How to Self-Host Plausible Analytics: Google Analytics Alternative
Replace Google Analytics with Plausible — privacy-friendly, lightweight, and GDPR-compliant web analytics you can self-host.
Why Replace Google Analytics?
Google Analytics is free because you are the product. Every visitor to your site is tracked, profiled, and that data feeds Google's advertising machine.
Beyond the ethical concerns:
What Is Plausible?
Plausible is a lightweight, privacy-focused analytics tool. It gives you the metrics that actually matter — page views, referrers, top pages, countries, devices — without tracking individual users.
Key Differences from Google Analytics
| Feature | Plausible | Google Analytics |
|---------|-----------|-----------------|
| Script size | 1 KB | 45 KB |
| Cookies | None | Multiple |
| GDPR consent | Not needed | Required |
| Data ownership | You | Google |
| Dashboard | Simple, focused | Complex |
| Learning curve | Minutes | Hours/days |
Self-Hosting Plausible
Deploy on TinyPod
1. Find "Plausible Analytics" in the app catalog or templates
2. Deploy with 0.5 cores and 512 MB RAM
3. Access the setup wizard at your subdomain
Add Your Website
1. Log in to Plausible
2. Click "Add a website"
3. Enter your domain
Install the Script
Add one line to your website's head tag:
<script defer data-domain="yourdomain.com" src="https://plausible.your-instance.com/js/plausible.js"></script>
That's it. No configuration, no consent banners, no cookie notices.
Set Up Goals
Track specific actions: signups, downloads, purchases. Plausible supports custom events with a simple JavaScript API.
What You Can Track
What You Can't Track (By Design)
This is a feature, not a limitation. You get actionable analytics without the privacy baggage.