# GoatCounter

Open source web analytics platform, self-hosted or hosted, that counts pageviews with a script tag and avoids personal data.


Source: https://findsoftware.frbit.cloud/goatcounter/
Last reviewed: 2026-11-03
Listed since: 2026-11-03

## Record

### Links

- home: https://www.goatcounter.com
- repository: https://github.com/arp242/goatcounter
- docs: https://www.goatcounter.com/help/start

### Identity

- status: active
- maintainer: Martin Tournoij
- maintainerType: individual
- parent: unknown
- firstRelease: 2020
- hqCountry: IE

### Kind

- category: analytics
- hosting: binary
- language: go
- runtime: binary
- runtimeMin: unknown
- basedOn: unknown

### Content

- contentStore: not applicable
- databases: sqlite, postgres
- adminUi: yes
- headlessApi: rest
- templating: not applicable
- i18n: multiple languages

### Rendering and deploy

- runsAs: always-on
- renderingModes: not applicable
- installMethod: binary-download

### License

- licenseModel: open-source
- license: EUPL-1.2, slightly modified (Compatible Licenses appendix reduced), ISC

### Releases

- currentMajor: 2
- latestReleaseDate: 2025-12-15

### Adoption

- githubStargazers: 6134
- packagistDownloads: not applicable
- npmWeeklyDownloads: not applicable
- contributors: 60
- pluginCount: unknown
- packagistMonthlyDownloads: unknown
- ecosystemsMonthlyDownloads: unknown
- httpArchiveSites: unknown
- wordpressActiveInstalls: unknown
- dependentRepos: unknown
- dependentPackages: unknown

### Sources

- urls: https://www.goatcounter.com (read 2026-11-03)
- urls: https://api.github.com/repos/arp242/goatcounter (read 2026-11-03)
- urls: https://www.goatcounter.com/help/start (read 2026-11-03)
- maintainer: https://github.com/arp242/goatcounter/blob/v2.7.0/LICENSE (read 2026-11-03)
- hqCountry: https://www.goatcounter.com/help/privacy (read 2026-11-03)
- category: https://www.goatcounter.com (read 2026-11-03)
- language: https://api.github.com/repos/arp242/goatcounter (read 2026-11-03)
- runtime: https://github.com/arp242/goatcounter/blob/main/README.md (read 2026-11-03)
- runsAs: https://github.com/arp242/goatcounter/blob/main/README.md (read 2026-11-03)
- databases: https://github.com/arp242/goatcounter/blob/main/README.md (read 2026-11-03)
- installMethod: https://github.com/arp242/goatcounter/blob/main/README.md (read 2026-11-03)
- installMethod: https://github.com/arp242/goatcounter/blob/main/README.md (read 2026-11-03)
- installMethod: https://github.com/arp242/goatcounter/blob/main/README.md (read 2026-11-03)
- installMethod: https://github.com/arp242/goatcounter/blob/main/README.md (read 2026-11-03)
- adminUi: https://github.com/arp242/goatcounter/blob/main/README.md (read 2026-11-03)
- headlessApi: https://github.com/arp242/goatcounter/blob/main/README.md (read 2026-11-03)
- headlessApi: https://www.goatcounter.com/help/api (read 2026-11-03)
- license: https://github.com/arp242/goatcounter/blob/v2.7.0/LICENSE (read 2026-11-03)
- license: https://github.com/arp242/goatcounter/blob/v2.7.0/LICENSE (read 2026-11-03)
- licenseModel: https://github.com/arp242/goatcounter/blob/main/README.md (read 2026-11-03)
- currentMajor: https://api.github.com/repos/arp242/goatcounter/releases (read 2026-11-03)
- latestReleaseDate: https://api.github.com/repos/arp242/goatcounter/releases (read 2026-11-03)
- firstRelease: https://api.github.com/repos/arp242/goatcounter/commits/4ff547e63a6386128c577e180c93abf2555dec40 (read 2026-11-03)
- githubStargazers: https://api.github.com/repos/arp242/goatcounter (read 2026-11-03)
- contributors: https://api.github.com/repos/arp242/goatcounter/contributors (read 2026-11-03)
- i18n: https://www.goatcounter.com/help/translating (read 2026-11-03)

## Notes

GoatCounter is a web analytics platform that counts pageviews through a script tag, a JavaScript-free tracking pixel, a REST API or imported web server logs. The project offers it as a hosted service on [goatcounter.com](https://www.goatcounter.com) and as an app the creator can run on their own server, and the README says the source code can be self-hosted without restrictions.

The self-hosted app serves on port 8080 by default and stores its data in SQLite unless it is given a PostgreSQL connection. The README lists release binaries, a Docker image and a source build as the install routes. The project describes its approach as counting visits without tracking personal data and without cookies.

## Worth knowing

The hosted service's privacy page states that data is stored on servers in Finland and Germany. The project's own text describes it as an alternative to Google Analytics and Matomo.

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Data licensed CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Attributes are recorded, never scored; absent means unknown.
Credit, in full: FindSoftware, CC BY 4.0