Find the best Google Analytics alternatives for your business

• Main problems with Google Analytics: Privacy concerns (GDPR), data loss, confusing interface, limited features
• Strong demand for European alternatives due to compliance and data security
• Key evaluation areas: Privacy (server location, legal compliance), features (e.g. tag management, conversion tracking), usability (e.g. report scope, interface)
• The right solution depends on your specific needs

Before we dive into which Google Analytics alternative might be the right fit for your business, let’s take a look at the most common issues and challenges users report with Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Google still dominates the analytics landscape when it comes to SEO KPIs and user behavior tracking – but many users express frustration around data privacy, missing data, and a convoluted user interface.

Privacy

Probably the biggest issue (and likely the main reason why you’re reading this article) involves EU data privacy laws. Many users aren’t sure whether GA4 really complies with the GDPR – even with its certification under the EU–US Data Privacy Framework (DPF).

One Reddit user voices skepticism, noting that the prior EU–US Privacy Shield was struck down by the European Court of Justice in 2020: “I’m kind of tired of reading all this legal stuff about privacy since analytics isn’t the main purpose of my business,” they write, frustrated by the uncertainty.

There’s also the ePrivacy Directive, which requires active consent for cookies or 'cookieless pings' – an area where GA4 leaves significant gray areas.

Usability and data issues

Data quality is another major source of frustration. Reports frequently surface of GA4 losing data or showing sudden drops. “My GA4 shows about half the usual traffic,” complains one user. Others mention drops below 10% of expected values – both in the interface and in BigQuery exports. These hiccups can be especially painful when calculating content ROI to justify budget with leadership.

Another issue: slow data processing. Google says GA4 can take 24 to 48 hours to process data fully – but in our experience, it often takes several days before the data is processed correctly and attributed to the proper channels. This lag is frustrating when you need to assess the success of content or campaigns quickly. Many other tools offer much faster access to data.

If it's not the data, it's the usability: “Honestly, GA4 has terrible UX,” reads one forum title. Users quickly feel lost without the familiar Universal Analytics overview. Instead of simple reports, nearly every report now requires deep, custom exploration, leading one commenter to say: "It feels more like witchcraft than working with a mature product."

We can also confirm that the learning curve for 'regular' users has gotten much steeper with GA4. You now need to create custom reports for even basic tracking. Without a solid understanding of event logic and GA4’s data model, it’s easy to misinterpret results – or simply lose your way.

Functionality

Several key marketing features are also missing: full referrer tracking is no longer available, attribution models have been removed, and sampling plus strict data limits restrict your ability to analyze traffic at scale. Instead of quickly checking search terms or user paths with a few clicks, you now may find yourself stuck for hours in a custom setup – as one thread titled How can GA4 be this terrible? illustrates. Even positive reviews acknowledge: "Advanced customizations require technical expertise."

And many users don’t realize until it’s too late that GA4’s sampling kicks back in at high traffic volumes. If you want access to unsampled data or higher thresholds, you’re looking at BigQuery costs or a pricey GA4 360 upgrade. That can get expensive fast, and for some, feels like a hidden vendor lock-in. There’s even speculation that Google is intentionally pushing users toward premium plans.

Larger companies with strict compliance requirements – such as energy providers, who often process large amounts of customer data, or businesses from the financial sector and pharmaceuticals – are consciously looking for European, GDPR-friendly analytics solutions. It doesn’t matter if they serve only their home market or run international SEO.

Many of our clients prefer self-hosted or managed services to retain full data sovereignty, pass internal security audits, and get reliable support for their digital commerce operations. For example, we helped our client Angelini – a global pharmaceutical group – switch from GA4 to Piwik PRO to meet these compliance standards.

Many corporations must prove that customer data is stored exclusively on EU servers, with zero access from the US or other countries outside of the EU and EEA. This concern relates to the US Cloud Act, which allows US authorities to request access to data housed in EU data centers run by US companies. At the same time, internal security teams also demand full visibility into access logs and configuration changes.

Additionally, for these companies, vendor risk management plays a significant role: They need reliable service-level agreements (SLAs), fast-response support, and immediate updates to stay compliant with new regulations. GA4, by contrast, is entirely managed by Google.

