Since the GDPR rules came into force, many customers have contacted us regarding cookies and tracking in general. At the start we were unsure ourselves, and we knew about changes in advance. Even now, after seminars and courses, there are still cases where we are unsure of what is allowed and what is not.
When it comes to website analytics, many people use Google Analytics, and it was the go-to for us when we started. But the more you learn, the more you realize how much personal data GA tracks and how this data is used/abused. So we started looking for alternatives, and we quickly found Plausible Analytics.
Plausible is a lightweight and open source analysis tool. They use no cookies and fully comply with GDPR, CCPA and PECR. It is also created and hosted in the EU.
Plausible Analytics Dashboard
“Web analytics went from a simple, fun, and useful practice for site owners to a data grabbing machine for surveillance capitalism. Google Analytics is frustrating to use, difficult to understand, slow to load, and privacy-invasive too.”
Speed
Plausible is not only privacy friendly, but it is also 45 (!!!) times smaller than GA. As a company that spends a lot of time optimizing, it felt good to get rid of the slow loading speed while waiting for GA. Being light and fast will help your website, as loading speed is one of the CWV (Core Web Vitals).
Popup! Popup! Popup!
When GDPR came, so did cookie pop-ups and banners. They are everywhere and they are in your face the moment you enter a new website. They all need you to click “accept” before using the site. If you don’t, they can’t track you. Another thing, perhaps for another post, is that many pop-ups trick people into “accepting everything” with poorly worded sentences and conveniently placed buttons.
If you paid attention when you entered this website, you may have noticed that you do not need to accept anything in a cookie banner. That’s because we use Plausible, and the tracking is completely anonymous. There are no cookies, no personal data collected, and no persistent identifiers, and no cross-site or cross-device tracking either.
Buying a product versus being the product
Plausible costs money, it starts at $9/month and goes up with more page views. GA is of course free, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t cost you anything. Just like any other product, you are the product if you don’t pay for it. The data you collect on GA’s platform is worth so much more to them than any monthly fee you might pay.
However, if you are unwilling or unable to spend money on Plausible, there is an alternative. You can host it on your own server for free. This of course requires setup, but Plausible has good documentation you can rely on.
And one last treat, 5% of Plausible’s gross revenue is donated to environmental causes and open source.
If you currently use Google Analytics on your websites or plan to create new ones, I encourage you to consider Plausible. It’s an excellent platform with enough data points for most people and it’s privacy friendly.