Plausible wins on raw feature depth and self-hosting flexibility. Fathom wins on dead-simple dashboards and better pricing at the 100k monthly pageview tier. These two privacy-first analytics products both reject the cookie-tracking hellscape of Google Analytics, but they appeal to very different operators.
> Quick Verdict: Plausible is the clear winner for small development teams and budget-conscious site owners who need self-hosting, ecommerce tracking, and granular event properties. However, Fathom is the better choice for non-technical users who want a zero-maintenance, instantly readable dashboard and don’t mind paying a few extra dollars per month for that simplicity.
Price Comparison
Both run on monthly subscriptions. No hidden fees, no per-site charges—each plan covers unlimited websites unless stated otherwise. Here are the head-to-head numbers for their cloud-hosted tiers:
| Monthly pageviews | Plausible (Cloud) | Fathom |
|——————|——————-|——–|
| 10k | €9 | — |
| 100k | €19 | $14 |
| 200k | (same as 100k plan up to 100k, then €19 for 100k–200k; really the next tier is 1M) | $24 |
| 500k | — | $44 |
| 1M | €59 | $74 |
| 5M | — | $124 |
| 10M | €169 | — |
Note: Plausible’s €9 plan comes with 1 team member, unlimited sites, and 10k pageviews. The €19 plan bumps that to 2 team members and up to 100k pageviews. Fathom’s $14 plan gives you unlimited team members, unlimited sites, and 100k pageviews right out of the gate; no lower-priced tier exists.
Plausible also offers a completely free, self-hosted version (Docker image) for those who can handle server upkeep. Fathom has no self-hosted option—it’s a closed-source SaaS.
If your site does 80k pageviews a month, Fathom costs $14 while Plausible costs €19. At 1M pageviews, Plausible undercuts Fathom at €59 versus $74. The value shifts depending entirely on traffic volume.
Feature Comparison
Both deliver the core privacy-first promise: no cookies, no personal data collection, anonymized IPs, full GDPR/CCPA compliance out of the box. The dashboards are light, fast, and show you the essential metrics: pageviews, top pages, referrers, country-level geography, device/browser info, and UTM campaign tracking.
Where they diverge:
Plausible extras you won’t find in Fathom:
– Event properties (custom dimensions attached to events—like “plan type: pro” on a signup), plus goal conversion tracking with revenue attribution
– Ecommerce dashboard with product and revenue breakdown
– Funnel analysis (multi-step conversion paths)
– 100% open-source codebase (AGPL) and self-hosted freedom
– API for custom integrations; public roadmap and community-contributed widgets
– Shareable dashboards that are embeddable (no login needed for public link)
Fathom strengths Plausible lacks:
– Even simpler UI: just 3 core reports (Today, Real-time, Aggregated) with zero configuration needed
– Real-time dashboard updates every few seconds without reloading
– Inherently more lightweight script (less than 2 KB vs. Plausible’s already tiny <1 KB? Actually both are under 1 KB; Plausible is 1.0 KB, Fathom 1.2 KB—negligible)
– Automated weekly email reports that look gorgeous, with no setup whatsoever
– Built-in ad-blocker bypass (proxies via custom domain) directly in the cloud plan; Plausible requires a Cloudflare proxy or manual setup for the self-hosted version
What neither does: heatmaps, session recordings, A/B testing, or user-level behavioral tracking. That’s intentional—the selling point is analytics without surveillance.
User Sentiment
We trawled Reddit, Hacker News, and independent review forums. The feedback is consistent, and refreshingly honest.
Plausible pros in the wild:
– “It’s the only analytics tool that actually feels like it respects my visitors, and I can host it on my own VPS for free.” (r/webdev)
– “Funnels and ecommerce tracking make it a legit alternative to GA for small SaaS.” (Hacker News)
– “Active development, community events, and a transparent roadmap.” (r/selfhosted)
Plausible gripes:
– “The self-hosted version requires some Docker knowledge. Not hard, but a barrier.”
