Want to know how people use your website without spending money? Here are 10 free analytics tools that show you exactly what's happening on your site.
Quick Overview of Top Tools:
| Tool | Best For | Key Feature | Free Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics | Overall tracking | Full traffic data | Unlimited |
| Matomo | Privacy focus | Self-hosted option | 50K hits |
| Microsoft Clarity | User behavior | Heatmaps & recordings | Unlimited |
| Open Web Analytics | Self-hosting | Complete data control | Unlimited |
| Hotjar | UX research | Visual behavior maps | 2K views |
| Clicky | Real-time data | Live visitor tracking | 3K daily views |
| Similarweb | Market research | Competitor analysis | Limited data |
| Woopra | Customer journeys | User profiles | 500K actions |
| CloudFlare | Server stats | No cookies needed | Unlimited |
| Heap | Auto-tracking | All clicks captured | 10K sessions |
Which One Should You Pick?
| If You Need | Use This | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Stats | Google Analytics | Free forever, tracks everything |
| Privacy | Matomo | You control the data |
| User Behavior | Microsoft Clarity | Free heatmaps and recordings |
| Quick Setup | Hotjar | Install in 5 minutes |
Setup Time:
- Quick (5-10 mins): Clarity, Hotjar, Clicky
- Medium (30 mins): Google Analytics, CloudFlare
- Technical (1+ hours): Matomo, Open Web Analytics
Most tools offer free plans that work well for sites with under 10,000 monthly visitors. Start with Google Analytics - it's free, powerful, and used by over 50 million websites.
Related video from YouTube
Google Analytics: The Basic Stats Tool
Google Analytics dominates web analytics - 28.8 million websites use it (85.9% market share). Here's what makes it perfect for small businesses:
| Feature | What You Get |
|---|---|
| Traffic Sources | Shows if people find you through search, social, or ads |
| User Behavior | Tells you which pages attract and lose visitors |
| Device Data | Breaks down mobile vs desktop traffic |
| Demographics | Shows visitor locations and interests |
| Goals | Measures form fills and sales |
GA4 is Google's newest version. Here's what's different:
- No IP address storage (better privacy)
- Event tracking for clicks and sales
- Sees how people switch between phones and computers
- Uses AI to find patterns in your data
Want to start using GA4?
- Sign up for a free Google account
- Put the tracking code on your site
- Wait 15-30 minutes
- Turn on enhanced measurement
Start small: Focus on basic numbers first. Look at page views and time on site. Add more tracking as you get comfortable.
| Basic Stats | Advanced Features |
|---|---|
| Daily visitors | Custom reports |
| Popular pages | Event tracking |
| Traffic sources | Audience segments |
| Time on site | Conversion paths |
Heads up: Still using Universal Analytics? Switch to GA4 now - the old version dies July 1, 2024.
GA4's event tracking shows EXACTLY how people use your site. You'll spot what works, what doesn't, and where to fix things to boost sales.
2. Matomo: Self-Hosted Analytics Option
Matomo (formerly Piwik) puts you in charge of your website data. It's the 7th most popular analytics tool, running on 1.7% of all websites.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Data Storage | Your own servers |
| Privacy Focus | No cookies, GDPR-ready |
| Real-time Stats | See visitors instantly |
| Auto-tracking | Forms, downloads, eCommerce |
| Market Share | 10% of top 10,000 websites |
You can use Matomo in two ways:
| Option | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted | Free | Tech teams |
| Cloud | From $26/month | Non-tech users |
To run self-hosted Matomo, you'll need:
- A Linux/Windows server
- MySQL database
- Regular updates
- Tech know-how
"In libraries, we protect reader privacy. That's why Google Analytics doesn't fit our needs. After Snowden's revelations, we switched to Matomo. It's free, open source, and lets us keep data local." - Adam Chandler, Director at Cornell University
What you can track:
- Where visitors come from
- Search engines they use
- Language settings
- IP addresses
- Heat maps
- User sessions
Over 1.4 million websites in 190+ countries use Matomo. Small sites (under 10,000 monthly visits) do well with self-hosted because it needs less server power.
| Traffic | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| 50,000 hits | $23 |
| 100M hits | $16,900 |
| Self-hosted | $0 |
Your data stays YOURS: Unlike Google Analytics, Matomo doesn't share your data with others. You pick where to store it and for how long.
