GoatCounter is a free website analytics platform that empowers website owners to monitor and track visitor activity on their website. It provides a simple and privacy-focused alternative to more intricate analytics solutions.

GoatCounter boasts numerous features that website owners can leverage to get a clearer idea of their website's user behavior. These features include real-time tracking, location tracking, and customizable tracking options. GoatCounter also provides users with in-depth statistics on visitor activity, including page views, unique visitors, and referral sources.

Moreover, GoatCounter is an open-source free solution, which means that users can access the source code of the platform and can modify it according to their needs. This feature also provides website owners with the flexibility to self-host the platform or use it as a cloud service.

With these capabilities, GoatCounter is a reliable and efficient tool for website owners to make informed decisions about their website's performance.

The system is written in the Go programming language, and uses SQLite by default. However, you can replace SQLite with PostgreSQL database in your own install.

Privacy-focused

GoatCounter is privacy-aware and does not track users with unique identifiers, so it does not require a GDPR notice. You have fine-grained control over which data is collected. For more information, see the privacy policy and GDPR consent notices.

Lightweight

Lightweight and fast; it only adds about 3.5K of extra data to your site. It also offers a JavaScript-free "tracking pixel" option, or you can use it as middleware in your application or import it from log files.

Other features

  • Identify unique visits without cookies using a non-identifiable hash (technical details).
  • Keeps useful statistics such as browser information, location, and screen size. Keep track of referring sites and campaigns.
  • Easy; if you've been confused by the myriad of options and flexibility of Google Analytics and Matomo that you don't need then GoatCounter will be a breath of fresh air.
  • Accessibility is a high-priority feature, and the interface works well with assistive technology such as screen readers.
  • 100% committed to open source; you can see exactly what the code does and make improvements, or self-host it for any purpose.
  • Own your data; you can always export all data and cancel at any time.

License

Copyright © Martin Tournoij [email protected]

GoatCounter is licensed under a slightly modified version of European Union
Public License (EUPL) 1.2; the only difference is that the “Compatible Licenses”
Appendix removes some licenses, but is otherwise identical.

The EUPL is available in the 22 official languages of the EU. Only the English
one is provided here, for the official translations see: http://eupl12.zgo.at

Resources