That’s why increasingly organizations are asking how future-proof their analytics setup really is – not only technically but also legally. There’s a growing desire to reduce dependency on US providers, especially as geopolitical conditions or data protection requirements can shift unexpectedly. What happens if US legislation changes or European data protection authorities further restrict the use of Google Analytics?

For many IT and compliance officers, choosing a European provider is a strategic safeguard – whether via on-premise hosting or a fully managed, EU-based cloud service.

In this article, we will take a closer look at eight European Google Analytics alternatives (including Fathom, a Canadian provider that processes its data in European data centers). But before we dive in, let’s break down what to consider when choosing the right Google Analytics alternative.

Before choosing an analytics tool, make sure you evaluate three key areas: privacy, functionality, and usability. That’s how you’ll find the right fit for your business and your tech stack.

There are now plenty of solid alternatives to Google Analytics. Which one is right for you depends entirely on your needs. In the overview below, we introduce the top alternatives to Google Analytics and compare them systematically in the areas of privacy, functionality, and usability.

Use the three tables to quickly see which tool meets your privacy requirements, what features are included in the functionality, and how intuitive the interface is.

Functionality

Usability

The ideal tool depends on your priorities: is your main concern privacy compliance, deep analytics capabilities, or ease of use? In the following conclusion, we summarize the Google Analytics alternatives presented above, so you can quickly see which tool aligns best with your goals.

Piwik PRO

Piwik PRO , based in Poland, has established itself as an enterprise-focused, GDPR-compliant alternative. It is proprietary and offers both private and public cloud options in EU data centers. For small-scale use cases, it’s a surprisingly full-featured free alternative to Google Analytics. The Core Plan runs on Microsoft Azure servers in Germany, while the paid Enterprise Plan adds options for EU-based infrastructure with Elastx.

Core features include a built-in tag and consent manager, granular user permissions, in-depth funnel reporting, multi-channel attribution, and SLA-based 24/7 monitoring for enterprise clients.

Ideal Google Analytics alternative for: Large organizations with strict data compliance needs – like pharma, finance, energy, or public sector – that require full data control with on-premise options and enterprise-level support.

Matomo

Matomo (formerly Piwik) is a fully open-source analytics platform under the GPL license, launched in France in 2007 and now maintained by a global community. You can either self-host it (with the server location then your responsibility) or use the Matomo Cloud Service (servers are located in Frankfurt).

Matomo stands out with highly configurable privacy settings, flexible tag management, an extensive plugin library for various analytics needs, and raw data access via API.

Ideal Google Analytics alternative for: Companies and agencies looking for maximum customization, full data control, and open-source transparency.

trackboxx

trackboxxis a German analytics platform that fully eliminates cookies – and claims it doesn’t require a consent banner as a result. It’s a purely cloud-based service hosted in German data centers ('Made in Germany') and doesn’t offer self-hosting or private cloud options, but all infrastructure is managed locally.

While it lacks broad integrations or advanced customization, the platform delivers a straightforward, user-friendly interface and dashboards focused on essential metrics.

Ideal Google Analytics alternative for: Small to mid-sized websites and online shops that want easy, privacy-compliant tracking with minimal setup.

Plausible Analytics

Plausible Analytics, based in Estonia, is a completely open-source (AGPL) solution that can be self-hosted or run as a cloud service with servers in Germany. Its tracking script is ultra-light – 75 times smaller than Google Analytics Global Site Tag script and 22 times smaller than Matomo’s – which boosts page speed and lowers your site’s carbon footprint.

Its cookie-free functionality includes revenue tracking, UTM campaign analytics, custom events, and basic funnel analysis, plus simple segmentation by referrer, device, or campaign. However, Plausible doesn’t offer deep user journeys or combined segments like GA4. Integrations such as a WordPress plugin, Google Search Console connection, Looker Studio connector, and a REST API allow you to seamlessly integrate Plausible into your tech stack.

Ideal Google Analytics alternative for: Startups, agencies, and content portals looking for a lean, privacy-first alternative to Google Analytics, where transparency through open-source is just as important as cookie-free tracking.

