You've most likely landed on this article because you either want to track visitor data on your website and have heard about Matomo again and again during your research. Or simply because the analytics tool is currently on everyone's lips and has even been recommended to you by a friend or your data protection officer. You can find out exactly what Matomo is, what you can do with it and why it is the better alternative to Google Analytics here.
What is Matomo and what is it good for?
Matomo (formerly Piwik) is an open-source web analysis tool which, like Google Analytics, can track and analyze the behavior of visitors to your website.
Why is Matomo better than Google Analytics?
Both products are very similar in terms of usability and functionality. However, Google Analytics has a decisive disadvantage, especially for German users or users based in the EU: it is not entirely clear what Google does with the data it collects, let alone where it is physically located. According to data protection experts, Google Analytics cannot be used in compliance with the GDPR because the data collector does not have full control over its data.
This is where Matomo comes into play and has become increasingly popular since the GDPR. Because Matomo can be used with Matomo On-Premise or Matomo for WordPress are operated on your own server operated in Germany or on your WordPress website and are operated in compliance with the GDPR.
By the way, Matomo comes with its own tag manager. So if you use the Google Tag Manager, you can also replace it in one go in compliance with the GDPR.
Matomo vs. Google Analytics in comparison
| Matomo | Google Analytics | |
| Costs | Basically free of charge (can be extended with paid plugins) | Basically free of charge (Google offers a paid version for larger companies with Analytics 360) |
| GDPR-compliant | Can be operated in compliance with GDPR thanks to use without cookies + German hosting and 100% control over collected data | Difficult to impossible to operate in compliance with GDPR, as there is no control over data that may be located outside the EU |
| Quality of the data collected | Ideal, thanks to extensive analysis options | Usually worse because of ad blockers |
| Limitations | No limitation provided the hosting is performant enough. | 10 million hits / property & month, 100,00 hits / user & day, 500 hits / session |
| Expandability | Can be extended with useful plugins and add-ons via its own Matomo marketplace. | Cannot be extended. |
What is the difference between Matomo On-Premise and Matomo for WordPress?
As the name suggests, Matomo for WordPress is a WordPress plugin that you can install free of charge and manage via your WordPress dashboard. However, this is a "slimmed-down" Matomo installation. The developer himself only recommends the plugin if you have very little traffic on your website. In addition, Matomo is very resource-intensive, which can drastically reduce the loading time of your website. Therefore, the most common way is to use the on-premise version on a separate server or hosting.
The most common way to use Matomo is to install the on-premise version on a separate hosting or server in order to avoid the performance losses mentioned above. You also have a much wider range of functions with this variant and can even track several websites at the same time.
Tip: The on-premise installation is of course more complex than the simple installation of a WordPress plugin, as you first have to operate your own server. If you don't have any server know-how, but still don't want to miss out on the advantages of an on-premise installation, we recommend a Matomo Hosting to use. With specialized hosting, with just a few clicks you can Install Matomo and you don't have to worry about the performance of your website or the Matomo installation.
Matomo On-Premise vs. Matomo for WordPress in comparison
| Matomo On-Premise | Matomo for WordPress |
| + 100% Control over the collected data + GDPR-compliant + Free of charge + Live visitor log + Track multiple websites simultaneously + Extended range of functions + Installation of Matomo extensions | + 100% Control over the collected data + GDPR-compliant + Free of charge + Simple installation (WordPress plugin) |
Alternatives from the cloud: Matomo Cloud & Piwik Pro
In addition to the on-premise version and the WordPress plugin, there are also the alternative Matomo Cloud and Piwik Pro. These are actually based on the same code as the on-premise version, but are completely different products.
Matomo Cloud
The Matomo Cloud is operated directly by InnoCraft and runs on the SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) principle. This means that you pay a certain amount each month (from €19 / month) to be able to use Matomo in the cloud. The advantage is that you don't have to worry about installation or hosting and can get started straight away. The disadvantage, however, is that GDPR compliance is more difficult to guarantee compared to the on-premise version. According to InnoCraft, the servers are located in the EU (at least better than in the USA), but the company itself is located in New Zealand. The Matomo Cloud offers the same range of functions as Matomo On-Premise.
Piwik Pro
Piwik Pro is also a solution from the cloud and comes with a free and a paid version. Piwik offers an extended range of functions and, as the name suggests, is strongly aimed at professional users. The code basis is the same as for Matomo. However, the product is completely different. Analyses, analysis reports, analysis views and analysis tools are very different from Matomo. Piwik operates its servers at Microsoft in the Azure Cloud. Also in the EU.
Both Matomo Cloud and Piwik Pro are definitely better in terms of data protection and the GDPR. However, if you want to play it safe with the web analysis tool in order to comply with data protection regulations, you should always opt for Matomo On-Premise on your own server or German Matomo Hosting.
