Software · head to head
Fathom Analytics vs Plausible
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Fathom Analytics there is no free tier, only a 7 day trial; Plausible there is no free tier, only a 30 day trial
- They diverge on capability: Fathom Analytics covers Referrer tracking, Plausible covers Outbound link click tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Fathom Analytics and Plausible actually diverge.
| Attribute | Fathom Analytics | Plausible |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $14/month | $9/month |
| Founded | 2014 | 2018 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web), 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
- Referrer tracking
- GDPR compliant
Only in Plausible
- Outbound link click tracking
- No cookies
Both cover
- Page view tracking
- Goal tracking
- Real-time analytics
- Privacy-focused
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
- 20+ languages language 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 Plausible
- A lightweight Google Analytics replacementnot Plausible
- Tracking many sites from one accountnot Plausible
- Long-term historical reporting while subscribednot Plausible
Plausible
- Privacy-focused web analytics without cookies or personal datanot Fathom Analytics
- A Google Analytics replacement that needs no consent bannernot Fathom Analytics
- Self-hosted analytics on your own infrastructurenot Fathom Analytics
- EU-hosted measurement for data residency requirementsnot 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
Plausible
- There is no free tier, only a 30 day trial
- Paid plans are metered on monthly pageviews, so a traffic spike moves you up a plan
- Self-hosting is possible but means running and updating the service yourself
- Deliberately simple, so there are no user-level profiles or funnel-by-individual reports the way a cookie-based analytics tool provides
Pricing, plan by plan
Fathom Analytics
$14/month- Starter$14/month
- Unlimited page views
- 1 site
- Real-time analytics
Plausible
$9/month- Starter$9/month
- Up to 10k monthly page views
- 30 days retention
- Basic analytics
Which should you pick?
Choose Fathom Analytics if
- You need referrer tracking.
- You also want gdpr compliant.
Questions people ask
- Is Fathom Analytics or Plausible better?
- Neither clearly leads. Fathom Analytics starts at $14/month and Plausible at $9/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Fathom Analytics or Plausible?
- Fathom Analytics starts at $14/month and Plausible at $9/month.
- Does Fathom Analytics or Plausible run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- 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 Plausible is typically brought in for.
- What can Fathom Analytics do that Plausible cannot?
- Fathom Analytics covers Referrer tracking, GDPR compliant. Plausible covers Outbound link click tracking, No cookies. Both handle Page view tracking, Goal tracking, Real-time analytics, Privacy-focused.