Fathom vs. Plausible vs. Usermaven: Choosing the right analytics tool

With digital analytics, businesses now need tools that are simple, powerful, and privacy-conscious. For many, traditional platforms like Google Analytics can feel overly complex and invasive, collecting vast amounts of data without clear transparency. This has created a demand for a new wave of analytics tools that protect user privacy and provide straightforward insights, speed, and scalability.

In this guide, we’ll compare three popular privacy-first analytics platforms, Fathom, Plausible, and Usermaven. Each has a unique approach: Fathom offers simplicity and speed, Plausible is fully open-source, and Usermaven stands out with comprehensive AI-powered analytics. 

This guide will help you choose the best tool for your analytics strategy, whether you need straightforward metrics or in-depth insights. So, let’s get started!

Overview of Fathom, Plausible, and Usermaven

Let’s start by understanding the background, primary features, and target audience of each platform: Fathom Analytics, Plausible Analytics, and Usermaven.

Fathom Analytics

Fathom Analytics was launched in 2018 as a response to the increasingly complex, data-heavy analytics platforms dominating the market. Founders Jack Ellis and Paul Jarvis wanted to create a simple, privacy-focused tool that didn’t overwhelm users with excessive data. Their mission was to provide essential analytics without compromising privacy, speed, or ease of use.

Primary features 

Fathom is designed to provide clean, straightforward website analytics that can be easily understood at a glance. Its core features include:

• Real-time visitor tracking: Quickly see current website traffic with simple, digestible metrics.
• Cookieless tracking: Ensures compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
• Simplicity: The platform is deliberately minimalistic, providing essential stats on traffic, referrers, and page performance.

User base 

Fathom primarily targets small to medium-sized websites that need reliable, privacy-compliant analytics without the need for in-depth analysis. Its lightweight structure appeals to bloggers, small business owners, and freelancers looking for clear, actionable metrics with minimal complexity.

Plausible

Founded in 2019, Plausible is an open-source, privacy-centric analytics tool that aims to be a more transparent and accessible alternative to mainstream platforms. With a strong community of privacy-conscious developers and advocates, Plausible has gained popularity for its commitment to data privacy and simplicity.

Primary features 

Plausible’s open-source model and straightforward setup make it an appealing choice for those who value transparency and control. Its main features include:

• Simple and intuitive analytics: The platform focuses on essential metrics such as page views, visit duration, and bounce rates.
• Real-time insights: Plausible provides instant feedback on website performance, making it easy to monitor traffic as it happens.
• GDPR-compliant, cookieless tracking: Ensures user data privacy without the need for cookie consent banners.

User base 

Plausible is popular among developers, privacy-conscious companies, and tech-savvy users who appreciate the benefits of an open-source solution. It’s particularly suited to small businesses and startups that require essential website insights without the need for complex, in-depth analysis.

Usermaven

Usermaven is the newest platform among the three, designed with an emphasis on comprehensive, AI-powered analytics. Unlike Fathom and Plausible, which focus solely on website traffic data, Usermaven combines website and product analytics, offering businesses a holistic view of user behavior across their digital properties. This makes it a powerful choice for growing companies needing more advanced insights.

Primary features 

Usermaven stands out for its ability to track both website and product metrics, powered by smart AI-driven features. 

• Website and product analytics: Track user interactions across websites, apps, and product features to understand the full customer journey.
• AI-driven insights: Automated AI-powered insights help businesses identify trends, optimize user flows, and discover growth opportunities.
• Advanced funnel analysis: Usermaven tracks conversion paths and highlights areas for improvement in user journeys.
• Multi-touch attribution: Assesses the impact of different marketing channels and touchpoints on conversions, helping optimize ROI.
• GDPR and CCPA compliance: Built-in privacy features to ensure regulatory compliance and protect user data.
• Cookieless tracking: Ensures user data privacy without the need for cookie consent banners.

User base 

Usermaven is suitable for small, medium, and large businesses, SaaS companies, and product teams looking for more than basic website metrics. Its advanced, AI-enhanced features cater to businesses that want to scale, optimize user engagement, and drive growth by making data-driven decisions.

Fathom vs. Plausible vs. Usermaven: Feature comparison table

Feature	Fathom Analytics	Plausible Analytics	Usermaven
Advanced analytics features	Basic web analytics	Basic web analytics	Advanced web & product analytics for a full view of user interactions
Privacy compliance	GDPR & CCPA compliant	GDPR & CCPA compliant	GDPR & CCPA compliant
Data ownership	Full control of data	Full control of data	Full control of data
Cookieless tracking	Yes	Yes	Yes
Real-time analytics	Yes, updates every second	Yes, instant updates	Yes, updates every second
Website analytics	Yes, simple traffic & behavior metrics	Yes, focused on core web metrics	Yes, detailed insights into website performance
Product analytics	No	No	Yes, tracks in-app behavior and engagement
AI-powered insights	No	No	Yes, offers actionable recommendations
Funnel analysis	No	No	Yes, AI-powered detailed funnel analysis
Multi-touch attribution	No	No	Yes, AI-powered with up to 7 different attribution models
User interface	Simple and user-friendly	Clean and minimal	Intuitive with advanced analytics
Annotations	No	No	Yes, allows contextual notes
Referral source analysis	Yes, basic sources	Yes, simplified referrer data	Yes, detailed source tracking and impact
Search engine & keyword data	No	No	Yes, includes keyword and SEO tracking
Conversion tracking	Limited	Limited	Yes, detailed conversion insights
Scalability	Moderate, good for smaller sites	Moderate, handles medium volumes	High, ideal for medium to large businesses

Fathom vs. Plausible vs. Usermaven: Detailed feature breakdown

Let’s explore the core features of Fathom, Plausible, and Usermaven in greater detail, with a focus on how these platforms cater to different analytics needs.

