Understanding your website’s performance is crucial for any online business or project. Fortunately, you don’t need to spend a fortune on analytics software to gain valuable insights. At freetrials.co.uk, we’ve evaluated a range of tools based on their features, ease of use, and overall effectiveness. Whether you’re a small business owner, blogger, or marketing professional, our curated list will help you find the perfect free website analytics tools to track your site’s traffic, user behaviour, and performance metrics.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a powerhouse in the world of website analytics, offering a wealth of data and insights completely free of charge. This tool provides website owners with detailed information about their visitors, including demographics, behaviour, and acquisition channels. It’s particularly useful for tracking conversions, understanding user flow through your site, and measuring the success of your marketing campaigns.
The interface, while packed with features, can be somewhat overwhelming for beginners. However, Google offers extensive documentation and tutorials to help users navigate the platform. One of the key advantages of Google Analytics is its seamless integration with other Google services, such as Google Ads and Search Console, allowing for a more holistic view of your online presence.
Key Features
- Real-time analytics
- Audience demographics and interests
- Acquisition, behaviour, and conversion tracking
- Custom reporting
- Goal setting and funnel visualization
- E-commerce tracking
- Mobile app tracking
Google Analytics’ free plan offers unlimited data collection and reporting for up to 10 million hits per month. For larger enterprises or those needing more advanced features, Google Analytics 360 is available as a paid option, with pricing based on the volume of data processed.
Matomo
Matomo, formerly known as Piwik, is an open-source analytics platform that prioritises user privacy and data ownership. It’s a popular alternative to Google Analytics, especially for those concerned about data privacy regulations like GDPR. The self-hosted version of Matomo is free and gives you complete control over your data, as it’s stored on your own servers.
This makes it an excellent choice for organisations that need to keep sensitive data in-house. Matomo offers a user-friendly interface and provides many of the same features as Google Analytics, including real-time data, heatmaps, and form analytics. It’s highly customisable and can be extended with various plugins to add functionality.
Key Features
- 100% data ownership
- GDPR compliant
- Real-time analytics
- Heatmaps and session recordings
- Form analytics
- E-commerce tracking
- Customisable dashboard
The self-hosted version of Matomo is free to use, with no limitations on data or features. However, you’ll need to cover the costs of hosting and maintaining the software on your own servers. For those who prefer a managed solution, Matomo offers a cloud-based version with various paid plans starting from €19 per month.
Clicky
Clicky is a real-time web analytics tool that offers a more straightforward alternative to Google Analytics. It’s designed to be user-friendly and provide instant access to the most important metrics. Clicky’s interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy for beginners to understand their website’s performance at a glance.
One of Clicky’s standout features is its ability to show you who’s on your site in real-time, including where they came from and what they’re doing. This can be particularly useful for small business owners or bloggers who want to engage with their audience more directly. Clicky also offers heat maps and uptime monitoring, features that are often only available in premium analytics tools.
Key Features
- Real-time analytics
- Individual visitor tracking
- Heat maps
- Twitter analytics
- Uptime monitoring
- Custom data tracking
- Goal tracking
Clicky’s free plan allows for tracking of one website with up to 3,000 daily pageviews. It includes most of the core features but lacks some advanced options like heat maps and uptime monitoring. For more sites, higher traffic volumes, and additional features, paid plans start at $9.99 per month.
StatCounter
StatCounter is a user-friendly web analytics service that offers detailed statistics about your website’s visitors. It’s particularly well-suited for small to medium-sized websites and provides a good balance between simplicity and depth of data. StatCounter’s strength lies in its ability to present complex data in an easily digestible format, with clear graphs and charts that help you understand your site’s performance at a glance.
One of its unique features is the ability to see the path individual visitors take through your site, which can be invaluable for understanding user behaviour and optimising your site structure. StatCounter also offers a popular invisible counter option, allowing you to gather data without displaying a visible counter on your site.
Key Features
- Detailed visitor information
- Page view analysis
- Entry and exit page tracking
- Invisible counter option
- Customisable reports
- Email reports
- Mobile app for on-the-go analytics
StatCounter’s free plan allows you to track up to 500 pageviews per month on a single website. It includes most of the core features but has limitations on data storage and some advanced reporting options. For higher traffic volumes and additional features, paid plans start at £4 per month.
Woopra
Woopra is a customer journey analytics platform that goes beyond traditional web analytics by focusing on individual user behaviour across multiple touchpoints. It’s designed to help businesses understand their customers’ journey from first interaction to purchase and beyond. Woopra’s strength lies in its ability to create detailed customer profiles, combining data from your website, mobile app, email campaigns, and even customer support interactions.
This holistic approach allows for more targeted marketing and improved customer experience. The platform offers real-time analytics and automation capabilities, enabling businesses to trigger actions based on specific customer behaviours.
Key Features
- Customer journey tracking
- Real-time analytics
- Behavioural segmentation
- Custom event tracking
- Retention analytics
- Funnel analysis
- Integration with popular business tools
Woopra’s free plan, called “Core,” allows for tracking up to 500,000 actions per month across all your projects. It includes most of the essential features but has limitations on data retention and some advanced capabilities. For higher volumes and additional features, paid plans start at $349 per month.
