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Marketing · head to head

Plausible vs Simple Analytics

Plausible logo

Plausible

Marketing

Simple, privacy-friendly analytics

From
$9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Simple Analytics logo

Simple Analytics

Marketing

Privacy-friendly analytics without cookies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Simple Analytics has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Plausible there is no free tier, only a 30 day trial; Simple Analytics the free plan requires a Simple Analytics badge on your site and is limited to 1 user, 5 websites and 30 days of history
  • They diverge on capability: Plausible covers Outbound link click tracking, Simple Analytics covers GDPR compliant.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Plausible and Simple Analytics actually diverge.

Attributes where Plausible and Simple Analytics differ
AttributePlausibleSimple Analytics
Starting price$9/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded20182016

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Marketing).

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 Plausible

  • Outbound link click tracking
  • No cookies
  • 20+ languages language support

Only in Simple Analytics

  • GDPR compliant
  • English language support

Both cover

  • Page view tracking
  • Goal tracking
  • Real-time analytics
  • Privacy-focused
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Plausible

  • Privacy-focused web analytics without cookies or personal datanot Simple Analytics
  • A Google Analytics replacement that needs no consent bannernot Simple Analytics
  • Self-hosted analytics on your own infrastructurenot Simple Analytics
  • EU-hosted measurement for data residency requirementsnot Simple Analytics

Simple Analytics

  • Cookie-free website analytics that avoids a consent bannernot Plausible
  • Keeping visitor data hosted in the EU for GDPR purposesnot Plausible
  • Replacing or running alongside Google Analytics with a single-page dashboardnot Plausible

Where each one falls short

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

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

Simple Analytics

  • The free plan requires a Simple Analytics badge on your site and is limited to 1 user, 5 websites and 30 days of history
  • Data older than 30 days is automatically deleted on the free plan
  • The paid plan starts at $20 per month for 100,000 pageviews and includes only 1 user, with each extra user costing another $20 per month
  • Single Sign-On, role-based access, SOC 2 documentation, an SLA and raw data export are Enterprise features quoted only by demo request
  • On yearly plans, exceeding your estimated limit gives you one week to raise it before Simple Analytics raises it for you
  • Paying by Bitcoin adds 10% and is only offered on yearly billing
  • Bank transfer is only available for bills from $500 and adds 10% in banking and service fees
  • Unlimited pageviews on the free plan are subject to a fair use policy rather than a stated number

Pricing, plan by plan

Plausible

$9/month
  • Starter$9/month
    • Up to 10k monthly pageviews
    • 1 site
    • 3 years data retention
  • Growth$14/month
    • Up to 3 sites
    • Up to 3 team members
  • Business$19/month
    • Up to 10 sites
    • Up to 10 team members
    • 5 years data retention
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • 10+ sites
    • Custom pricing

Simple Analytics

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 30-day data retention
    • Fair use policy applies
    • Unlimited pageviews within fair use
  • Self-Serve$20/month
    • Monthly or annual billing (2 months free with yearly)
    • 1 user included; additional users $20/month each
    • Up to 5 sites per user
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom pricing available upon demo request
    • Traffic recovery (20-60% of invisible traffic)
    • Raw data access

Which should you pick?

Choose Plausible if

  • You need outbound link click tracking.
  • You also want no cookies.
Plausible review

Choose Simple Analytics if

  • You need gdpr compliant.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want english language support.
Simple Analytics review

Questions people ask

Is Plausible or Simple Analytics better?
Neither clearly leads. Plausible starts at $9/month and Simple Analytics at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Plausible or Simple Analytics?
Simple Analytics has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9/month for Plausible and Free for Simple Analytics.
Does Plausible or Simple Analytics run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Simple Analytics for free?
Yes. Simple Analytics has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Plausible starts at $9/month.
What is Plausible best used for?
Plausible is most often used for privacy-focused web analytics without cookies or personal data, a google analytics replacement that needs no consent banner, self-hosted analytics on your own infrastructure, eu-hosted measurement for data residency requirements. Of those, privacy-focused web analytics without cookies or personal data and a google analytics replacement that needs no consent banner are not what Simple Analytics is typically brought in for.
What can Plausible do that Simple Analytics cannot?
Plausible covers Outbound link click tracking, No cookies, 20+ languages language support. Simple Analytics covers GDPR compliant, English language support. Both handle Page view tracking, Goal tracking, Real-time analytics, Privacy-focused.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Plausible: How much does Plausible Analytics cost?

Plausible offers plans starting at $9/month for the Starter tier, $14/month for Growth, and $19/month for Business. Enterprise pricing is custom. All plans include a 30-day free trial without requiring a credit card.

Source
Simple Analytics: How much does Simple Analytics cost?

Simple Analytics offers a free plan forever and a Self-Serve plan at $20/month per user (or $240/year with 2 months free). Enterprise pricing is available upon request.

Source
Plausible: Is there a free version of Plausible?

Plausible does not offer a free plan; however, all paid plans include a 30-day free trial with full access to features.

Source
Simple Analytics: What currencies does Simple Analytics accept?

Simple Analytics accepts Euros, US Dollars, and British Pounds. Payment methods include credit/debit cards, Bitcoin (with +10% fee), Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Bank transfers are available for invoices $500+, with 10% additional fees applied.

Source
Plausible: What is the difference between Plausible's pricing tiers?

The Starter plan covers up to 10k monthly pageviews for 1 site. Growth adds up to 3 sites and 3 team members. Business expands to 10 sites, 10 team members, and includes advanced features like API access and 5 years data retention.

Source
Simple Analytics: How long is the free trial?

Simple Analytics offers a 14-day free trial that requires no credit card to start.

Source
Simple Analytics: Can I cancel Simple Analytics anytime?

Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any moment without penalties or notice requirements.

Source
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