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Marketing · head to head

Umami vs Vitest

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
Vitest logo

Vitest

Testing

Fast unit test framework powered by Vite

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Vitest assumes Vite: projects on webpack or other bundlers lose the main advantage
  • They diverge on capability: Umami covers Cookie-free tracking, Vitest covers Shares Vite config.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Umami and Vitest actually diverge.

Attributes where Umami and Vitest differ
AttributeUmamiVitest
Pricing modelPer month by event countOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, LinuxLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryMarketingTesting

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 Umami

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

Only in Vitest

  • Shares Vite config
  • Jest-compatible API
  • Fast watch mode
  • ESM and TypeScript native

What people use each for

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

Umami

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

Vitest

  • Unit testing an application already built with Vite, without a second build confignot Umami
  • Migrating from Jest for faster watch-mode feedbacknot Umami
  • Testing TypeScript and ESM code without transform configurationnot Umami

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Vitest

  • Assumes Vite: projects on webpack or other bundlers lose the main advantage
  • Younger than Jest, so some plugins and matchers in the Jest ecosystem have no equivalent
  • Jest compatibility is close but not exact, and unusual Jest configurations still need work to port

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Vitest

Free
  • VitestFree
    • Full functionality
    • Unlimited tests
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Vitest if

  • You need shares vite config.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want jest-compatible api.
Vitest review

Questions people ask

Is Umami or Vitest better?
Neither clearly leads. Umami starts at Free and Vitest at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Umami or Vitest?
Umami starts at Free and Vitest at Free.
Does Umami or Vitest run on more platforms?
Umami runs on Web, Linux. Vitest runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Umami for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Umami best used for?
Umami is most often used for a developer who wants traffic numbers on a personal or client site without adding a consent banner, an organisation whose legal or procurement team has ruled out sending visitor data to a us advertising company, a high-traffic site where hosted analytics priced by pageview band has become expensive and self-hosting removes the ceiling entirely, a team that wants analytics data in a database they already control so they can query and join it themselves. Of those, a developer who wants traffic numbers on a personal or client site without adding a consent banner and an organisation whose legal or procurement team has ruled out sending visitor data to a us advertising company are not what Vitest is typically brought in for.
What can Umami do that Vitest cannot?
Umami covers Cookie-free tracking, Self-hosting, Small tracking script, Custom events. Vitest covers Shares Vite config, Jest-compatible API, Fast watch mode, ESM and TypeScript native.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Vitest: Is Vitest free?

Yes, open source under the MIT licence.

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.

Vitest: Is Vitest compatible with Jest?

The API is deliberately Jest-compatible and most migrations are mechanical, though unusual configurations and some ecosystem plugins need attention.

Umami: Can it replace Google Analytics?

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

Vitest: Do I need Vite to use Vitest?

It works without a Vite app but the main benefit — sharing one config and transform pipeline — only applies if you are already using Vite.

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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