Google Analytics is the most widely deployed analytics tool on the web. It is also the one that has attracted the most GDPR enforcement attention. Between 2022 and 2023, data protection authorities in Austria, France, Italy, and Denmark each independently ruled that Google Analytics was being used in a way that violated GDPR, primarily because it transferred European visitor data to US servers without adequate safeguards.
The EU-US Data Privacy Framework (adopted July 2023) created a new legal basis for those transfers, and Google has self-certified under it. The DPF does not eliminate the question entirely, but it significantly reduces the immediate legal risk for most organizations that use Google Analytics with current settings.
Still, many teams are switching anyway. The European alternatives have matured. They are faster to load, simpler to understand, and require no cookie consent banner (because they do not use cookies). This guide covers the main options and how to migrate.
What to look for
Before comparing tools, it helps to be clear about what you actually need.
- EU data residency. Data is processed and stored in the EU or EEA, by an EU-incorporated company.
- No cookie consent required. Most European analytics tools are cookieless and do not build cross-site user profiles. This removes the need for a consent banner for analytics specifically.
- Core metrics covered. Sessions, pageviews, referrers, UTM campaigns, top pages, and conversions. Most sites do not need more than this.
- A migration path. Ideally you can run both tools in parallel for a few weeks before switching off Google Analytics.
Tool comparison
Here is how the main options compare on the criteria that matter for EU compliance:
| Tool | Country | Cookies | Self-host | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plausible | Estonia | None | Yes (open source) | From $9/mo |
| Pirsch | Germany | None | Yes (Docker) | From $5/mo |
| Matomo | New Zealand / self-host | Optional | Yes (primary option) | Free (self-hosted) |
| Fathom | Canada (adequate) | None | No | From $15/mo |
| Umami | Open source | None | Required | Free (self-hosted) |
Plausible
Plausible is an Estonian company incorporated and operating in the EU. The product is open source, cookieless, and does not use fingerprinting. The script it loads is about 1 KB, compared to around 45 KB for Google Analytics 4.
It covers the metrics most teams actually look at: traffic volumes, referrers, top pages, UTM campaigns, goal conversions, and outbound link clicks. It does not offer audience segmentation or multi-touch attribution, but that is a deliberate design choice rather than a limitation.
Pricing starts at $9 per month (billed annually) for 10,000 monthly pageviews. There is a 30-day trial. Self-hosting is available under their open source release.
Best for: teams that want a clean, fast drop-in replacement and do not need advanced segmentation.
Pirsch
Pirsch is a German company based in Hannover, with data stored in Germany. It is cookieless, open source, and designed with GDPR compliance as a first principle.
The feature set is comparable to Plausible. It also offers a self-hosting option via Docker if you prefer to keep all data on your own infrastructure. Pricing starts at $5 per month for 10,000 pageviews, making it the most affordable hosted option here.
Best for: teams that want German data residency and a lower price point.
Matomo
Matomo is the most feature-complete option on this list. It is the closest equivalent to Google Analytics in terms of capabilities: funnels, cohorts, heatmaps, session recordings (via plugins), ecommerce tracking, custom dimensions, and more.
The company behind it (Innocraft) is based in New Zealand, which has an EU adequacy decision. But the key advantage of Matomo is that you can self-host it entirely on your own infrastructure. This means all data stays under your control, with no third-party involvement at all.
The self-hosted version is free. Matomo Cloud (hosted by them) offers EU data residency options. Plugins are available for an additional fee.
Best for: teams that need GA-level features, or that want full data ownership by running it on their own server.
Fathom
Fathom is a Canadian company. Canada has an EU adequacy decision, which means it is treated as providing an adequate level of data protection without needing SCCs or a DPA ruling.
Its EU isolation feature routes all visitor data through EU servers and ensures it never leaves the EU. The product is simple and cookieless, with a feature set similar to Plausible. Pricing starts at $15 per month.
Best for: teams that want the simplest possible setup and do not need a European-incorporated provider.
Umami
Umami is an open source analytics tool with no hosted version from the project itself. You deploy it yourself, on a server you control, using Docker or a Node.js host like Railway or Fly.io. The cost of the software is zero. You pay only for the server.
The trade-off is operational overhead: you manage the database, updates, and backups. For small teams that have the infrastructure already, this is often worth it.
Best for: developers who want full data control and zero software cost.
How to migrate in 4 steps
The process is straightforward for most sites and can be done in an afternoon.
Step 1: Set up your chosen tool. Create an account and add your site. You will get a small JavaScript snippet to add to your pages.
Step 2: Add the new tracking script. Add it to your site's <head> or via your tag manager. At this point, both GA and your new tool are running in parallel. Leave it like this for a week or two to compare numbers and build confidence.
Step 3: Remove Google Analytics. If you use Google Tag Manager, delete the GA tag there. If the script is hardcoded in your HTML or in a Next.js layout file, remove it. Also remove the Google Tag Manager container script if it was only used for analytics.
Step 4: Verify the removal. Run a StackPatrol scan on your site and confirm that analytics.google.com and google-analytics.com no longer appear in the vendor list. This also reveals any other US-owned vendors that might still be loading.
What else might still be loading
Switching analytics is a good first step, but it is rarely the only US data transfer on a site. Many sites that remove Google Analytics still load Google Fonts, or a Hotjar session recording script, or a HubSpot chat widget.
A full scan shows you everything. Our guide to US data processors covers the ones that most often go unnoticed and what to do about them.
Verify your site is clean after switching
StackPatrol scans your site with a real browser and shows you every third-party vendor grouped by ownership region. Confirm Google Analytics is gone and see what else is running.
Scan your site for free