Piwik PRO
Piwik PRO is a comprehensive analytics suite that offers a privacy-friendly alternative to Google Analytics. It’s particularly well-suited for organisations in regulated industries or those with strict data privacy requirements. Piwik PRO provides a full range of analytics tools, including web analytics, tag management, and customer data platform capabilities.
One of its key selling points is its ability to handle both cloud and on-premises deployments, giving businesses flexibility in how they manage their data. The platform offers detailed insights into user behaviour, conversion tracking, and marketing performance, all while ensuring compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
Key Features
- Web analytics
- Tag management system
- Customer data platform
- Consent management
- Custom reporting
- User flow analysis
- A/B testing
Piwik PRO offers a free plan called the “Core” plan, which includes basic web analytics, tag management, and consent management features. It allows for up to 500,000 actions per month, making it suitable for small to medium-sized websites. For larger organisations or those needing more advanced features, Piwik PRO offers enterprise-level paid plans with pricing available upon request.
Smartlook
Smartlook is a unique analytics tool that combines quantitative data with qualitative insights through session recordings and heatmaps. This combination allows website owners and app developers to not only see what users are doing but also understand why they’re doing it. Smartlook’s session recordings feature lets you watch real users interact with your site or app, providing invaluable insights into user behaviour and potential usability issues.
The heatmaps feature visually represents where users click, move, and scroll on your pages, helping you optimise your layout and design. Additionally, Smartlook offers event tracking and funnel analysis, allowing you to measure and improve your conversion rates.
Key Features
- Session recordings
- Heatmaps
- Event tracking
- Funnel analysis
- Retention tables
- Custom events
- API access
Smartlook’s free plan allows for up to 1,500 sessions per month and includes basic features like session recordings and heatmaps. However, it has limitations on data retention and some advanced analytics capabilities. For higher volumes and additional features, paid plans start at €39 per month when billed annually.
Open Web Analytics
Open Web Analytics (OWA) is a free, open-source web analytics software that provides website owners with a flexible and customisable solution for tracking and analysing website visitor behaviour. As an open-source platform, OWA gives users complete control over their data and the ability to modify the software to suit their specific needs. It offers many of the features found in commercial analytics tools, including visitor click tracking, campaign tracking, and custom reports.
OWA is particularly appealing to developers and tech-savvy users who appreciate the ability to dive into the code and extend functionality. While it may not have the polished interface of some commercial options, it compensates with its flexibility and potential for customisation.
Key Features
- Visitor click tracking
- Heat maps
- Campaign tracking
- Custom variables and reports
- E-commerce tracking
- Goal conversion tracking
- API for custom integrations
Open Web Analytics is completely free to use, with no limitations on features or data volume. However, as a self-hosted solution, you’ll need to cover the costs of hosting and maintaining the software on your own servers. This can be an advantage for organisations that need to keep their data in-house for security or compliance reasons.
Simple Analytics
Simple Analytics lives up to its name by offering a straightforward, privacy-focused alternative to complex analytics platforms. It’s designed for website owners who want essential traffic insights without the overwhelming amount of data and potential privacy concerns associated with larger analytics services. Simple Analytics doesn’t use cookies and doesn’t collect any personal data, making it fully compliant with GDPR and other privacy regulations right out of the box.
The platform provides clean, easy-to-understand charts showing key metrics like page views, referrers, and top pages. While it may lack some of the advanced features of more complex tools, its simplicity and strong privacy stance make it an attractive option for many website owners.
Key Features
- Cookie-free tracking
- GDPR compliant
- Simple, clean interface
- Page views and unique visitors
- Referrer tracking
- Top pages analysis
- Twitter analytics
Simple Analytics offers a 14-day free trial that includes all features. After the trial period, pricing starts at €19 per month for up to 100,000 page views. There is no permanent free plan, but the trial allows you to thoroughly test the service before committing.
Fathom Analytics
Fathom Analytics is a privacy-focused, cookie-free analytics solution that provides website owners with essential traffic data without compromising visitor privacy. It’s designed as a simpler, more ethical alternative to Google Analytics, appealing to those who prioritise user privacy and need only key metrics.
Fathom offers a clean, intuitive dashboard that displays important information like unique visitors, page views, average time on site, and bounce rate at a glance. One of Fathom’s key selling points is its strict adherence to privacy regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and PECR, making it an excellent choice for businesses operating in regions with strict data protection laws. Despite its simplicity, Fathom still offers features like custom domains for bypassing ad-blockers and the ability to track events and goals.
Key Features
- Privacy-focused, cookie-free tracking
- Simple, intuitive dashboard
- Unlimited websites and domains
- Event and goal tracking
- Custom domain support
- Email reports
- Data export options
Fathom Analytics offers a 7-day free trial that includes all features. After the trial period, pricing starts at $14 per month for up to 100,000 page views across unlimited websites. While there is no permanent free plan, the trial allows you to fully explore the platform’s capabilities before making a decision.
