Software · head to head
VWO vs Matomo
The short version
- Each has a real cost: VWO growth plan restricted to 1 workspace and 0 custom attributes; 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
- They diverge on capability: VWO covers A/B testing, Matomo covers Web analytics.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which VWO and Matomo actually diverge.
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 VWO
- A/B testing
- Multivariate testing
- Heatmaps
- Session recordings
- Analytics
- Google Analytics
- Slack
- SSL encryption
Only in Matomo
- Web analytics
- Real-time reports
- Custom dimensions
- Goal tracking
- E-commerce tracking
- Google Search Console
- Privacy-focused
- On-premise deployment
Both cover
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
VWO
- A/B testing and multivariate testingnot Matomo
- Conversion rate optimisationnot Matomo
- Behavioural analytics and session recordingsnot Matomo
- Feature experimentation and progressive rolloutsnot Matomo
Matomo
- Privacy focused web analytics as an alternative to Google Analyticsnot VWO
- Self hosting analytics so visitor data stays on owned infrastructurenot VWO
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
Pricing, plan by plan
VWO
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the VWO review.
Matomo
Free- Self-hostedFree
- Open-source
- Full analytics
- Privacy-focused
Which should you pick?
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.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is VWO or Matomo better?
- Neither clearly leads. VWO starts at Free and Matomo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, VWO or Matomo?
- VWO starts at Free and Matomo at Free.
- Does VWO or Matomo run on more platforms?
- VWO runs on Web, iOS, Android, Server-side. Matomo runs on Web, On-premise.
- Can I use VWO for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is VWO best used for?
- VWO is most often used for a/b testing and multivariate testing, conversion rate optimisation, behavioural analytics and session recordings, feature experimentation and progressive rollouts. Of those, a/b testing and multivariate testing and conversion rate optimisation are not what Matomo is typically brought in for.
- What can VWO do that Matomo cannot?
- VWO covers A/B testing, Multivariate testing, Heatmaps, Session recordings. Matomo covers Web analytics, Real-time reports, Custom dimensions, Goal tracking. Both handle Cloud deployment, Web support.