Plausible Analytics Review (2025)

Plausible Analytics is a lightweight, open-source web analytics platform focused on privacy and simplicity. It provides core metrics in a clean UI and avoids cookies and personal data tracking.

Data retention is 3-5 years depending on plan.

Plausible Analytics Strengths

Plausible Analytics, like its primary competitors Fathom Analytics and Simple Analytics, focuses on 'top pages' and 'top sources', although it has some additional features which make it stronger than both Fathom Analytics and Simple Analytics.

The most striking is Google Search Console integration. For content-based marketers, Search Console data goes hand-in-hand with analytics, and even Google Analytics own integration of search console data feels like afterthought.

In addition, Plausible has well developed Funnels and Goals. These are likely to only benefit a subset of users, but help bridge the divide between simple analytics and GA4.

Plausible Analytics Weaknesses

Plausible is substantially more expensive than either Fathom Analytics or Simple Analytics. Though the lowest plan begins at similar levels to its competitors, it rapidly becomes more expensive with traffic.

In addition, billing plans are by pageviews, rather than tracked users, which is less likely to correlate with the value derived.

Plausible Analytics as Open Source Analytics

As we've seen with both Fathom Analytics, PostHog and other 'open source' analytics solutions- none of them really are open source; all of the open source projects appear to be lead gen for their cloud solutions. Plausible CE is their lightweight open source offering, but it's cut down in terms of features. This is not particularly surprising- hosting analytics typically requires special infrastructure.