Fathom Analytics vs Pirsch Analytics in 2026: Polished simplicity vs deeper features at a lower price
Both are cookieless, GDPR-first Google Analytics replacements with no consent banners. The real split is Pirsch's funnels, A/B testing, and open-source core against Fathom's simpler dashboard and forever data retention.
Fathom Analytics
Pirsch Analytics- Pirsch starts at $6/month for 10,000 page views; Fathom starts at $15/month with no free tier and no page-view-based entry point that low.
- Fathom bundles every feature, including API access and 50+ sites, into a single plan structure. Pirsch splits features across Standard, Plus, and Enterprise tiers.
- Pirsch offers funnels, A/B testing, and tag-based segmentation on its Plus plan. Fathom has no equivalent conversion-testing or segmentation feature.
- Fathom retains data forever on every plan. Pirsch also advertises unlimited data retention across Standard, Plus, and Enterprise.
- Pirsch has an open-source core that technical teams can audit directly. Fathom is closed-source but independently owned with no VC investors.
- Pirsch supports on-premise self-hosting on its Enterprise plan. Fathom has no self-hosting option at any tier.
- Pirsch can import historical data directly from Google Analytics, Plausible, and Fathom, easing migration. Fathom does not document an equivalent import path.
Fathom Analytics and Pirsch Analytics solve the same core problem: giving site owners accurate traffic data without cookies, without a consent banner, and without the GDPR compliance overhead that comes with Google Analytics. Both start from the same premise, but they diverge on price and depth. Fathom starts at $15 a month, bundles every feature into one plan, and leans on forever data retention and a clean, single-purpose dashboard. Pirsch starts at $6 a month, hosts in Germany, ships an open-source core you can audit, and reserves funnels, A/B testing, and segmentation for its $12 Plus tier. If you want the simplest possible setup with no tier decisions to make, Fathom is the more predictable buy. If you want to grow into session analysis and conversion testing without switching platforms, Pirsch has more room to expand into.
The tools at a glance
Fathom Analytics
Simple, GDPR-compliant web analytics with cookieless tracking, forever data retention, and no consent banners.
Fathom Analytics is a privacy-first web analytics platform used on over a million sites, including properties for IBM, GitHub, and Tailwind CSS. It collects no cookies and processes no personal data, so there is nothing to disclose in a consent banner. Setup is a single script tag on any site, CMS, or framework.
Every Fathom plan includes API access and at least 50 sites, which makes the pricing model unusually simple for agencies: there is no feature you unlock by paying more, only more sites and more page views. Data retention is forever regardless of plan tier, a deliberate contrast to GA4's rolling data windows.
What Fathom does not offer is depth beyond core traffic and event reporting. There are no funnels, no A/B testing, and no session-level behavioral tools. For teams that just want an accurate, private replacement for GA4's basic traffic reports, that restraint is the point. For teams that want to grow into conversion testing later, it is a ceiling.
| Feature | All plans From $15/mo |
|---|---|
| Pricing model | Based on monthly page views |
| Sites included | 50+ |
| Data retention | Forever |
| API access | ✓ |
| Funnels or A/B testing | ✗ |
| Free tier | ✗ |
Pirsch Analytics
Cookieless, GDPR-compliant web analytics made and hosted in Germany, with no consent banners required
Pirsch Analytics identifies visitors through an anonymized hash of IP address and User-Agent, discarding the source data after calculation, so it collects no personal data at all. It is hosted on a server cluster in Germany and is Schrems II compliant out of the box, with an open-source core available for technical audit.
Where Pirsch pulls ahead is the Plus plan at $12 a month, which adds session analysis, funnel visualization, A/B testing through tag-based segmentation, custom domains, and full white labeling. That gives marketing teams behavioral and conversion data that a pure traffic-counting tool like Fathom simply does not attempt.
The trade-off is that Standard-tier users are capped at 50 websites and do not get white labeling or custom domains, both of which require the Plus upgrade. Self-hosting and SAML SSO are Enterprise-only, so smaller technical teams that want to run their own instance will need a custom quote rather than a self-serve plan.
| Feature | Standard From $6/mo | Plus From $12/mo | Enterprise Custom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Websites | 50 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Funnels | No | Yes | Yes |
| A/B testing and segmentation | No | Yes | Yes |
| White labeling | No | Extensive | Extensive |
| On-premise installation | No | No | Yes |
Head-to-head feature comparison
| Feature | Fathom Analytics | Pirsch Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| Cookieless / no consent banner | Yes | Yes |
| Data retention | Forever | Unlimited |
| Starting price | $15/mo | $6/mo |
| API access | Yes (all plans) | Yes (all plans) |
| Funnels | No | Plus and above |
| A/B testing and segmentation | No | Plus and above |
| White labeling | No | Plus and above |
| Self-hosting option | No | Enterprise only |
| Open-source core | No | Yes |
| GA / competitor data import | Not documented | Yes (GA, Plausible, Fathom) |
Which should you choose?
Fathom AnalyticsPirsch AnalyticsPirsch AnalyticsPirsch AnalyticsFathom AnalyticsPirsch AnalyticsThe two tools agree on the privacy architecture and disagree on scope. Fathom keeps every plan identical and bets that most site owners just want accurate, private traffic numbers without a feature tree to navigate. Pirsch bets that once you have removed the cookie banner, you will also want funnels and A/B testing, and prices that depth into the Plus tier rather than the base plan.
Bottom line
Choose Fathom if you want one plan, forever retention, and nothing else to configure. Choose Pirsch if you are price-sensitive at the entry tier, want an open-source codebase you can audit, or expect to need funnels and A/B testing within the next year. Agencies managing more than 50 client sites should model the Pirsch Plus cost against Fathom's site-pack pricing before committing to either.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pirsch Analytics cheaper than Fathom Analytics?
Yes, at the entry tier. Pirsch Standard starts at $6 per month for 10,000 page views, while Fathom starts at $15 per month with no free tier. Once you need Pirsch's funnels, A/B testing, or white labeling, the relevant comparison is the $12 Plus plan, which narrows the gap but still undercuts Fathom.
Does either tool require a cookie consent banner?
No, neither does. Fathom collects no cookies or personal data, and Pirsch identifies visitors through a one-way hash of IP address and User-Agent that cannot be reversed to identify a person. Both are compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and PECR without a consent banner.
Which tool is better for agencies managing many client sites?
It depends on whether you need white labeling. Fathom includes 50+ sites on every plan with a flat, predictable add-on cost per extra 50 sites. Pirsch caps Standard at 50 sites and reserves white labeling and custom domains for the Plus plan, so agencies that want to present dashboards under their own brand should budget for Plus from the start.
Can I self-host either analytics tool?
Only Pirsch offers self-hosting, and only on its Enterprise plan with a custom quote. Fathom has no self-hosting option at any tier. If self-hosting on a smaller budget is the priority, neither tool is the cheapest path; Plausible Community Edition is worth comparing separately.
Does Pirsch or Fathom support importing data from Google Analytics?
Pirsch supports direct data import from Google Analytics, Plausible Analytics, and Fathom Analytics through its settings page, which avoids a clean-slate restart. Fathom does not document an equivalent import feature.