Most website owners know they need analytics. Fewer know they might be breaking EU law by using them. GDPR-compliant analytics solve this problem—letting you track what matters without violating user privacy or risking fines up to €20 million.
This guide covers everything you need to know: what GDPR actually requires, which tools comply out of the box, and how to set up privacy-friendly tracking in under 30 minutes.
What Makes Analytics GDPR-Compliant?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) doesn’t ban analytics. It regulates how you collect and process personal data. For analytics to be compliant, they must meet these requirements:
| Requirement | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Consent | Users must agree before you collect personal data |
| Data Minimization | Collect only what you need |
| Purpose Limitation | Use data only for stated purposes |
| Storage Limitation | Don’t keep data longer than necessary |
| Right to Erasure | Users can request data deletion |
| Data Security | Protect data from breaches |
Here’s the key insight: if your analytics tool doesn’t collect personal data at all, most GDPR requirements don’t apply. This is why cookieless analytics have become the go-to solution for EU compliance.
The Problem with Google Analytics
Before switching, understand what you lose and gain when leaving Google Analytics.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) can be configured for GDPR compliance, but it’s complicated. The main issues:
- Data transfers to the US — Google processes data on American servers, which conflicts with EU data protection standards after Schrems II
- Cookie dependency — GA4 uses cookies by default, requiring consent banners
- Complex configuration — IP anonymization, consent mode, and data retention settings all need manual setup
- Regulatory uncertainty — Several EU countries have ruled GA4 non-compliant in specific configurations
In practice, many businesses find it simpler to switch to a privacy-friendly analytics tool than to properly configure GA4. If you decide to switch, follow our migration checklist.
Best GDPR-Compliant Analytics Tools
These tools are designed for privacy from the ground up. Most don’t use cookies and don’t require consent banners.
Plausible Analytics
Plausible is an open-source, EU-hosted analytics tool. It collects no personal data and anonymizes everything within 24 hours. The dashboard is intentionally simple—you see visitors, pageviews, sources, and top pages. Nothing more.
Best for: Blogs, marketing sites, small businesses wanting simple metrics.
Pricing: From $9/month for 10K pageviews. Self-hosting is free.
Fathom Analytics
Fathom offers similar privacy guarantees with a more polished interface. It’s been independently audited for GDPR compliance and processes data entirely in the EU.
Best for: Businesses wanting premium support and a refined experience.
Pricing: From $14/month for 100K pageviews.
Matomo
Matomo is the most feature-rich option. It’s approved by France’s data protection authority (CNIL) and can be self-hosted for complete data control. However, it requires more configuration than simpler tools.
Best for: Organizations needing detailed reports, funnels, and enterprise features.
Pricing: Cloud from €19/month. Self-hosting is free.
Umami
Umami is a developer-focused, open-source option. It’s lightweight, fast, and completely free to self-host. The interface is clean but basic.
Best for: Developers comfortable with self-hosting who want minimal overhead.
Pricing: Cloud from $9/month. Self-hosting is free.
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Cookies | EU Hosting | Self-Host | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plausible | No | Yes | Yes | $9/mo |
| Fathom | No | Yes | No | $14/mo |
| Matomo | Optional | Yes | Yes | €19/mo |
| Umami | No | Yes | Yes | $9/mo |
Do You Need a Cookie Banner?
For a detailed breakdown, see our guide: Do You Really Need a Cookie Banner?
It depends on your analytics tool:
- No banner needed: Plausible, Fathom, Umami (cookieless by design)
- Banner required: GA4, Matomo with cookies enabled, any tool using cookies or fingerprinting
Cookieless tools identify visitors through a hash of the IP address and user agent, which is anonymized and doesn’t count as personal data under GDPR. Consequently, no consent is required.
Important: “Cookieless” doesn’t automatically mean compliant. The tool must also store data in the EU (or under adequate safeguards) and not collect unnecessary personal information.
Setup Checklist
Follow these steps to ensure your analytics are GDPR-compliant:
- Choose a privacy-first tool — Plausible, Fathom, Umami, or properly configured Matomo
- Verify EU data hosting — Check where the provider stores data
- Review the DPA — Sign a Data Processing Agreement with your provider
- Update your privacy policy — Disclose what you collect and why
- Remove unnecessary tracking — Don’t enable features you don’t need
- Test without cookies — Verify no cookies are set without consent
What About Self-Hosting?
Self-hosting analytics (Matomo, Umami, Plausible) gives you complete control over data. The data never leaves your servers, simplifying compliance. However, you become the data controller and processor, taking on additional responsibilities:
- Securing the server and database
- Managing backups and data retention
- Responding to data access requests
For most small businesses, managed cloud hosting with EU servers is simpler than self-hosting.
Bottom Line
GDPR-compliant analytics don’t have to be complicated. Tools like Plausible and Fathom work out of the box without cookies, consent banners, or complex configuration. They cost less than the legal risk of non-compliance.
If you’re currently using GA4 and worried about GDPR, switching to a privacy-first alternative takes about 15 minutes. You’ll get cleaner data (no cookie banner drop-off), simpler reports, and peace of mind.
For most websites, the question isn’t whether to switch—it’s which tool fits your needs best.