3. Microsoft Clarity: Free Behavior Tracking
Microsoft Clarity shows you how people use your website through heatmaps and session recordings. It's used by over 3,000 organizations.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Daily Limit | 100,000 sessions per project |
| Data Storage | 30 days for recordings |
| Heatmap Storage | 13 months |
| Views per Heatmap | Up to 100,000 page views |
| Installation Time | 5 minutes |
The tool gives you three types of heatmaps:
| Type | Shows |
|---|---|
| Click Maps | Where users click |
| Scroll Maps | How far users read |
| Area Maps | Which sections get attention |
"For a user experience analytics tool, I don't think you will find a better solution than what Microsoft has done with Clarity." - Scott Kivowitz, Chief Community Officer at Imagely
Here's what you get:
- See every mouse movement and click
- Find "rage clicks" (when users get frustrated)
- Spot clicks on broken elements
- Track mobile app usage
- Connect with Google Analytics
Privacy features:
- Follows GDPR and CCPA rules
- Hides sensitive information
- Keeps data for 3 months
- Doesn't support "Do Not Track"
| Use Case | What It Tracks |
|---|---|
| User Journey | Complete session recording |
| Problem Areas | Rage clicks |
| Content Impact | How far users scroll |
| Mobile Usage | Touch and tap patterns |
Getting started takes 5 minutes:
- Sign up (it's free)
- Add the tracking code
- Set up through Google Tag Manager
- Watch the data come in
- Sort by country or device
You'll find problems like:
- Dead links users try to click
- Sections no one reads
- Forms that frustrate users
- Mobile display bugs
The best part? It's FREE. That makes it perfect for small businesses who need basic tracking without the big price tag of premium tools.
4. Open Web Analytics: Open-Source Tool
Open Web Analytics (OWA) is a self-hosted analytics platform that puts YOU in control of your data. It works right away with WordPress and MediaWiki.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Installation | Your own server |
| Data Storage | Your database |
| Privacy | GDPR & CCPA ready |
| Cost | Free (+ server costs) |
| Tracking Options | JavaScript, PHP, REST APIs |
Here's what you can track:
| Metric Type | What You Get |
|---|---|
| Basic Stats | Pages viewed, visitor count |
| User Actions | Click patterns, form usage |
| Content | Videos watched, files downloaded |
| E-commerce | Sales paths, buyer actions |
| Custom Events | Any user interaction |
Your dashboard shows you:
- Who's on your site RIGHT NOW
- Which links people click
- How many visitors buy
- What content works best
- The exact numbers YOU care about
The Facts About OWA
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Market Share | 0.00% of analytics tools |
| Active Users | 8 tracked customers |
| Top Markets | US, South Africa, Qatar |
Getting Started
- Grab OWA from GitHub
- Put it on your server (PHP 5.3+, MySQL 4.1+)
- Drop the tracking code on your site
- Set up your first profile
- Watch the data roll in
Who needs this?
| Business Type | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Small Blogs | See your traffic numbers |
| Online Stores | Track your sales |
| Multi-site Owners | One screen for all sites |
| Data Privacy Fans | Keep control of your info |
OWA might not be Google Analytics, but it's perfect if you want to own your data without paying a dime (except for hosting).
5. Hotjar: Website Behavior Maps
Hotjar shows you exactly how people interact with your website. Their free plan gives you 1,050 monthly sessions to track user behavior.
| Feature Type | What You Get |
|---|---|
| Heatmaps | Click tracking, scroll depth, mouse movements |
| Recordings | Real user sessions, page-by-page activity |
| Privacy | CCPA and EU-U.S. Privacy Shield certified |
| Integration | Works with 1,000+ platforms |
Here's what Hotjar's heatmaps tell you:
| Map Type | Shows You |
|---|---|
| Click Maps | Where users click on your pages |
| Scroll Maps | Which parts of pages users actually see |
| Move Maps | How users move their cursor |
The free plan packs a punch:
| Item | Limit |
|---|---|
| Daily Recordings | 35 sessions |
| Heatmaps | No limit |
| Setup Time | 67% of users set up in under 10 minutes |
| Data Storage | 365 days |
Want proof it works? Taskworld spotted a problem in their sign-up form using Hotjar's heatmaps. After a 5-minute fix, their conversions jumped 40%.
Here's how small businesses use Hotjar:
| Goal | How Hotjar Helps |
|---|---|
| Fix Forms | Spot where users abandon forms |
| Test New Designs | See how design changes perform |
| Improve Navigation | Find popular user paths |
| Boost Sales | Identify checkout problems |
What makes Hotjar stand out:
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| No Guessing | Watch real user behavior |
| Quick Fixes | Find problems immediately |
| Clear Data | See issues through visuals |
| Easy Setup | One code snippet does it all |
The free plan fits perfectly for:
- Small websites
- New online stores
- Landing page tests
- Basic user research
Pro tip: Start by adding heatmaps to your main pages and watch 10-15 user recordings. You'll spot patterns and problems fast.
