Fathom vs Pirsch
Fathom is simple, privacy-focused website analytics. GDPR, CCPA, and PECR compliant, while Pirsch is privacy-friendly web analytics with no cookies, made and hosted in Germany. Pirsch comes in cheaper, but price alone does not tell the full story. Fathom is built for businesses that want simple analytics without privacy headaches, whereas Pirsch targets privacy-focused teams wanting simple web analytics.
At a glance
|
Fathom
|
Pirsch
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Businesses that want simple analytics without privacy headaches | Privacy-focused teams wanting simple web analytics |
| Starting price | $14/mo | $4/mo |
| Free tier | — | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Free tier available | — | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Cookie-Free | — | ✓ |
| Cookieless | ✓ | — |
| EU Isolation | ✓ | — |
| Event Tracking | ✓ | — |
| Events | — | ✓ |
| GDPR-Ready | — | ✓ |
| Privacy First | ✓ | — |
| Server-Side | — | ✓ |
| 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
Pirsch
Strengths
- Includes Cookie-Free as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
- Includes GDPR-Ready as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
- Free for 2.5K pageviews — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
- Includes server-side alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed
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
- Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up
The bottom line
Pricing: Fathom starts at $14/mo. Pirsch starts at $4/mo. Pirsch is the more affordable option.
Feature gaps: Fathom offers Cookieless, EU Isolation and Event Tracking that Pirsch lacks. Pirsch brings Cookie-Free, Events and GDPR-Ready that Fathom does not have.
Team fit: Fathom is geared toward individual users and small setups, while Pirsch is aimed at small 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. Pirsch's biggest strengths are: includes cookie-free as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows. includes gdpr-ready as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows.
Watch out for: With Fathom, users commonly note that more expensive than plausible. With Pirsch, 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 Pirsch if...
- You need a tool built for privacy-focused teams wanting simple web analytics
- You want to save on per-user costs — Pirsch is $10.00/user/mo cheaper
- You specifically need Cookie-Free and Events
- You care about includes gdpr-ready as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
- Your team size fits the small teams profile Pirsch is designed for
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