1. Privacy and compliance

• Fathom Analytics: Compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations. Uses cookieless tracking to avoid requiring consent banners.
• Plausible Analytics: Fully GDPR and CCPA compliant. Cookieless tracking ensures no personal data is collected.
• Usermaven: Meets GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy standards. Employs cookieless tracking while supporting advanced functionality like product analytics.

Key insight: All three platforms prioritize privacy, but Usermaven combines compliance with advanced features.

2. Data ownership

• Fathom Analytics: Businesses retain full ownership of their analytics data, stored securely on Fathom’s servers.
• Plausible Analytics: Provides complete data ownership, with an option for self-hosting through its open-source model.
• Usermaven: Ensures full data control and ownership while maintaining secure data storage.

Key insight: Plausible stands out with its open-source, self-hosted option for complete independence.

3. Analytics capabilities

• Fathom Analytics: Tracks basic metrics such as page views, unique visitors, referral sources, and bounce rates. Best for simple use cases.
• Plausible Analytics: Focuses on essential website analytics like page performance, top referrers, and goals for basic conversion tracking.
• Usermaven: Offers website and product analytics, tracking user interactions across websites and apps. It provides a holistic view of customer journeys, including engagement, retention, and behavior.

Key insight: Usermaven’s combination of website and product analytics makes it more versatile than the other platforms.

4. AI-powered insights

• Fathom Analytics: Does not include AI-based features.
• Plausible Analytics: Maintains simplicity without AI-driven functionalities.
• Usermaven: Integrates AI-powered insights to provide actionable recommendations. It highlights user trends, identifies bottlenecks, and automates growth suggestions, making analytics smarter and more impactful.

Key insight: Usermaven’s AI-driven insights set it apart, offering smarter analytics for growth-focused businesses.

5. Funnel analysis

• Fathom Analytics: Lacks funnel analysis capabilities.
• Plausible Analytics: Does not support funnel tracking.
• Usermaven: Includes advanced, AI-powered funnel analysis. Tracks user journeys through different stages (e.g., sign-ups, purchases) and automatically identifies drop-off points. This allows businesses to optimize user flows and improve conversion rates.

Key insight: Usermaven’s funnel analysis is a game-changer for understanding and improving user journeys.

6. Multi-touch attribution

• Fathom Analytics: Does not offer multi-touch attribution features.
• Plausible Analytics: Does not support attribution tracking.
• Usermaven: Provides advanced multi-touch attribution powered by AI. This feature helps businesses understand the impact of multiple touchpoints (e.g., email campaigns, ads, organic search) on conversions, ensuring better ROI tracking and marketing optimization.

Key insight: Usermaven’s multi-touch attribution helps businesses maximize their marketing efforts by identifying the most effective channels.

7. Real-time insights

• Fathom Analytics: Tracks visitor data in real-time, ensuring businesses can monitor activity as it happens.
• Plausible Analytics: Provides instant updates for real-time traffic monitoring.
• Usermaven: Combines real-time data with AI-driven trends, delivering both live updates and meaningful insights to act on immediately.

Key insight: All platforms excel at real-time tracking, but Usermaven takes it a step further with integrated insights.

8. User interface and customization

• Fathom Analytics: A minimalist interface designed for simplicity, though customization options are limited.
• Plausible Analytics: Offers a clean and simple UI but lacks advanced customization.
• Usermaven: Provides a highly customizable dashboard, enabling users to tailor analytics views based on specific goals and metrics.

Key insight: Usermaven offers greater flexibility for advanced users.

Also read: How to get started with marketing analytics for better decision-making?

9. Search engine and keyword data

• Fathom Analytics: Does not include search engine or keyword tracking.
• Plausible Analytics: Does not track keyword performance but provides basic referrer data.
• Usermaven: Tracks search engine performance and keyword rankings, offering valuable insights for businesses focusing on SEO strategies.

Key insight: Usermaven’s search and keyword analytics add depth to its offerings.

10. Scalability

• Fathom Analytics: Suitable for smaller websites with moderate traffic levels.
• Plausible Analytics: Handles medium traffic but may not scale well for enterprise use.
• Usermaven: Built for scalability, making it ideal for both small businesses and enterprises as they grow.

Key insight: Usermaven is the most scalable platform, accommodating businesses of all sizes.