Simple Analytics

Simple Analytics is a proprietary cloud solution from the Netherlands, operated by a Dutch hosting provider with servers located in the country. The tool does not store any personal data and completely avoids cookies and IP tracking – instead, it identifies visitors solely through the browser referrer. According to the provider, this setup eliminates the need for a consent banner.

The streamlined interface delivers essential metrics like page views, unique visitors, referrals, and second-by-second live visitor data. You can download or delete your data at any time – giving you full control. For existing setups, Simple Analytics offers a Looker Studio connector, the ability to import historical Google Analytics data, and integrations with Google Tag Manager, WordPress, and a wide range of frontend framework plugins. With the iOS app and home screen widgets, you can keep a close eye on your most important KPIs on mobile.

Ideal Google Analytics alternative for: Small to mid-sized websites and teams that want a clean, lightweight dashboard with a few core metrics and without complex reporting needs.

eTracker

eTracker is an analytics platform 'Made in Germany' and operates all services in ISO-certified data centers within Germany. Since all data stays exclusively within this infrastructure, there’s no risk of US data transfers or access by US authorities. Fully cookieless and consent-free in accordance with TDDDG and GDPR, eTracker uses a token-based method to track sessions – even bypassing ad blockers and browser cookie restrictions by operating through a custom subdomain, without data loss.

Many metrics are captured automatically with minimal setup. The platform includes built-in tag and consent management, along with modules for dynamic drill-downs, behavior segmentation, scroll maps, campaign tracking and conversion sync, shop analytics, live user journeys, and BI/data warehouse integration. Raw data access can be seamlessly integrated into Looker Studio, Power BI, and similar tools via REST API and data warehouse connectors.

Ideal Google Analytics alternative for: Companies in the DACH region – especially large enterprises, financial institutions, and government agencies – with high compliance demands, who require a German legal foundation, cookieless tracking, and locally hosted data centers.

Fathom Analytics

Fathom Analytics is a privacy-first platform from Canada and an official AWS partner. Thanks to its built-in EU isolation feature, all data from EU visitors (and other European countries outside the EU) is first processed exclusively on EU-based servers operated by a German provider – where it is fully anonymized without involvement from US vendors. Only after this anonymization are the datasets transferred to US data centers to ensure performance and scalability. The free Lite version, by contrast, runs as a self-hosted solution.

Fathom uses a single, lightweight snippet to deliver cookieless tracking, automatically anonymizes IPs, and provides a clean, intuitive dashboard with real-time insights, revenue tracking, custom events, UTM campaign analysis, and automatic bot filtering. You can also import your historical Google Analytics data. The script integrates with any CMS or framework, making it easy to plug into your existing tech stack. That said, Fathom is a small team and likely doesn’t offer 24/7 SLAs or dedicated enterprise support accounts like larger vendors.

Ideal Google Analytics alternative for: Privacy-focused startups and small product teams looking for a lightweight, cookie-free solution with EU-first anonymization – and who don’t require round-the-clock support.

Dymatrix (formerly Econda)

Dymatrix Web Analytics, formerly known as Econda, is part of the German customer experience platform Dymatrix and brings over 20 years of market experience. As a proprietary, fully GDPR-compliant solution, it operates in TÜV-certified data centers in Germany that meet ISO/IEC 27001 standards. It offers real-time, cookieless, server-side tracking while maintaining complete data sovereignty.

The system features AI-powered dashboards and extensive filtering capabilities for detailed web data analysis. Additional tools like click maps, heat maps, confetti views, and visibility overlays support advanced usability evaluations. Via its plugin center, Dymatrix integrates with leading e-commerce platforms like Shopware and Shopify. Data services – including daily raw data exports and event streams – and headless analytics APIs (compatible with Power BI, Tableau, Looker Studio, and others) give teams full flexibility for custom BI setups.

Ideal Google Analytics alternative for: Large enterprises – especially in e-commerce – looking for a robust CX platform that combines privacy-compliant analytics with CRM integration, personalization, and business intelligence.