6. Clicky: Real-Time Stats Tool
Clicky shows you exactly who's on your site in real time. The free plan handles one website with up to 3,000 daily page views.
Here's what you get with Clicky:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Live Tracking | Watch visitor activity and pages viewed in real time |
| Bot Detection | Removes fake traffic automatically |
| Uptime Monitoring | Checks from 7 locations worldwide |
| Privacy Mode | Meets GDPR rules with anonymous visitor data |
Your main dashboard shows:
| Metric Type | What You See |
|---|---|
| Today vs Yesterday | Side-by-side traffic numbers |
| Popular Pages | Top-performing content |
| Search Terms | How people find your site |
| Outbound Links | Sites your visitors click to |
"I ditched Google Analytics 4+ years ago for Clicky. Never looked back." - LACRM Blog Author
Built-in tools for growth:
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Spy View | See live visitor paths |
| Heatmaps | View click patterns |
| Goal Tracking | Count conversions |
| Split Testing | Test different pages |
Big names using Clicky:
- Basecamp
- Smashing Magazine
- International Business Times
- Newsweek
Free version includes:
| Item | Limit |
|---|---|
| Sites | 1 |
| Daily Page Views | 3,000 |
| Data Storage | 30 days |
| Reports | Basic stats |
Pro tip: Turn on email alerts to catch traffic spikes and site issues fast.
Perfect for:
- Small online stores
- Service businesses
- Personal blogs
- Portfolio sites
Bonus: Clicky tracks visitors using ad-blockers (15% of users) through reverse proxy tracking - something most analytics tools miss.
7. Similarweb: Market Research Tool
Similarweb's free plan shows you where your competitors get their traffic and how they market themselves. The platform crunches 2TB of data every day from 200+ million devices across 190+ countries.
Here's what you get with the free version:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Daily Queries | 15 free website lookups |
| Sites to Compare | Up to 5 websites |
| Traffic Sources | Search, Direct, Social, Email, Display |
| Data Range | Past 6 months |
The tool shows these core stats:
| Metric Type | What You Learn |
|---|---|
| Total Visits | Monthly website traffic |
| Visit Duration | Time spent on site |
| Pages/Visit | Engagement level |
| Bounce Rate | Exit percentage |
| Traffic Sources | Top channels bringing visitors |
Here's the thing: Similarweb works BEST for bigger websites. If a site gets less than 100,000 monthly visits, the numbers can be off by up to 94%.
The free plan includes:
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Keyword Research | Find search terms driving traffic |
| Traffic Analysis | Track engagement trends |
| Competitor Data | See marketing channels used |
| Audience Insights | Learn visitor demographics |
Major brands that use Similarweb:
- Booking.com
- Walmart
- Adobe
- DHL
"We are not a website analytics tool like Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics; we don't claim to have perfectly accurate individual website data." - Similarweb
Pro tip: Want better data? Use Similarweb WITH Google Analytics.
The tool helps you:
- Find new ways to market your site
- See what's working in your industry
- Look at what competitors are doing
- Connect with potential partners
Bottom line: While Similarweb updates its data often, the numbers might not match your internal analytics because of how they collect data.
8. Woopra: Customer Journey Tracking
Woopra helps you see how people use your website - right as it happens. Their free plan lets you track 30,000 page views per month and keeps your data for 3 months.
Here's what you get with the free version:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Live Visitor Stats | Geographic location, pages visited |
| Data Storage | 3 months |
| Monthly Page Views | 30,000 |
| User Tracking | Individual-level analysis |
| Chat Function | Direct visitor communication |
Want to know what's happening with your users? Woopra tracks these numbers:
| Metric Type | What You See |
|---|---|
| Full-Funnel | First touch to purchase |
| Product Usage | Feature adoption rates |
| Onboarding | Sign-up completion rates |
| Subscription | Growth patterns |
| Cohort Data | User group behaviors |
"Woopra made information immediately available for us to find answers to specific questions, map out the customer journey and acts as the baseline for our customer data." - Scott Smith, VP Sales, CloudApp
The tool works with your other software:
| Integration | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Salesforce | Sales data sync |
| Databases | Custom data import |
| SaaS Tools | Third-party metrics |
| CMS Platforms | Website integration |
"Woopra's Journey Analytics platform offered a turnkey solution that enabled us to improve internal workflows and respond in real-time to clients' unique needs." - Andrew Karam, Co-Founder & VP Product, AppLovin
How it beats Google Analytics:
- Shows data NOW (not hours later)
- Tracks EACH user (not just groups)
- Works as a desktop app
- Comes with chat built-in
"Woopra enables our team to track the journeys of our customers and measure their lifetime value in real-time which might have taken weeks to build otherwise aggregating data into a report." - Teri Levy, Director of eCommerce, Lather
Heads up: Free users see ads and only get 3 months of data storage. Need more? Paid plans start at $4.95/month.
