Proprietary vs Open source
Google Analytics vs Umami: Which One Should You Choose in 1970?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a proprietary Product & Web Analytics tool priced as free standard / $50k+ year (GA360), starting at Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested). Umami is open source, priced as open source (MIT) / Cloud subscription, starting at $0 (self-hosted) or ~$9/mo (Cloud Pro).
Quick verdict
- Choose Google Analytics for
- Google Analyticsfree standard tier and native integration with Google Ads ecosystem
- Choose Umami for
- Umamicookie-free, privacy-friendly analytics in a single Node application
Google Analytics vs Umami: feature comparison
| Feature | Google Analytics 4 (GA4)Proprietary | UmamiOpen SourceSelf-Hostable |
|---|---|---|
| Open-Source Available | No | Yes |
| Self-Hostable | No | Yes |
| Self-Hosting Difficulty | N/A | Low (Docker with Postgres or MySQL) |
| Pricing Model | Free standard / $50k+ year (GA360) | Open source (MIT) / Cloud subscription |
| Starting Price | Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested) | $0 (self-hosted) or ~$9/mo (Cloud Pro) |
| Free Tier | Free for most standard websites | Free self-hosted; Cloud free tier with limited events |
| GitHub Stars | N/A | 40.1k |
Pricing takeaway
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) starts at Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested) (free for most standard websites). Umami starts at $0 (self-hosted) or ~$9/mo (Cloud Pro) (free self-hosted; Cloud free tier with limited events).
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Free standard / $50k+ year (GA360). Starts at Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested). Free for most standard websites.Full Google Analytics pricing breakdown
- Umami
- Open source (MIT) / Cloud subscription. Starts at $0 (self-hosted) or ~$9/mo (Cloud Pro). Free self-hosted; Cloud free tier with limited events.Full Umami pricing breakdown
Pros and cons
Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Visit Google AnalyticsPros
- Free standard tier and native integration with Google Ads ecosystem
- Direct export to Google BigQuery
- Ubiquitous documentation and industry adoption
Cons
- Horrible, unintuitive GA4 UI compared to legacy Universal Analytics
- Aggressive cookie banner requirements and EU GDPR privacy scrutiny
- Heavy script payload slows down Core Web Vitals
Umami
Visit UmamiPros
- Cookie-free, privacy-friendly analytics in a single Node application
- Runs on a small VPS with Postgres or MySQL
- Readable dashboard for traffic sources, pages and referrers
Cons
- Web analytics only: no funnels, cohorts or product event analysis
- Thinner feature set than Plausible on paid hosting
- Limited reporting for multi-domain or agency setups
Google Analytics vs Umami: FAQ
Is Umami a good alternative to Google Analytics?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a proprietary Product & Web Analytics tool priced as free standard / $50k+ year (GA360), starting at Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested). Umami is open source, priced as open source (MIT) / Cloud subscription, starting at $0 (self-hosted) or ~$9/mo (Cloud Pro).
Which is cheaper, Google Analytics or Umami?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) starts at Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested) (free for most standard websites). Umami starts at $0 (self-hosted) or ~$9/mo (Cloud Pro) (free self-hosted; Cloud free tier with limited events).
Is Google Analytics or Umami open source?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is proprietary. Umami is open source (github.com/umami-software/umami).
Can I self-host Google Analytics or Umami?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) cannot be self-hosted. Umami can be self-hosted. Difficulty: Low (Docker with Postgres or MySQL).
Do Google Analytics and Umami have a free tier?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Free for most standard websites. Umami: Free self-hosted; Cloud free tier with limited events.