Liwan review
A lightweight, self-hosted analytics option for teams focused on traffic reporting and privacy.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Liwan is an open-source web analytics application for site owners and small teams who want to host their own traffic reporting. It covers pageviews and visitor groups, referrers and UTM campaigns, browser and operating-system details, devices, screen width and orientation, and optional country and city geolocation. Bounce rate and average time on site are included. The browser tracker uses a small script designed to avoid cookies, cross-site tracking, and persistent identifiers, making Liwan a fit for teams that value privacy-oriented collection and control over their analytics deployment.
Deployment is a practical distinction: Liwan runs as a single binary or a Docker container and does not require a separate database service. Administrators can configure projects, entities, visitor grouping, collection settings, event retention and pruning, and rules to drop unwanted traffic. Retention is described as unlimited, with administrators able to configure it. Single sign-on supports Google, Microsoft Entra ID, or OpenID Connect; listed integrations also include Google Workspace, Keycloak, and Dex. These controls and deployment choices suit teams comfortable operating software themselves, rather than buyers looking for a hosted analytics service.
Liwan's reporting focus is traffic measurement, not a broader conversion-analysis toolkit. Its default tracker sends pageview-style events, while configurable custom event tracking, session replay, ecommerce reporting, and a public analytics API are not verified. Conversion funnels are not included. That makes it a sensible choice for self-hosters who need pageview, source, campaign, and technology reporting with privacy and retention controls. Teams that depend on funnel analysis, ecommerce measurement, or event-centric reporting should choose an alternative that explicitly provides those capabilities.
Liwan pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Reports pageviews, visitor groups, sources, campaigns, and traffic dimensions
- Cookie-avoiding tracker and configurable retention, privacy, and drop rules
- Deploys as a single binary or Docker container without a separate database
- Where it doesn't
- Default tracking is pageview-style; custom event tracking is not verified
- No conversion funnels, ecommerce reporting, or public analytics API verified
- Self-hosting requires deployment and administration by the site owner
Liwan fact sheet, pricing and score →
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