{
  "slug": "fathom-alternative",
  "page_type": "alternative",
  "seo": {
    "title": "Fathom Alternative: Why Teams Choose OpenPanel",
    "description": "Compare OpenPanel vs Fathom Analytics. Discover why teams choose OpenPanel as their Fathom alternative for product analytics, user identification, and self-hosting while maintaining privacy-first principles.",
    "noindex": false
  },
  "hero": {
    "heading": "Fathom Alternative",
    "subheading": "Love Fathom's simplicity and privacy focus? OpenPanel adds product analytics capabilities - funnels, cohorts, retention, and user identification - plus self-hosting options and a free tier.",
    "badges": [
      "Open-source",
      "Privacy-first",
      "Self-hostable",
      "Free Tier"
    ]
  },
  "competitor": {
    "name": "Fathom Analytics",
    "logo": "/logos/fathom.svg",
    "url": "https://usefathom.com",
    "short_description": "Privacy-focused, simple Google Analytics alternative for websites with beautiful dashboard and EU-based hosting.",
    "founded": 2018,
    "headquarters": "Canada"
  },
  "summary_comparison": {
    "title": "OpenPanel vs Fathom: Which is right for you?",
    "intro": "Both are privacy-focused analytics platforms. Fathom focuses on simple web traffic metrics. OpenPanel adds product analytics with user identification and self-hosting.",
    "one_liner": "Fathom excels at simple web analytics; OpenPanel adds product analytics, self-hosting, and a free tier.",
    "best_for_openpanel": [
      "SaaS products needing user-level analytics and retention tracking",
      "Teams wanting self-hosting for complete data control",
      "Startups needing a free tier to get started",
      "Mobile app developers needing native iOS, Android, React Native SDKs"
    ],
    "best_for_competitor": [
      "Simple content sites and blogs wanting traffic stats only",
      "Teams valuing Fathom's beautiful, minimal dashboard design",
      "Users wanting excellent Google Analytics import tool",
      "Organizations committed to paying for sustainable software"
    ]
  },
  "highlights": {
    "title": "Key differences at a glance",
    "intro": "Here's how OpenPanel and Fathom compare on key factors.",
    "items": [
      {
        "label": "Analytics Depth",
        "openpanel": "Web + Product Analytics",
        "competitor": "Web Analytics Only",
        "notes": "OpenPanel combines web analytics with product analytics including funnels, retention, cohorts, and user profiles. Fathom focuses on simple website traffic metrics and conversions."
      },
      {
        "label": "Self-Hosting",
        "openpanel": "Full self-hosting available",
        "competitor": "Cloud-only (no self-host option)",
        "notes": "OpenPanel offers full self-hosting in a single Docker container. Fathom is cloud-only; their legacy open-source version (Fathom Lite) uses cookies and is no longer actively developed."
      },
      {
        "label": "Free Tier",
        "openpanel": "10,000 events/month free",
        "competitor": "No free tier (7-day trial only)",
        "notes": "OpenPanel offers a generous free tier. Fathom has no free option - just a 7-day trial before requiring a $15/month minimum subscription."
      },
      {
        "label": "User Identification",
        "openpanel": "Yes - Track individual users",
        "competitor": "No - Anonymous aggregate only",
        "notes": "OpenPanel lets you identify and track individual users across sessions. Fathom uses anonymization and doesn't track individuals."
      },
      {
        "label": "Cookie-Free",
        "openpanel": "Yes (by default)",
        "competitor": "Yes (by default)",
        "notes": "Both platforms are cookie-free by default and don't require consent banners under GDPR for basic analytics."
