GoatCounter is an open-source web analytics platform with a hosted service and a self-hosting option. It tracks useful site statistics using a lightweight JavaScript snippet or alternative collection methods, while its documented design avoids storing IP addresses, full User-Agent headers, or persistent tracker IDs. It is not simply a page-load counter: its default metric is visits, and its coverage can be affected by ad blockers.
What GoatCounter does
GoatCounter measures website traffic and presents statistics such as pageviews, referrers, browser and operating-system details, language, screen width, and approximate location. Some measurements are configurable. The project describes itself as open-source/free software, and offers GoatCounter.com as a hosted service as well as software that site owners can run themselves. See the GoatCounter homepage and the project README.
The homepage calls GoatCounter “Easy web analytics. No tracking of personal data.” That is the project’s own tagline, not an independent assessment or a guarantee that every site’s use meets applicable privacy law.
How GoatCounter collects traffic data
JavaScript snippet
The common setup is to add the JavaScript snippet supplied by GoatCounter to a website. The project says the script adds about 3.5 KB; that is GoatCounter’s own approximate figure, not an independent benchmark. Its getting-started guide lists integrations for Gatsby, Publii, Schlix, WordPress, and Write.as. A site’s Content Security Policy may need to allow the script, and blocked requests or ad blockers can lead to missing pageviews. Statistics update about every ten seconds, according to the FAQ.
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Other collection methods
- Image tracker: a no-JavaScript option for recording visits.
- Backend or API: send events from a backend or another source, as described in the backend integration documentation.
- Log imports: import web server logs; the project names nginx, Apache, Caddy, and CloudFront as examples.
These approaches can help when JavaScript is unsuitable or browser blocking is a concern, but they involve different setup and operational trade-offs. The project documents collection and deployment options in its README.
Visits and pageviews are different metrics
A pageview is each page load. A visit is normally counted when a visitor first loads a page in a session; subsequent page loads or reloads are handled according to session counting rather than automatically becoming separate visits. GoatCounter can be configured to disable session counting so that each pageview counts as a visit. Its sessions and visitors guide explains the distinction.
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This matters when comparing figures with analytics tools that count every page load by default. Check whether a report shows visits or pageviews before drawing conclusions about changes in traffic.
What GoatCounter’s privacy design means
The GoatCounter privacy policy, dated 8 June 2025, says measurements are stored in aggregate tables, split by day or hour, without persistent links across dimensions such as browser and screen width. The policy states: “In short, GoatCounter doesn’t store IP addresses, the full User-Agent header, or any tracker ID.” Read that statement together with the policy’s description of session processing and optional pageview records; it does not mean the service never handles information temporarily. See the privacy policy.
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- Temporary session processing: GoatCounter temporarily keeps an in-memory mapping derived from a site, IP address, and User-Agent for up to eight hours to recognize sessions. The policy says the IP address and full User-Agent are not stored in the database.
- Optional individual records: collecting a row for each pageview is disabled by default. When enabled, those records can include time, path, referrer, session, entry and bot status, browser, operating system, screen width, location, and language.
- Hosted account details: the policy says a hosted account requires an email address and uses cookies for login persistence and short-lived informational messages. It names Hetzner Online GmbH servers in Finland and Germany and identifies Martin Tournoij, located in Ireland, as operator.
- Sharing and deletion: the policy says information is not shared with third parties. Deleting a site permanently removes its data from the active hosted service, although backups may retain some data for up to 30 days.
These are the policy’s documented practices as of its stated date. They are not, by themselves, a determination of whether a particular site’s analytics use complies with privacy or consent requirements.
Coverage limits: ad blockers and bots
GoatCounter’s FAQ says it ignores bots and crawlers that identify themselves as such, while acknowledging that disguised bots may escape detection. The maintainer estimates that ad blockers miss about a third of pageviews, but says the actual effect varies with the site and its audience. Treat that as the maintainer’s estimate, not a controlled study or a universal loss rate.
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Self-hosting avoids requests to GoatCounter-associated domains, and log imports are another option for measuring traffic that client-side blocking may miss. Log-based counts have their own interpretation limits, so they should not automatically be treated as equivalent to GoatCounter’s browser-based visit figures. The FAQ discusses blockers, bots, and log imports.
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Use the hosted service if you want less infrastructure work
The homepage describes GoatCounter.com as free for “reasonable public usage,” citing personal websites and small-to-medium businesses as suitable examples and cautioning against sending millions of pageviews per day. Donations are accepted to help cover server costs. These are the project’s current stated terms and should be checked on the official homepage, because availability and usage terms can change.
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Self-host if you need more control or higher-volume use
For more serious use, GoatCounter points users toward self-hosting. The README documents release binaries and Docker, with SQLite or PostgreSQL storage options. Running it yourself means taking responsibility for suitable compute and database infrastructure, deployment, updates, backups, and security; the available options do not establish that every configuration is appropriate for every scale or security requirement.
Who GoatCounter suits
- A small-site owner seeking basic traffic statistics: the hosted option and common snippet-based setup are aimed at straightforward use.
- A publisher who wants a different collection path: an image tracker, backend/API integration, or server-log import may fit sites where a standard script is unsuitable.
- A technically capable operator who wants infrastructure control: self-hosting offers that control but adds deployment and maintenance responsibilities.
- A team that requires exhaustive client-side capture or user-level analytics: assess the default visit metric, optional nature of individual pageview records, and ad-blocker losses against your measurement needs before adopting it.
For hosted users, the FAQ says Do Not Track is ignored by default and describes how site owners can implement their own opt-out behavior. It also gives the vendor’s view that users generally may not need GDPR consent notices for GoatCounter; that is not legal advice or a universal conclusion. Consider your own jurisdiction, configuration, and obligations.
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