UserBird vs Plausible
| UserBird | Plausible | |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy Focus | ✅ Zero cookies, GDPR compliant | ✅ No cookies, IP hashing for 24h only |
| Heatmaps | ✅ | ❌ |
| Session recordings | Coming soon! | ❌ |
| Script size | 2.5KB | <1KB gzipped |
| Data retention | 5 years | 24 months (configurable if self-hosted) |
| Multi-site tracking | ✅ Unlimited | ✅ Traffic-based pricing per site |
| Team members | ✅ Unlimited | ✅ Unlimited |
| Funnel analysis | ✅ Advanced | ✅ Goal-based conversion tracking |
| User flow | ✅ Real-time | ❌ |
| Event tracking | ✅ Advanced | ✅ Custom events via JS |
| Edge computing | ✅ | ❌ Multi-region hosting |
| Made for | 🫵 You | Privacy-focused lightweight analytics |
Plausible is a minimalist analytics platform focused on providing basic pageview metrics with maximum simplicity.
While both UserBird and Plausible prioritize user privacy, their approaches and capabilities differ significantly:
Privacy & Data Collection#
Both platforms offer privacy-focused analytics, but with different approaches:
- UserBird: Zero cookies, GDPR compliant, advanced session anonymization
- Plausible: No cookies or personal data storage, IPs are hashed for 24h then discarded
Feature Comparison#
UserBird provides comprehensive analytics with behavioral insights:
- Complete user behavior analysis
- Heatmaps and scroll tracking
- Advanced funnel analysis
- Real-time user flow visualization
- Unlimited sites and team members
Plausible focuses on basic metrics:
- Simple pageview tracking
- Basic event goals
- Limited filtering options
- Per-site pricing model
Technical Implementation#
The technical architecture of both platforms reflects their different approaches:
- UserBird: 2.5KB script with edge computing and distributed architecture
- Plausible: <1KB gzipped script, EU-hosted by default with self-hosting options
When to Choose Each Platform#
Choose UserBird if you need:
- Comprehensive user behavior insights
- Heatmaps and advanced tracking
- Advanced funnel analysis
- Multiple site management
- Unlimited team access
Choose Plausible if you want:
- Basic pageview analytics
- Minimalist dashboard
- Smallest possible script size
- Open-source alternative with self-hosting options
The Future of Analytics#
As websites become more complex and user privacy more important, having comprehensive yet privacy-focused analytics becomes crucial. UserBird provides the detailed insights needed for modern web optimization while maintaining strict privacy standards, whereas Plausible excels at basic analytics with minimal overhead.