Also read: 10 must-have marketing attribution tools for 2025

Fathom vs. Plausible vs. Usermaven: Pricing and plan comparison

When evaluating analytics platforms, understanding their pricing structures is crucial. Here’s a detailed comparison of Fathom Analytics, Plausible, and Usermaven:

Fathom Analytics

Fathom offers tiered pricing based on monthly data points (pageviews and events):

• Up to 100,000 data points: $15/month or $150/year
• Up to 200,000 data points: $25/month or $250/year
• Up to 500,000 data points: $45/month or $450/year
• Up to 1,000,000 data points: $60/month or $600/year
• Up to 2,000,000 data points: $100/month or $1,000/year
• Up to 5,000,000 data points: $140/month or $1,400/year

All plans include up to 50 sites, e-commerce/event tracking, API access, and more.

Value for money and flexibility:

Offers straightforward, tiered pricing suitable for businesses with predictable data point usage. The inclusion of up to 50 sites and features like e-commerce tracking adds value.

Plausible

Plausible’s pricing is based on monthly pageviews:

• Up to 10,000 pageviews: €9/month
• Up to 100,000 pageviews: €19/month
• Up to 1,000,000 pageviews: €49/month
• Up to 10,000,000 pageviews: €99/month
• Over 10,000,000 pageviews: Contact Plausible for custom pricing

All plans offer unlimited websites, custom events and goals, email and Slack reports, and more.

Value for money and flexibility: 

Provides competitive pricing, especially for lower pageview tiers. The ability to handle unlimited websites and custom events enhances its appeal.

Usermaven

Usermaven provides two main plans:

• Pro plan: $14/month

Includes unlimited websites, unlimited workspaces, unlimited users, 2 years of data history, website analytics, conversion goals tracking, funnel analytics, visitor profiles, e-commerce revenue attribution, ad-blocker bypassing, cookieless tracking, and AI-powered insights.

• Premium plan: $49/month

Includes all Pro features plus unlimited data history, SaaS product analytics, user journey analytics, multi-touch attribution, Google Ads and Meta integrations (coming soon), contacts hub (CRM), contacts segmentation, custom channel mapping, and customizable dashboards (coming soon).

Note: Usermaven also offers an Enterprise plan with tailored features; pricing is available upon request.

Value for money and flexibility:

Delivers a feature-rich experience with AI-powered insights, making it a strong contender for businesses seeking advanced analytics. The Pro and Premium plans cater to different needs, with scalability options for growing businesses.

Also read: Everything you need to know about product analytics

Conclusion and recommendations

Choosing the right analytics platform depends on your business’s specific needs, goals, and priorities. Fathom Analytics, Plausible, and Usermaven each bring unique strengths to the table, catering to different user types and use cases.

• Fathom Analytics: Ideal for small to medium-sized websites that prioritize simplicity and privacy. Its straightforward pricing and minimalist design make it an excellent choice for freelancers, bloggers, and small businesses needing basic insights without complexity.
• Plausible: Suited for developers and privacy-conscious users who value open-source flexibility. It’s perfect for startups and small to medium businesses looking for affordable, no-frills analytics with the option to self-host for complete data control.
• Usermaven: Best for growing businesses, SaaS companies, and enterprises needing advanced features. Its AI-powered insights, product analytics, and capabilities like funnel analysis and multi-touch attribution make it a powerful choice for businesses focused on scaling and optimizing user journeys.

Recommendations

• If simplicity and affordability are your main concerns, start with Fathom or Plausible. They both excel in providing clean, privacy-first analytics for websites without overwhelming features.
• For businesses seeking a balance of advanced functionality and scalability, Usermaven is the standout option. Its combination of website and product analytics, coupled with AI-powered insights, makes it ideal for companies looking to grow and optimize their strategies.
• Consider privacy and compliance. All three platforms respect privacy regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA. 

FAQs 

Are all three platforms GDPR and CCPA-compliant?

Yes, Fathom, Plausible, and Usermaven are all designed to comply with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations. They use cookieless tracking to ensure user privacy and eliminate the need for consent banners.

Which platform is the most cost-effective for small businesses?

For smaller websites, Plausible offers the lowest starting price, and Fathom provides competitive pricing for straightforward analytics. Usermaven’s base plan also offers great value for startups that need basic features.

What is multi-touch attribution, and which platform provides it?

Multi-touch attribution tracks how different marketing channels contribute to a conversion. It helps identify the effectiveness of each channel in the user journey. This feature is exclusive to Usermaven among the three platforms.

Are these platforms suitable for SaaS companies?

Yes, but Usermaven is particularly well-suited for SaaS companies due to its product analytics, funnel analysis, multi-touch attribution, and AI-driven insights.

Can I use these tools for tracking eCommerce performance?

All three platforms offer eCommerce tracking, but Usermaven provides more advanced tools, such as revenue attribution and conversion insights.

Do these platforms support tracking on multiple websites?

Yes, all three platforms support multiple websites. Fathom and Plausible offer limited websites in their plans, while Usermaven allows unlimited websites even in its base plan.

Which platform is better for enterprises?

Usermaven is the most scalable option and is better suited for enterprises due to its comprehensive analytics, AI-powered insights, and ability to handle large-scale data.