What is the difference between Countly and Matomo?

Countly is best for Mobile app teams wanting open-source analytics, while Matomo is best for Organizations wanting full Google Analytics replacement with privacy. Countly starts at Free and Matomo starts at Free.

Is Countly or Matomo cheaper?

Countly starts at Free and is free. Matomo starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Matomo?

Both Countly and Matomo offer free tiers.

Countly vs Matomo (2026) — notanothertool

At a glance

	Countly	Matomo
Best for	Mobile app teams wanting open-source analytics	Organizations wanting full Google Analytics replacement with privacy
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	✓	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	✓	✓
Crash Reports	✓	—
GDPR	—	✓
Heatmaps	—	✓
Mobile Analytics	✓	—
Open Source	—	✓
Push Notifications	✓	—
Self-Hosted	—	✓
Surveys	✓	—

Countly

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Includes Mobile Analytics as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Data accuracy depends on tracking setup — misconfigured events give misleading results

Try Countly → Full review

Matomo

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
Self-hosting requires Linux admin skills and ongoing server maintenance
Data accuracy depends on tracking setup — misconfigured events give misleading results

Try Matomo → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Both Countly and Matomo are free, so this decision comes down to features and philosophy rather than budget.

Feature gaps: Countly offers Crash Reports, Mobile Analytics and Push Notifications that Matomo lacks. Matomo brings GDPR, Heatmaps and Open Source that Countly does not have.

Team fit: Countly is geared toward mid-size teams teams, while Matomo is aimed at any size teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Open source: Both Countly and Matomo are open source, so self-hosting and code audits are on the table with either choice.

Where each tool shines: Countly's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. includes mobile analytics as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows. Matomo's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development.

Watch out for: With Countly, users commonly note that may lack some advanced features. With Matomo, the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.

Choose Countly if...

You need a tool built for mobile app teams wanting open-source analytics
You specifically need Crash Reports and Mobile Analytics
You care about includes mobile analytics as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Countly is designed for

Choose Matomo if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: organizations wanting full google analytics replacement with privacy
You specifically need GDPR and Heatmaps
You care about open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development
Your team size fits the any size profile Matomo is designed for