment
- On-premise support
- 50+ languages language support
Both cover
- Goal tracking
- Privacy-focused
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
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 Matomo
- A lightweight Google Analytics replacementnot Matomo
- Tracking many sites from one accountnot Matomo
- Long-term historical reporting while subscribednot Matomo
Matomo
- Privacy focused web analytics as an alternative to Google Analyticsnot Fathom Analytics
- Self hosting analytics so visitor data stays on owned infrastructurenot 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
Matomo
- The self hosted Community Edition is free but excludes A/B testing, heatmaps, session recording, cohorts, crash analytics and multi channel attribution, all of which are paid plugins
- Premium plugin bundles for self hosted installs run from 275 EUR a month for 4 users to 3,400 EUR for 50
- Cloud pricing is banded by monthly hits, and anything above 10 million requires contacting sales
- Self hosting places all operation and upgrades on the operator while still needing paid plugins for the advanced features
Pricing, plan by plan
Fathom Analytics
$14/month- Starter$14/month
- Unlimited page views
- 1 site
- Real-time analytics
Matomo
Free- Self-hostedFree
- Open-source
- Full analytics
- Privacy-focused
Which should you pick?
Choose Fathom Analytics if
- You need page view tracking.
- You also want real-time analytics.
Choose Matomo if
- You need web analytics.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, On-premise.
- You also want real-time reports.
Questions people ask
- Is Fathom Analytics or Matomo better?
- Neither clearly leads. Fathom Analytics starts at $14/month and Matomo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Fathom Analytics or Matomo?
- Matomo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $14/month for Fathom Analytics and Free for Matomo.
- Does Fathom Analytics or Matomo run on more platforms?
- Fathom Analytics runs on Web. Matomo runs on Web, On-premise.
- Can I use Matomo for free?
- Yes. Matomo 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 Matomo is typically brought in for.
- What can Fathom Analytics do that Matomo cannot?
- Fathom Analytics covers Page view tracking, Real-time analytics, Referrer tracking, GDPR compliant. Matomo covers Web analytics, Real-time reports, Custom dimensions, E-commerce tracking. Both handle Goal tracking, Privacy-focused, Cloud deployment, Web support.