Web Analytics Showdown. Choosing traffic signals.
G-Analytics vs Umami vs Matomo : Helping You Pick the Right Tool for the Job
Websites are like storefronts — and web analytics tools are how we find out who’s visiting, what they’re doing, and how to make that experience even better. Whether you're running a school project, launching a small business, or trying to grow your audience, knowing how people use your website is powerful.
Let’s compare three awesome web analytics platforms that all offer free plans:
✅ Google Analytics ✅ Umami ✅ Matomo
We’ll break it down into simple pros and cons, then dive into how web analytics can help creative professionals and boost your SEO game.
🎯 Google Analytics — The Giant of the Game
What it is: Google Analytics is the most popular analytics tool on the planet. It’s powerful, flexible, and packed with data — and it’s free (unless you use the enterprise version).
✅ Pros
- Super detailed data: Tracks user behavior, devices, locations, and even real-time visitors.
- Customizable: You can create your own dashboards, reports, and events.
- Great for SEO and ad tracking: Links easily with Google Ads and Search Console.
- Huge community and resources: Tons of tutorials and forums to help beginners.
❌ Cons
- Complicated for beginners: It has a steep learning curve and a cluttered interface.
- Privacy issues: Collects a lot of user data, which may raise concerns with privacy laws like GDPR.
- You don’t “own” your data: Your data lives on Google’s servers.
Best for: Businesses focused on marketing, ads, and complex traffic analysis.
🌱 Umami — Clean, Simple, and Privacy-Friendly
What it is: Umami is a lightweight, open-source analytics tool. It tracks what matters — without all the fluff. It has a generous free plan and is very easy to install.
✅ Pros
- Simple and easy to use: Clean interface, great for beginners.
- Privacy-first: No cookies, no personal data collection.
- Self-hosted or cloud: You can run it on your own server, or use their free/paid hosting.
- Fast and minimal: Doesn’t slow down your site.
- GDPR compliance: Not required.
❌ Cons
- Fewer features: No advanced tracking like Google Analytics.
- Limited support: Smaller community, though growing.
- Requires setup: Self-hosting needs some tech knowledge.
Best for: Personal websites, creatives, and small teams who care about simplicity and privacy.
🔍 Matomo — The Control Freak’s Dream
What it is: Matomo is a full-featured analytics tool that gives you complete control of your data. It’s a solid alternative to Google Analytics.
✅ Pros
- You own your data: Great for privacy and compliance.
- No data limits (on self-hosted version).
- Many Google-like features: Heatmaps, session recordings, A/B testing.
- Privacy-focused: Easy to stay GDPR-compliant.
❌ Cons
- Complex setup: Self-hosting needs some server skills.
- Slower than Umami: It’s a heavier system.
- Can get pricey: Cloud-hosted version costs more than Umami if you want all features.
Best for: Businesses, NGOs, or schools that want deep analytics but full privacy.
We are using all three above and can provide the support to get you set up on any one of them.
Have a look and see which one suits your needs.