Fathom vs Simple Analytics
Fathom is simple, privacy-focused website analytics. GDPR, CCPA, and PECR compliant, while Simple Analytics is privacy-first analytics that doesn't track users or use cookies. Simple Analytics 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 Simple Analytics targets privacy-conscious teams wanting ethical analytics.
At a glance
|
Fathom
|
Simple Analytics
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Businesses that want simple analytics without privacy headaches | Privacy-conscious teams wanting ethical analytics |
| Starting price | $14/mo | $9/mo |
| Free tier | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Free tier available | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Cookieless | ✓ | — |
| EU Isolation | ✓ | — |
| Event Tracking | ✓ | — |
| Events | — | ✓ |
| GDPR Compliant | — | ✓ |
| Goals | — | ✓ |
| No Cookies | — | ✓ |
| 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
Simple Analytics
Strengths
- Includes No Cookies as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
- Includes GDPR Compliant as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
- Affordable at $9/mo — one of the lower-priced options in the analytics category
- Includes events alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed
Weaknesses
- No free plan — you need to pay $9/mo from day one to use it
- 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. Simple Analytics starts at $9/mo. Simple Analytics is the more affordable option.
Feature gaps: Fathom offers Cookieless, EU Isolation and Event Tracking that Simple Analytics lacks. Simple Analytics brings Events, GDPR Compliant and Goals that Fathom does not have.
Team fit: Fathom is geared toward individual users and small setups, while Simple Analytics 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. Simple Analytics's biggest strengths are: includes no cookies as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows. includes gdpr compliant as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows.
Watch out for: With Fathom, users commonly note that more expensive than plausible. With Simple Analytics, the main complaint is that no free plan — you need to pay $9/mo from day one to use it.
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 Simple Analytics if...
- You need a tool built for privacy-conscious teams wanting ethical analytics
- You want to save on per-user costs — Simple Analytics is $5.00/user/mo cheaper
- You specifically need Events and GDPR Compliant
- You care about includes gdpr compliant as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
- Your team size fits the small teams profile Simple Analytics is designed for
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