9. CloudFlare Analytics: Server-Side Stats
CloudFlare Analytics tracks your website traffic without cookies or local storage. It's simple: you get key stats, your visitors keep their privacy.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Privacy Focus | Zero cookies, zero tracking |
| Data Collection | Server-side tracking only |
| Real-time Stats | See traffic as it happens |
| Core Web Vitals | Live speed measurements |
| Data Ownership | Your data stays yours |
Here's what you'll see in your dashboard:
| Metric | What You Get |
|---|---|
| Page Views | How many people visit each page |
| Top Pages | Which content pulls in traffic |
| Visitor Locations | Where your traffic comes from |
| Traffic Sources | What sends people to your site |
| Speed Stats | How fast your pages load |
"Website owners shouldn't have to choose between good analytics and user privacy." - Matthew Prince, CloudFlare CEO
Setting it up? You've got options:
| Method | How To Do It |
|---|---|
| Quick Setup | Click a button in CloudFlare |
| Manual Install | Copy-paste some code |
| WordPress | Turn it on in Marketing Tools |
The free version gives you:
| Item | What's Included |
|---|---|
| Website Count | As many as you want |
| Traffic Amount | No limits |
| Data History | Live data only |
| Stats Package | Basic numbers |
| Data Filters | Main options only |
"Most 'free' analytics tools make you trade privacy for data. We don't." - Jon Levine, CloudFlare Product Manager
What makes it different?
- Counts visits without following users
- Shows stats instantly
- Keeps you GDPR-ready
- Won't slow your site down
It's perfect if you:
- Just want the basic numbers
- Care about visitor privacy
- Don't need fancy reports
- Want to track page speed
Bonus: You can use the analytics even if you don't use other CloudFlare products.
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10. Heap: Auto-Track Analytics
Heap's free plan tracks up to 10,000 monthly sessions and stores data for 6 months. Just add one code snippet and you're done.
| Feature | What You Get |
|---|---|
| Monthly Sessions | 10,000 free |
| Data Storage | 6 months |
| Event Tracking | All clicks, swipes, taps |
| Page Views | Every visit tracked |
| Form Analysis | All submissions logged |
Here's how to start:
- Add Heap's code snippet to your site header
- Use the Event Visualizer to name your events
Your dashboard tracks:
| Data Type | What's Tracked |
|---|---|
| User Actions | Every click and page view |
| Form Usage | Field fills and submissions |
| Page Flow | How users move through site |
| Time Stats | Visit length and patterns |
| Conversion | Goal completion rates |
"Heap shows us which website elements boost our SaaS lead gen conversion rates and which create bottlenecks." - Chris K., Mid-Market
Free plan includes:
| Item | Limit |
|---|---|
| Users | Unlimited team members |
| Reports | Core analytics only |
| Data History | 6 months |
| Virtual Events | No limits |
| Support | Basic email help |
What makes Heap different:
- Records ALL user actions from day 1
- Zero manual setup required
- Works on web and mobile
- Shows data instantly
- Keeps 6 months of history
Perfect if you:
- Want simple visitor tracking
- Need quick setup
- Have a small tech team
- Prefer visual data tools
Pro tip: Test everything with the free plan first. You can upgrade anytime for more sessions and storage.
