Simplytics vs Matomo
Matomo is the heavyweight open-source alternative to Google Analytics, with heatmaps, session recordings, A/B testing and a tag manager. Matomo Cloud is a subscription priced by monthly hits, where a hit can be a pageview, an event, a download, an outlink or a site search. Simplytics is $12/year for unlimited sites and pageviews, with fewer features and nothing to maintain.
| Simplytics | Matomo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (hosted) | $12/year, unlimited sites and pageviews | Cloud subscription priced by monthly hits (current prices) |
| Self-hosted option | No | Free core (your server, premium plugins cost extra) |
| Free trial | 30 days, no card | 21 days, no card |
| Cookies | None, ever | Yes by default; cookieless needs configuration |
| Consent assessment | Site-specific; no visitor cookies | Default cookies usually require consent; exemptions vary |
| Script size (compressed) | ~1.2 KB | ~20 KB |
| Maintenance | None | None on Cloud; updates/server/database if self-hosted |
| Heatmaps & session recordings | Views heatmap only | Yes (paid add-ons when self-hosted) |
| A/B testing, tag manager | No | Yes |
| Data location | Primary DB: EU (Warsaw); India access | EU (Frankfurt) on Cloud, or your server |
Prices and features verified from official Matomo pages, June 2026. Script sizes are compressed transfer sizes.
Where Matomo is better
- A genuine Google Analytics replacement: session recordings, A/B tests, tag manager, custom reports.
- Self-hosting with 100% data ownership on your own infrastructure.
- Full raw-data export. Simplytics deletes raw visit records nightly.
Where Simplytics is better
- Hosted analytics at a flat $12/year, with unlimited pageviews.
- Cookie-less by default, with no visitor cookie setup.
- A ~1.2 KB script versus ~20 KB.
- Nothing to install, update, back up, or secure.
Which should you pick?
If you need the full suite or must self-host, Matomo is the serious choice — budget for the server and the time. If you want visitor numbers that just work for a dollar, that is exactly what Simplytics is for.
Frequently asked questions
Matomo self-hosted is free. Why pay $12 a year?
The software is free; running it is not. You maintain a PHP/MySQL server (Matomo recommends 2 CPU / 2 GB RAM for 100k pageviews) and its updates, and many flagship features are paid plugins when self-hosted. $12/year is usually cheaper than the server alone.
Does Matomo need a cookie banner?
Matomo sets cookies by default, which generally requires consent; a cookieless setup may qualify for an exemption, depending on its features and local rules. Simplytics sets no visitor cookies, so it adds no cookie banner of its own.
Compare Simplytics with others: vs Google Analytics · vs Plausible · vs Fathom · vs Simple Analytics · vs Cloudflare Web Analytics