Matomo Analytics is a powerful web analytics tool. Similar to Google Analytics, it provides insight into visitor behavior on your website. Unlike Google Analytics, which transfers personal data to the USA and is regularly criticized for data protection violations, Matomo can be operated in complete compliance with the GDPR—and entirely without cookie banners or third-party tracking.
- GDPR-compliant Google Analytics alternative
- Server and company location: Germany
- Includes updates & support
- Free setup
To the Matomo Hosting Plans
What is Matomo and what is it used for?
Matomo (formerly Piwik) is an open-source web analytics tool which, like Google Analytics, can track and analyze the behavior of visitors on your website.
Why is Matomo better than Google Analytics?
Both products are very similar in terms of usability and range of functions. 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 collected data, let alone where it is physically located. According to data protection experts, Google Analytics cannot be used in compliance with the GDPR because the entity collecting the data does not have full control over it.
This is where Matomo comes into play and has been growing in popularity, especially since the GDPR. Because Matomo can with Matomo On-Premise or Matomo for WordPress operated on your own server hosted in Germany or your WordPress website and operated in compliance with the GDPR.
By the way, Matomo comes with its own Tag Manager. So, if you are using the Google Tag Manager, you can replace it as well in one go to comply with the GDPR.
Matomo vs. Google Analytics Comparison
| Matomo | Google Analytics | |
| Costs | Basically free (Can be extended with paid plugins) | Generally free (Google offers a paid version called Analytics 360 for larger companies) |
| GDPR compliant | Can be operated in compliance with the GDPR thanks to the use of no cookies, German hosting, and 100% control over collected data | Difficult to impossible to operate in a GDPR-compliant manner, as there is no control over data that may be located outside the EU |
| Quality of the collected data | Ideal, thanks to extensive analysis options | Generally worse due to ad-blockers |
| Limitations | No limitation provided the hosting is performant enough. | 10 million hits / property & month, 100,000 hits / user & day, 500 hits / session |
| Extensibility | Can be extended with useful plugins and addons via the built-in Matomo Marketplace. | Cannot be expanded. |
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 for free and administer via your WordPress dashboard. However, this is a „watered-down“ Matomo installation. The developer itself only recommends the plugin if you have very little traffic on your website. In addition, Matomo is very resource-intensive, which can drastically worsen your website's loading time. Therefore, the most common approach is to use the on-premise variant on a separate server or hosting.
The most common way to use Matomo is to install the on-premise variant on separate hosting or a server to avoid the aforementioned performance losses. In addition, this variant gives you a much broader range of functions and even allows you to track multiple websites at the same time.
Tip: The on-premise installation is, of course, more complex than the simple installation of a WordPress plugin, since you first have to operate your own server. If you don't have server know-how, but still don't want to miss out on the advantages of the on-premise installation, we recommend a Matomo Hosting to use. With specialized hosting, you can with just a few clicks Install Matomo and you also don't have to worry about the performance of your website or the Matomo installation.
Matomo On-Premise vs. Matomo for WordPress Comparison
| Matomo On-Premise | Matomo for WordPress |
| + 100% Control over the collected data + GDPR compliant + Free + Live Visitor Log + Track multiple websites simultaneously + Extended features + Installation of Matomo Plugins | + 100% Control over the collected data + GDPR compliant + Free + Easy installation (WordPress Plugin) |
Alternatives from the cloud: Matomo Cloud & Piwik Pro
In addition to the on-premise version and the WordPress plugin, there are the alternative options Matomo Cloud and Piwik PRO. In fact, they are based on the same codebase as the on-premise version, but they are entirely different products.
Matomo Cloud
Matomo Cloud is operated directly by InnoCraft and runs on the SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) principle. This means you pay a certain monthly amount (starting at €19 / month) to use Matomo in the cloud. The advantage is that you don't have to worry about installation or hosting and can get started right away. The disadvantage, however, is that GDPR compliance is more difficult to ensure compared to the on-premise version. Although, according to InnoCraft, the servers are located in the EU (at least better than in the USA), the company itself is based in New Zealand. In terms of features, Matomo Cloud offers the same scope as Matomo On-Premise.Piwik PRO
Piwik PRO is also a cloud-based solution and comes with a free and a paid version. Piwik offers an expanded range of functions and, as the name suggests, is strongly aimed at professional users. Although the code base is the same as Matomo's, the product is completely different. Analyses, analytical reports, analytical views, and analysis tools differ significantly from Matomo. Piwik operates its servers on Microsoft's Azure cloud, also within the EU.
Both Matomo Cloud and Piwik Pro are definitely better evaluated with regard to data protection and the GDPR. However, anyone who wants to play it safe with the web analytics tool to comply with data protection regulations should always rely on Matomo On-Premise on their own server or German Matomo hosting.
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