| For analytics on a statically generated site like Hugo without Google Analytics, consider these privacy-focused tools: Matomo (Piwik) Self-hosted, open-source web analytics. Track pageviews, referrers, and user behavior while keeping data on your server. Offers granular controls and GDPR compliance.
Open Web Analytics (OWA) Lightweight, JavaScript-based tool with a minimalist UI. Focuses on core metrics (visits, bounce rates) and avoids intrusive tracking.
Countly Agentless analytics with real-time dashboards. Works via JavaScript or server logs. Supports GDPR and cross-platform tracking (web, mobile).
Fathom Commercial, privacy-first service. No cookies, no cross-site tracking. Visualizes traffic trends and user behavior with clean, GDPR-compliant reporting.
Ghost Analytics Built for JAMstack sites. Integrates with Hugo via JavaScript snippet. Emphasizes speed, privacy, and actionable insights (e.g., traffic sources).
Server-side alternatives: Parse server logs with tools like Webalizer or AWStats for basic metrics (hits, IPs) without client-side code.
Pro tips: Use a lightweight counter like Butterfly.js if you just want visitor counts.
Avoid services that require JavaScript or third-party cookies.
Choose based on your technical comfort (self-hosting vs. SaaS), privacy priorities, and desired granularity. For a site with minimal traffic, even a simple log parser could suffice! |