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Software · head to head

Matomo vs VWO

Matomo logo

Matomo

Software

Privacy-focused web analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
VWO logo

VWO

Software

Experience Optimization Platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; VWO growth plan restricted to 1 workspace and 0 custom attributes
  • They diverge on capability: Matomo covers Web analytics, VWO covers A/B testing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Matomo and VWO actually diverge.

Attributes where Matomo and VWO differ
AttributeMatomoVWO
Pricing modelfreemiumusage-based
PlatformsWeb, On-premiseWeb, iOS, Android, Server-side

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2007).

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 Matomo

  • Web analytics
  • Real-time reports
  • Custom dimensions
  • Goal tracking
  • E-commerce tracking
  • Google Search Console
  • Privacy-focused
  • On-premise deployment

Only in VWO

  • A/B testing
  • Multivariate testing
  • Heatmaps
  • Session recordings
  • Analytics
  • Google Analytics
  • Slack
  • SSL encryption

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Matomo

  • Privacy focused web analytics as an alternative to Google Analyticsnot VWO
  • Self hosting analytics so visitor data stays on owned infrastructurenot VWO

VWO

  • A/B testing and multivariate testingnot Matomo
  • Conversion rate optimisationnot Matomo
  • Behavioural analytics and session recordingsnot Matomo
  • Feature experimentation and progressive rolloutsnot Matomo

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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

VWO

  • Growth plan restricted to 1 workspace and 0 custom attributes
  • Single Sign-On (SSO) and API access limited to Enterprise tier only
  • Growth plan offers only 8-hour first response time for support

Pricing, plan by plan

Matomo

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • Open-source
    • Full analytics
    • Privacy-focused

VWO

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the VWO review.

Which should you pick?

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.
Matomo review

Choose VWO if

  • You need a/b testing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Server-side.
  • You also want multivariate testing.
VWO review

Questions people ask

Is Matomo or VWO better?
Neither clearly leads. Matomo starts at Free and VWO at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Matomo or VWO?
Matomo starts at Free and VWO at Free.
Does Matomo or VWO run on more platforms?
Matomo runs on Web, On-premise. VWO runs on Web, iOS, Android, Server-side.
Can I use Matomo for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Matomo best used for?
Matomo is most often used for privacy focused web analytics as an alternative to google analytics, self hosting analytics so visitor data stays on owned infrastructure. Of those, privacy focused web analytics as an alternative to google analytics and self hosting analytics so visitor data stays on owned infrastructure are not what VWO is typically brought in for.
What can Matomo do that VWO cannot?
Matomo covers Web analytics, Real-time reports, Custom dimensions, Goal tracking. VWO covers A/B testing, Multivariate testing, Heatmaps, Session recordings. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support.
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