Plausible vs Fathom Analytics
Both are paid, cookieless traffic tools with one clean dashboard, and either is a good pick. The differences are in the details: open source and funnels on one side, lots of sites under one plan on the other.
Written by the people who make Moxel, which is neither of these.
SHORT ANSWER
Which one?
Pick Plausible if you want open source, a self-hosted option or funnels. Pick Fathom if you run many sites and want them all under one plan.
PLAUSIBLE
Pick Plausible if
- You want open source, or the option to host it yourself for free.
- You want funnels. Plausible has them on its Business plan, and Fathom's documentation lists none.
- You want a long trial. Plausible's is 30 days with no card, and Fathom's is 7.
- You want your data built and hosted in the EU, on European-owned infrastructure.
FATHOM ANALYTICS
Pick Fathom Analytics if
- You run a lot of sites. Fathom says every plan covers at least 50 of them, with an all-sites view.
- You want EU visitors processed in the EU by default, with nothing to switch on.
SIDE BY SIDE
The same questions, both answers.
| Question | Plausible | Fathom Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| Price | PlausiblePaid, by monthly page views. Free to self-host. | Fathom AnalyticsPaid, by monthly page views. A 7-day free trial and no free plan. |
| Cookies | PlausibleNone | Fathom AnalyticsNone |
| Hosting | PlausibleThe EU, or your own server | Fathom AnalyticsHosted by Fathom. EU visitors are processed in the EU by default. |
| Open source | PlausibleYes | Fathom AnalyticsNo. The hosted product is closed source. |
| Host it yourself | PlausibleYes, with the free Community Edition | Fathom AnalyticsNo |
| Forms | PlausibleCounted as a goal when a form is sent | Fathom AnalyticsCounted as an event when a form is sent, after you add a line of code |
| Funnels | PlausibleOn the Business plan | Fathom AnalyticsNot in its documented features |
| Visitor location | PlausibleCountry, region and city | Fathom AnalyticsCountry, region and city |
| Setup | PlausibleOne script tag | Fathom AnalyticsOne script tag |
| Script size | PlausibleAbout 1.3 KB compressed | Fathom AnalyticsAbout 2.1 KB compressed |
Checked against each tool's own site in October 2026. Tools change, so see Plausible and Fathom Analytics for today's details and prices.
Work at Plausible or Fathom Analytics and see something wrong or out of date here? Email moxelmail@gmail.com and we will fix it. Every page that mentions your tool updates at once.
NEITHER
If your real question is the form.
Both tools count a form once, when it is sent. Neither shows which field people stop on. That is what Moxel is for: every field, every checkout step, and a short list of what to change. It costs $27 a month after a 30-day trial.
VISITOR
1 of 5
- Waiting for the first event.
Five visitors, three different fields. That is the pattern you would never see in a conversion rate.
QUESTIONS
Asked a lot.
- Is Plausible or Fathom more private?
- Both set no cookies and both say they need no consent banner. Plausible is built and hosted in the EU. Fathom processes EU visitors in the EU by default. For most small sites the difference is where the company and the servers sit, not what is collected.
- Which is cheaper, Plausible or Fathom?
- Both charge by monthly page views and both change their prices, so check each pricing page for your traffic. Plausible's self-hosted Community Edition is free if you run your own server. Fathom has no free plan and no self-hosted version.
- Can I move from one to the other?
- Both offer a Google Analytics importer, and both install with one script tag, so switching is quick. Your old history stays in the old tool.