GoatCounter vs Umami: which one to choose in 2026?
Both are open source alternatives to Google Analytics. We compare license, tech stack and features to help you decide which fits your team best.
| GoatCounter | Umami | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | EUPL-1.2 | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 5k | 25k |
| Tech stack | Go, SQLite | Next.js, PostgreSQL/MySQL |
| Replaces | Google Analytics | Google Analytics |
Umami has more GitHub stars, which usually indicates a larger community (not necessarily that it's the best option for your use case).
GoatCounter
Ultra-lightweight web analytics in a single binary, an alternative to Google Analytics.
Pros
- The lightest deployment in the whole category
Things to consider
- Not built for complex product analytics
Umami
Minimalist web analytics, very easy to self-host.
Pros
- MIT license
- Deploys as a single container + database
Things to consider
- Less detailed reports than GA4 or Matomo
Key features
GoatCounter
- Single binary, no external dependencies
- Simple visits and referrers dashboard
- No cookies or fingerprinting
Umami
- Multi-site from a single dashboard
- Custom events
- Own API for reporting