Fathom vs Amplitude
Fathom is simple, privacy-focused website analytics. GDPR, CCPA, and PECR compliant, while Amplitude is digital analytics platform for understanding user behavior across the full product journey. The biggest difference up front: Amplitude is free, while Fathom starts at $14/mo. Fathom is built for businesses that want simple analytics without privacy headaches, whereas Amplitude targets growth teams needing advanced product analytics.
At a glance
|
Fathom
|
Amplitude
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Businesses that want simple analytics without privacy headaches | Growth teams needing advanced product analytics |
| Starting price | $14/mo | Free |
| Free tier | — | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Free tier available | — | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Behavioral Analytics | — | ✓ |
| CDP | — | ✓ |
| Cohorts | — | ✓ |
| Cookieless | ✓ | — |
| EU Isolation | ✓ | — |
| Event Tracking | ✓ | — |
| Experiments | — | ✓ |
| Privacy First | ✓ | — |
| Uptime Monitoring | ✓ | — |
Fathom
Strengths
- Privacy-compliant out of the box
- Simple, one-page dashboard
- EU isolation option for data residency
- Reliable uptime and fast loading
Weaknesses
- More expensive than Plausible
- Not open source
- Limited advanced analytics
- No self-hosting option
Amplitude
Strengths
- Includes Behavioral Analytics as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
- Includes Cohorts as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
- Free up to 10M events/mo — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
- Established product with 14+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem
Weaknesses
- Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
- Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
- Data accuracy depends on tracking setup — misconfigured events give misleading results
- Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish
The bottom line
Pricing: Amplitude is completely free (Free up to 10M events/mo), which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Fathom starts at $14/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.
Feature gaps: Fathom offers Cookieless, EU Isolation and Event Tracking that Amplitude lacks. Amplitude brings Behavioral Analytics, CDP and Cohorts that Fathom does not have.
Team fit: Fathom is geared toward individual users and small setups, while Amplitude is aimed at mid-size teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.
Where each tool shines: Fathom's biggest strengths are: privacy-compliant out of the box. simple, one-page dashboard. Amplitude's biggest strengths are: includes behavioral analytics as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows. includes cohorts as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows.
Watch out for: With Fathom, users commonly note that more expensive than plausible. With Amplitude, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.
Choose Fathom if...
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: businesses that want simple analytics without privacy headaches
- You specifically need Cookieless and EU Isolation
- You care about simple, one-page dashboard
- Your team size fits the individuals profile Fathom is designed for
Choose Amplitude if...
- You need a tool built for growth teams needing advanced product analytics
- Budget is a hard constraint — Amplitude is free, Fathom is not
- You specifically need Behavioral Analytics and CDP
- You care about includes cohorts as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
- Your team size fits the mid-size teams profile Amplitude is designed for
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