Comparison
Cool Analytics vs Plausible
Open-source, privacy-friendly analytics and the best-known Google Analytics alternative. Here's how Plausible stacks up against Cool Analytics, honestly — including when it's the better pick.
The short version
Pick Cool Analytics if you want cookieless analytics you can read at a glance — a live map, every visitor's journey and plain-English insights — from $3/mo. Pick Plausible if you want to self-host your analytics.
Feature comparison
| Cool Analytics | Plausible | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | From $3/mo (10k events) | From $9/mo (10k pageviews) |
| Free tier | 7-day free trial | No (30-day trial) |
| Cookies / consent banner | No cookies, no consent banner needed | No cookies |
| Script size | ~3 KB | ~2.5 KB |
| Realtime view | ||
| Per-visitor journeys | ||
| Plain-English insights | ||
| Custom events & revenue | yes (goals) | |
| Self-hosting | yes (Community Edition) | |
| Data retention | 1–5 years, by plan | Depends on plan |
Price at your traffic
Monthly price at the same volume. Plausible counts pageviews or events depending on plan; Cool Analytics counts events (pageviews plus custom events).
| Monthly traffic | Cool Analytics | Plausible |
|---|---|---|
| 10k | $3/mo | $9/mo |
Where Plausible is strong
- Mature, polished and widely trusted.
- Open source, with a self-hostable Community Edition.
- Goals and funnels for conversion tracking.
Where it falls short
- About 3× our price at 10k monthly pageviews.
- Aggregate reports only — you can't follow one visitor's path page by page.
- No live map of who's on your site right now.
Why people switch to Cool Analytics
- Same privacy promise — no cookies, no banner — for a fraction of the price.
- You want to follow each visitor's journey, not just totals.
- A live world map and plain-English insights make the dashboard something you actually check.
When Plausible is the better choice
- You want to self-host your analytics.
- You need funnels today.
- Open source is a hard requirement for you.
We don't do funnels, heatmaps, session replay, A/B tests or self-hosting. If you need those, a broader tool is a better fit.
Switching takes a minute
Add one line to your site's <head>, run both tools side by side for a few days if you like, then remove the old one. Step-by-step guides: Next.js, WordPress, Shopify, Webflow and more.
FAQ
Is Cool Analytics cheaper than Plausible?
Yes. Plausible starts at $9/mo for 10k pageviews; Cool Analytics starts at $3/mo for 10k events.
Are both cookieless?
Yes. Neither sets cookies, so neither needs a consent banner in most cases.
Can I self-host Cool Analytics like Plausible CE?
No. Cool Analytics is hosted only — we run it for you. If self-hosting is a must, Plausible's Community Edition is a good choice.
What does Cool Analytics have that Plausible doesn't?
A live world map, per-visitor journeys (every page each anonymous visitor saw) and insights written in plain English.
Last checked 2026-10-11. Plausible details from plausible.io; prices change, so check their site before deciding. Looking for more options? See the best Plausible alternatives.
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