Fathom vs Plausible — Which One Wins?
A detailed, side-by-side comparison of Fathom and Plausible to help you pick the right tool for your workflow.
Quick Verdict
Fathom takes the lead with a 4.4 rating and is best for businesses wanting the most polished privacy-friendly analytics with premium support.. Plausible (4.1) is the better pick if you need sites wanting privacy analytics without banners.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Fathom | Plausible |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★★★★ 4.4(89) | ★★★★ 4.1(53) |
| Pricing Model | paid | open_source |
| Starter Price | $15/mo (100K pageviews) | $9/mo |
| Free Tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | web | Web |
| Learning Curve | easy | easy |
| API Available | Yes | Yes |
| Best For | Businesses wanting the most polished privacy-friendly analytics with premium support. | Sites wanting privacy analytics without banners |
| Verdict | situational | recommended |
Feature Checklist
| Feature | Fathom | Plausible |
|---|---|---|
| Cookie-free analytics | — | |
| Beautiful single-page dashboard | — | |
| EU data isolation | — | |
| Custom events and goals | — | |
| UTM campaign tracking | — | |
| Multi-domain support | — | |
| Cookie-free | — | |
| GDPR | — | |
| One-page dash | — | |
| Under 1KB | — | |
| Goals | — | |
| Self-hosting | — |
Fathom
Pros
- ✓Most polished privacy-friendly analytics dashboard
- ✓EU data isolation for GDPR compliance
- ✓Accurate visitor counting without cookies
Cons
- ✕More expensive than Plausible for similar features
- ✕No free tier or self-hosting option
- ✕Less capable than GA4 for marketing analytics
Plausible
Pros
- ✓No cookies
- ✓Simple
- ✓Tiny script
- ✓GDPR
Cons
- ✕Limited advanced
- ✕No user data
- ✕Less detail
The Bottom Line
Both Fathom and Plausible are solid tools in the Analytics & Data space. Fathom edges ahead with a stronger overall rating (4.4 vs 4.1) and is the better choice for businesses wanting the most polished privacy-friendly analytics with premium support.. However, if you prioritize sites wanting privacy analytics without banners, Plausible is worth serious consideration. We recommend trying the free tier or trial of each before committing.