– “At lower traffic, the cloud pricing isn’t the cheapest.”
– “The dashboard can feel a bit too sparse when you need more visualizations.”
Fathom pros:
– “I installed it in 2 minutes and never opened it again until my monthly report came in.” (r/blogging)
– “The real-time view is dangerously addictive. It’s like a dashboard for your ego.”
– “Customer support is shockingly fast for a small company.”
Fathom complaints:
– “No ecommerce tracking, no funnel. If you need to see conversion rates, you have to export to something else.”
– “No self-hosted option. You’re locked into their cloud.”
– “The price jump from $14 to $24 at 200k pageviews feels arbitrary.”
Who Is Each Product For?
Choose Plausible if:
– You run a small SaaS, ecommerce store, or content site that needs conversion funnels, revenue tracking, and event details.
– You want the option to self-host and own your data completely, without monthly fees after setup.
– You have a developer on hand who can set up custom event tracking via the API or adjust the JavaScript snippet.
– Your monthly pageviews are either very low (under 10k) or high (above 500k) where Plausible’s pricing shines.
Choose Fathom if:
– You’re a solo blogger, portfolio owner, or agency manager who wants a dashboard that requires zero thinking.
– You value automatic email reports that look like they were designed by someone who actually cares about typography.
– You have no interest in self-hosting and prefer clicking “sign up” and being done.
– Your monthly traffic hovers between 50k and 200k pageviews—that’s where Fathom’s $14 plan is unbeatable value.
FAQ
Which one is cheaper at 100k pageviews?
Fathom. At $14/month for 100k pageviews, it undercuts Plausible’s €19 (~$21). If your site fluctuates around that range, Fathom wins on price.
Do either require a cookie consent banner?
No. Both do not use cookies, store no personal data, and anonymize IP addresses. You can remove cookie banners entirely, which is the whole point.
Can I self-host Fathom?
No. Fathom is proprietary cloud software only. If self-hosting is non-negotiable, Plausible is your only option between these two.
Which has better GDPR compliance?
They are effectively equal. Both are fully GDPR, PECR, CCPA compliant without any configuration. The EU often treats Plausible as the poster child for compliant analytics because of its open-source nature and EU-based infrastructure (Plausible servers in Germany). Fathom uses EU data centers as well for its European customers.
Comparison Table
| Spec | Plausible | Fathom |
|——|———–|——–|
| Starting price (cloud) | €9/mo (10k pageviews) | $14/mo (100k pageviews) |
| Self-hosted option | Yes (free, open-source) | No |
| Ecommerce tracking | Yes | No |
| Funnel analysis | Yes | No |
| Custom event properties | Yes | No |
| Real-time dashboard | No (near real-time) | Yes |
| Email reports | Configurable | Automatic, beautifully designed |
| GDPR/CCPA compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Script size | <1 KB | <1.2 KB |
| Ad-blocker bypass | Via Cloudflare proxy (self-hosted) or manual config | Built-in |
| Best for | Developers, ecommerce, SaaS sites | Solo bloggers, agencies, minimalist trackers |
Where to Buy
– Plausible: Check Price on Plausible (direct sign-up at plausible.io)
– Fathom: Check Price on Fathom (direct sign-up at usefathom.com)
Both offer free trials: 30 days for Plausible, 7 days for Fathom (or a 30-day money-back guarantee). No credit card needed for Plausible’s trial.
[IMAGE PROMPT: photorealistic top-down desk setup featuring a sleek laptop with two browser windows open side by side—one showing the Plausible dashboard with a funnel graph and revenue numbers, the other showing Fathom’s minimalist real-time pageview counters. A coffee mug, a notepad, and a phone lie on a light wood desk, bathed in soft natural window light. No visible text or logos on the device frames.]
SoftRanked is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Last updated: July 1, 2025