How to choose the best free website analytics tool for you
Understand your specific needs
Begin by identifying your website’s goals and the metrics that matter most to your business. Are you primarily interested in tracking visitor numbers, focusing on user behaviour, or analysing conversion rates? Different analytics tools excel in various areas, so clarifying your priorities will help narrow down your options. Consider the size of your website and the volume of traffic you expect to handle, as some free tools may have limitations on data processing or storage.
Evaluate features and ease of use
Examine the features offered by each free analytics tool and how they align with your requirements. Look for essential functionalities such as real-time data, custom reporting, and integration capabilities with other platforms you use. Additionally, consider the tool’s user interface and learning curve. A powerful analytics solution is only valuable if you can navigate it effectively and extract meaningful insights without extensive training. Some tools offer tutorials or community support, which can be particularly helpful for beginners.
Consider data privacy and compliance
In today’s privacy-conscious environment, it’s crucial to assess how each analytics tool handles data collection and storage. Ensure the tool complies with relevant data protection regulations, such as GDPR or CCPA, especially if you have visitors from regions where these laws apply. Some free analytics tools may have limitations on data ownership or use your website’s data for their purposes, so read the terms of service carefully. Additionally, consider whether the tool offers features like IP anonymisation or cookie consent management to help you maintain visitor privacy and trust.
Which Free Website Analytics Tool Is Best?
Google Analytics remains the top choice for most website owners. Its extensive features, integration with other Google services, and powerful reporting capabilities make it an excellent option for businesses of all sizes. While there’s a learning curve, the depth of data and insights available are unmatched for a free tool. We recommend Google Analytics if you’re looking for in-depth data analysis and are already using other Google services.
If you’re concerned about data privacy, Matomo might be the better fit. The self-hosted version gives you complete control over your data, and its user-friendly interface makes it accessible for beginners and experts alike. It offers many features similar to Google Analytics but with the added benefit of data ownership. Matomo is great for privacy-conscious website owners and those who want full control over their analytics data.
Clicky is worth considering if you’re looking for simplicity. Its real-time analytics and clean, intuitive dashboard make it easy to get a quick overview of your site’s performance. While the free plan has limitations, it’s an excellent starting point for small websites or those new to analytics. We recommend Clicky for small business owners and bloggers who want straightforward, easy-to-understand analytics without the complexity of larger platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions about Free Website Analytics Tools
What are website analytics tools?
Website analytics tools are software applications that collect, measure, and analyse data about website visitors and their behaviour. They provide insights into metrics such as traffic sources, page views, bounce rates, and user engagement, helping website owners make data-driven decisions to improve their online presence.
Why should I use website analytics tools?
Website analytics tools are essential for understanding your audience, tracking your website’s performance, and identifying areas for improvement. They help you make informed decisions about content strategy, user experience, and marketing efforts, ultimately leading to better website performance and increased conversions.
Are free website analytics tools as good as paid ones?
Free website analytics tools can be quite powerful and offer many essential features. While paid tools often provide more advanced features and greater customisation options, free tools like Google Analytics can meet the needs of many websites, especially for small to medium-sized businesses or personal sites.
Is Google Analytics really free?
Yes, Google Analytics offers a robust free version that is suitable for most websites. There’s also a paid version called Google Analytics 360 for enterprise-level needs, but the free version provides comprehensive data and features for most users.
How does Matomo’s self-hosted option differ from other free tools?
Matomo’s self-hosted option allows you to install the analytics software on your own server, giving you complete control over your data. This can be beneficial for privacy-conscious users or those with specific data regulations to comply with. However, it requires more technical knowledge to set up and maintain compared to cloud-based solutions.
What are the limitations of free plans in tools like Clicky and StatCounter?
Free plans often come with limitations such as a cap on the number of monthly pageviews, restricted access to certain features, or limited data retention periods. For example, Clicky’s free plan limits you to 3,000 pageviews per day and doesn’t include some advanced features available in paid plans.
Is Open Web Analytics difficult to set up?
Open Web Analytics, being an open-source tool, requires more technical expertise to set up compared to cloud-based solutions. You’ll need to install it on your own server and manage updates and maintenance. However, for users with technical knowledge, it offers a high degree of customisation and control.
Can I try paid analytics tools for free?
Many paid analytics tools offer free trials, allowing you to test their features before committing to a subscription. For instance, Simple Analytics offers a 14-day free trial, while Fathom Analytics provides a 7-day trial period. These trials can help you determine if the additional features are worth the investment for your specific needs.
How do I choose the right analytics tool for my website?
Choosing the right analytics tool depends on your specific needs, technical expertise, and budget. Consider factors such as the size of your website, the level of detail you need in your analytics, data privacy concerns, and whether you need features like real-time analytics or heatmaps. It’s often helpful to try out a few different tools to see which one best suits your requirements.
Are there any privacy concerns with free website analytics tools?
Some free analytics tools, particularly those offered by large tech companies, may collect and use your website’s data for their own purposes. If data privacy is a major concern, consider using self-hosted solutions like Matomo or privacy-focused tools like Simple Analytics or Fathom Analytics. Always read the privacy policies of any tool you’re considering to understand how your data will be used.
