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Browser Extensions · head to head

SimilarWeb vs Umami

SimilarWeb logo

SimilarWeb

Browser Extensions

Website traffic and competitive analysis

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Umami logo

Umami

Marketing

Open source, cookie-free web analytics you can self-host for the cost of a database

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: SimilarWeb browser extension data accuracy is lower than full platform; Umami there is no cohort analysis, retention curve, session replay or multi-touch attribution, so a marketing team that needs to justify channel spend will still buy a second tool and Umami becomes a supplementary dashboard.
  • They diverge on capability: SimilarWeb covers Traffic analytics, Umami covers Cookie-free tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SimilarWeb and Umami actually diverge.

Attributes where SimilarWeb and Umami differ
AttributeSimilarWebUmami
Pricing modelfreemiumPer month by event count
PlatformsWeb, Browser ExtensionWeb, Linux
CategoryBrowser ExtensionsMarketing
Founded2007Unknown

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

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 SimilarWeb

  • Traffic analytics
  • Audience insights
  • Competitor research
  • Industry analysis
  • Chrome support
  • Firefox support
  • Edge support

Only in Umami

  • Cookie-free tracking
  • Self-hosting
  • Small tracking script
  • Custom events
  • Funnels and goals
  • Multi-site and teams
  • Public dashboards
  • API access

What people use each for

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

SimilarWeb

  • Analyzing competitor advertising across display, search, socialnot Umami
  • Understanding traffic loss to search and AI recommendationsnot Umami
  • Tracking brand visibility across ChatGPT and AI chatbotsnot Umami
  • Optimizing Amazon product placement with marketplace analyticsnot Umami
  • Identifying high-intent prospects at optimal buying momentsnot Umami

Umami

  • A developer who wants traffic numbers on a personal or client site without adding a consent bannernot SimilarWeb
  • An organisation whose legal or procurement team has ruled out sending visitor data to a US advertising companynot SimilarWeb
  • A high-traffic site where hosted analytics priced by pageview band has become expensive and self-hosting removes the ceiling entirelynot SimilarWeb
  • A team that wants analytics data in a database they already control so they can query and join it themselvesnot SimilarWeb

Where each one falls short

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

SimilarWeb

  • Browser extension data accuracy is lower than full platform
  • Full platform pricing is not transparent and requires quote-based inquiry

Umami

  • There is no cohort analysis, retention curve, session replay or multi-touch attribution, so a marketing team that needs to justify channel spend will still buy a second tool and Umami becomes a supplementary dashboard.
  • Self-hosting is only free in licence terms; you own the database, the upgrades, the backups and the query performance at scale, and a busy site's events table grows quickly enough to need real attention.
  • Because it stores no persistent identifier, it cannot follow a user across devices or sessions in any meaningful way, which makes returning-visitor and lifetime-value questions unanswerable by design rather than by omission.
  • Cloud overage is billed per event beyond the plan allowance, so a traffic spike or a badly instrumented custom event can produce a bill materially above the $20 or $200 headline before anyone notices.
  • It is maintained by a small team, so the pace of new capability is modest and enterprise expectations such as SSO, granular role permissions and formal support agreements are limited compared with commercial analytics vendors.

Pricing, plan by plan

SimilarWeb

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Traffic overview
    • Engagement metrics
    • Similar sites

Umami

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • MIT licensed, no licence fee
    • No event limit imposed by the software
    • Unlimited websites and users
  • Cloud HobbyFree
    • Up to 100,000 events per month
    • 3 websites
    • 6 months data retention
  • Cloud Pro$20/month
    • Up to 1,000,000 events per month
    • Unlimited websites
    • Unlimited team members
  • Cloud Business$200/month
    • Up to 10,000,000 events per month
    • All Pro features
    • Higher volume overage rate

Which should you pick?

Choose SimilarWeb if

  • You need traffic analytics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Browser Extension.
  • You also want audience insights.
SimilarWeb review

Choose Umami if

  • You need cookie-free tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want self-hosting.
Umami review

Questions people ask

Is SimilarWeb or Umami better?
Neither clearly leads. SimilarWeb starts at Free and Umami at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SimilarWeb or Umami?
SimilarWeb starts at Free and Umami at Free.
Does SimilarWeb or Umami run on more platforms?
SimilarWeb runs on Web, Browser Extension. Umami runs on Web, Linux.
Can I use SimilarWeb for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is SimilarWeb best used for?
SimilarWeb is most often used for analyzing competitor advertising across display, search, social, understanding traffic loss to search and ai recommendations, tracking brand visibility across chatgpt and ai chatbots, optimizing amazon product placement with marketplace analytics. Of those, analyzing competitor advertising across display, search, social and understanding traffic loss to search and ai recommendations are not what Umami is typically brought in for.
What can SimilarWeb do that Umami cannot?
SimilarWeb covers Traffic analytics, Audience insights, Competitor research, Industry analysis. Umami covers Cookie-free tracking, Self-hosting, Small tracking script, Custom events.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SimilarWeb: How much does Similarweb cost?

Similarweb does not publish pricing. Custom packages are available for businesses and enterprises. Self-service options are available for entrepreneurs and small teams. Customers must start a free trial or contact sales to receive a quote.

Source
Umami: Is Umami really free?

Self-hosted, yes; it is MIT licensed with no event cap. You pay for the server and database. Umami Cloud has a free tier at 100,000 events a month and paid tiers from $20.

SimilarWeb: Does Similarweb offer a free trial?

Yes. Similarweb offers free trials for its various products. Users can start a free trial through their registration page or contact support to switch between different product trials.

Source
Umami: Do I need a cookie consent banner?

For Umami analytics specifically, generally no, because it sets no cookies and stores no personal data. Other tags on your site may still require one.

SimilarWeb: What products does Similarweb offer?

Similarweb offers the Competitive Intelligence Suite, Strategic SEO Suite, Ads Intelligence Suite, Gen AI Intelligence Suite, AI Studio with natural language queries, custom data feeds, API access, and managed services with custom dashboards.

Source
Umami: Can it replace Google Analytics?

For traffic, referrers and event counts, yes. For attribution modelling, audiences and advertising integration, no.

Umami: What does it need to run?

A container and a PostgreSQL or MySQL database. Most people deploy it on infrastructure they already pay for.

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