Umami vs Pirsch
Umami is open-source, privacy-focused web analytics you can self-host, while Pirsch is privacy-friendly web analytics with no cookies, made and hosted in Germany. The biggest difference up front: Umami is free, while Pirsch starts at $4/mo. Umami is built for developers who want free, self-hosted, privacy-first analytics, whereas Pirsch targets privacy-focused teams wanting simple web analytics.
At a glance
|
Umami
|
Pirsch
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Developers who want free, self-hosted, privacy-first analytics | Privacy-focused teams wanting simple web analytics |
| Starting price | Free | $4/mo |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | ✓ | — |
| Free tier available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | ✓ | — |
| Cookie-Free | — | ✓ |
| Cookieless | ✓ | — |
| Custom Events | ✓ | — |
| Events | — | ✓ |
| GDPR-Ready | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | ✓ | — |
| Real-Time Dashboard | ✓ | — |
| Self-Hosted | ✓ | — |
| Server-Side | — | ✓ |
Umami
Strengths
- Free and open source
- Easy to self-host (Docker, Vercel, Railway)
- Clean, modern dashboard
- Privacy-focused, no cookies
Weaknesses
- Requires self-hosting for free use
- Fewer features than GA or even Plausible
- Limited integrations
- Cloud pricing not competitive with Plausible
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: Umami is completely free, which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Pirsch starts at $4/mo, but Free for 2.5K pageviews. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.
Feature gaps: Umami offers Cookieless, Custom Events and Open Source that Pirsch lacks. Pirsch brings Cookie-Free, Events and GDPR-Ready that Umami does not have.
Team fit: Umami 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.
Open source: Umami is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Pirsch is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.
Where each tool shines: Umami's biggest strengths are: free and open source. easy to self-host (docker, vercel, railway). 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 Umami, users commonly note that requires self-hosting for free use. With Pirsch, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.
Choose Umami if...
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: developers who want free, self-hosted, privacy-first analytics
- Budget is a hard constraint — Umami is free, Pirsch is not
- You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
- You specifically need Cookieless and Custom Events
- You care about easy to self-host (docker, vercel, railway)
Choose Pirsch if...
- You need a tool built for privacy-focused teams wanting simple web analytics
- 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
- The free tier works for you: free for 2.5k pageviews
Looking for more options?
Related comparisons
vs
vs
vs
vs
vs
vs
Stay sharp
price changes, and honest takes — weekly.