Tool Comparison Chart
Here's a breakdown of the top web analytics tools and what they do best:
| Tool | Best For | Key Features | Monthly Visit Limit (Free Plan) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics | Overall Traffic Analysis | - Standard event tracking - Traffic segmentation - Goal tracking |
Unlimited |
| Matomo | Privacy-Focused Analysis | - Self-hosting option - GDPR compliance - No data sampling |
50,000 hits |
| Microsoft Clarity | User Behavior Study | - Heatmaps - Session recordings - Real-time data |
Unlimited |
| Open Web Analytics | Self-Hosted Solution | - First-party data control - Raw data access - Custom reports |
Unlimited |
| Hotjar | UX Research | - Heatmaps - User feedback - Session recordings |
2,000 pageviews |
| Clicky | Real-Time Monitoring | - Live visitor tracking - Bounce rate analysis - Heatmaps |
3,000 daily views |
| Similarweb | Market Research | - Traffic estimates - Competitor analysis - Industry trends |
Limited data |
| Woopra | Customer Journey | - User profiles - Funnel tracking - 30+ integrations |
500,000 actions |
| CloudFlare | Server Performance | - Load time metrics - Bot filtering - Cache analysis |
Unlimited |
| Heap | Auto-Event Tracking | - All clicks captured - Form analysis - Page flow data |
10,000 sessions |
But here's what you REALLY need to know about these tools:
Business Size Match (✓ = Good, ✓✓ = Better, ✓✓✓ = Best):
| Tool | Small Business | Medium Business | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓ |
| Matomo | ✓✓ | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓✓ |
| Microsoft Clarity | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ |
| Open Web Analytics | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ |
| Hotjar | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ |
| Clicky | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ |
| Similarweb | ✓✓ | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓✓ |
| Woopra | ✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓✓ |
| CloudFlare | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ |
| Heap | ✓✓ | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓✓ |
Privacy Features (because they matter):
| Tool | Cookie-Free | GDPR Tools | Data Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics | No | Limited | No |
| Matomo | Optional | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Clarity | No | Yes | No |
| Open Web Analytics | Optional | Yes | Yes |
| Hotjar | No | Yes | No |
| Clicky | Yes | Yes | No |
| Similarweb | Yes | N/A | No |
| Woopra | No | Yes | No |
| CloudFlare | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Heap | No | Yes | No |
How Hard Is It to Set Up?
- Just plug and play: Clarity, Hotjar, Clicky
- Need some tech know-how: Google Analytics, CloudFlare, Similarweb
- Better call your dev team: Matomo, Open Web Analytics, Woopra, Heap
Here's what the pros say:
"Matomo shows us exactly where our data lives and how it's used, which is critical for our EU operations", - Thomas Weiss, CEO of MobileAction
Next Steps
Here's how to pick and set up your analytics tool:
Start Simple
Pick Google Analytics if you're new to web analytics. It's free, tracks what matters, and plays nice with other tools. You'll need about 2-3 hours to set it up.
Here's what to track first:
- Daily visitors
- Time on site
- Traffic sources
- Popular pages
- Bounce rates
Testing Period
| What to Do | How Long | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Try Free Plan | 2-4 weeks | Get to know the basics |
| Track Data | 30 days | Set your baseline |
| Test Features | 2 weeks | Learn what works |
Tools for Different Needs
| If You Need | Go With | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Traffic Stats | Google Analytics | No visitor limits |
| User Behavior | Microsoft Clarity | Free heatmaps |
| Customer Path | Woopra | 500k actions free |
| Data Privacy | Matomo | Host it yourself |
Watch Out For These Problems
| Problem | How to Fix |
|---|---|
| No Data Shows Up | Double-check code |
| Site Loads Slow | Remove extra trackers |
| Wrong Numbers | Add filters |
| Missing Goals | Set up conversions |
"Start with just four main reports in Google Analytics. Master those before diving into everything else." - Mercer, Seriously Simple Marketing
Make It Work Better
- Check tracking on phones and computers
- Set up weekly report emails
- Start with one tool
- Keep code up to date
- Watch your site speed
Most websites convert at 2.35%. Your analytics should tell you how to beat that number.
Budget Guide
| Tool Level | Start At | When to Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Stats | Free | Over 50k visits |
| User Tracking | Free | Past 2k sessions |
| Full Package | Free | Above 500k actions |
Focus on one tool first. You'll avoid confusion and keep your site fast.
FAQs
Which tool is best for website visitors tracking?
Google Analytics is the #1 pick for tracking website visitors. Here's what you get:
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Cost | 100% free |
| Market Share | Powers 72.5% of top 10,000 websites |
| Data Types | Traffic, behavior, conversions |
| Setup | Quick install, basic tech skills |
"Google Analytics is by far the most popular analytic tool, and beloved by small businesses and individuals for being free and easy to set up." - Janis von Bleichert, Founder of EXPERTE.com
Want more detail? Add Hotjar to your toolkit (16.3% of top sites use it).
Here's how they work together:
- Google Analytics shows you the numbers
-
Hotjar shows you the visuals with:
- Heatmaps
- Click tracking
- Scroll patterns
- Session recordings
The free Hotjar plan gives you 35 daily recordings and unlimited heatmaps - perfect for getting started.
Bottom line: Use Google Analytics to see WHAT people do, and Hotjar to see HOW they do it.