      }
    ]
  },
  "feature_comparison": {
    "title": "Feature comparison",
    "intro": "Both are privacy-focused, but with different capabilities and depths.",
    "groups": [
      {
        "group": "Web Analytics",
        "features": [
          {
            "name": "Page Views & Visitors",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true
          },
          {
            "name": "Traffic Sources",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true
          },
          {
            "name": "Geographic Data",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true,
            "notes": "Both offer country and region-level data"
          },
          {
            "name": "Device & Browser",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true
          },
          {
            "name": "UTM Campaign Tracking",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true
          },
          {
            "name": "Real-Time Dashboard",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "group": "Product Analytics",
        "features": [
          {
            "name": "Custom Event Tracking",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true,
            "notes": "Fathom events count toward pageview quota"
          },
          {
            "name": "Funnel Analysis",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": false,
            "notes": "Fathom tracks simple conversions but no multi-step funnels"
          },
          {
            "name": "Retention Analysis",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": false,
            "notes": "Fathom's anonymous model doesn't support retention"
          },
          {
            "name": "User Profiles",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": false,
            "notes": "Fathom intentionally doesn't track individual users"
          },
          {
            "name": "Cohort Analysis",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": false,
            "notes": "Fathom provides aggregate data only"
          },
          {
            "name": "User Path Analysis",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": false,
            "notes": "Fathom shows top pages but not user journeys"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "group": "Advanced Features",
        "features": [
          {
            "name": "A/B Testing",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": false,
            "notes": "Fathom is analytics-only, no experimentation"
          },
          {
            "name": "Revenue Tracking",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true,
            "notes": "Fathom supports event values in cents"
          },
          {
            "name": "Email Reports",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true,
            "notes": "Both offer scheduled email reports"
          },
          {
            "name": "Dashboard Sharing",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true,
            "notes": "Both support public and private dashboard sharing"
          },
          {
            "name": "Google Analytics Import",
            "openpanel": false,
            "competitor": true,
            "notes": "Fathom has a well-regarded GA importer"
          },
          {
            "name": "Ad-Blocker Bypass",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true,
            "notes": "Both support custom domains to bypass blockers"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "group": "Privacy & Compliance",
        "features": [
          {
            "name": "Cookie-Free by Default",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true,
            "notes": "Both are cookieless by default"
          },
          {
            "name": "No Consent Banner Required",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true,
            "notes": "Both claim no consent needed for basic analytics"
          },
          {
            "name": "GDPR Compliant",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true
          },
          {
            "name": "EU Data Residency",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true,
            "notes": "Fathom has EU Isolation enabled by default for all customers"
          },
          {
            "name": "Self-Hosting Option",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": false,
            "notes": "Fathom is cloud-only; Fathom Lite is legacy and uses cookies"
          },
          {
            "name": "Data Processing Agreement",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "group": "Integrations",
        "features": [
          {
            "name": "REST API",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true,
            "notes": "Fathom has a comprehensive API"
          },
          {
            "name": "Data Export",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true,
            "notes": "CSV export available on both"
          },
          {
            "name": "WordPress Plugin",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true,
            "notes": "Fathom has official WordPress plugin"
          },
          {
            "name": "NPM Package",
            "openpanel": true,
            "competitor": true,
            "notes": "fathom-client package available"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "technical_comparison": {
    "title": "Technical comparison",
    "intro": "For developers evaluating analytics tools, here's the technical breakdown.",
    "items": [
      {
        "label": "SDK Size",
        "openpanel": "2.3 KB (gzipped)",
        "competitor": "~2 KB (gzipped)",
        "notes": null
      },
      {
        "label": "Platforms",
        "openpanel": [
          "JavaScript/TypeScript",
          "React",
          "Next.js",
          "Vue",
          "React Native",
          "iOS",
          "Android",
          "Node.js",
          "Python",
          "PHP",
          "Go",
          "Rust"
        ],
        "competitor": [
          "JavaScript (browser)",
          "WordPress",
          "Webflow",
          "Next.js",
          "Vue.js",
          "Ghost",
          "ConvertKit",
          "Various CMS integrations"
        ],
        "notes": null
      },
      {
        "label": "Open Source",
        "openpanel": "Yes - MIT License",
        "competitor": "No - Closed source",
        "notes": "Fathom Analytics is closed-source. Fathom Lite (legacy) is open-source but limited and uses cookies."
      },
      {
        "label": "Self Hosting",
        "openpanel": "Docker (simple single-container setup)",
        "competitor": "Not available (cloud-only service)",
        "notes": null
      },
      {
        "label": "Database",
        "openpanel": "ClickHouse",
        "competitor": "Proprietary cloud infrastructure (serverless on AWS)",
        "notes": null
      },
      {
        "label": "Data Retention",
        "openpanel": "Unlimited (self-hosted), configurable (cloud)",
        "competitor": "Forever (as long as you're a customer)",
        "notes": null
      },
      {
        "label": "Language",
        "openpanel": "TypeScript/Node.js",
        "competitor": "Unknown (closed-source)",
        "notes": null
      }
    ]
  },
  "pricing": {
    "title": "Pricing comparison",
    "intro": "Fathom has no free tier. OpenPanel offers free cloud and self-hosting.",
    "openpanel": {
      "model": "Event-based, transparent",
      "description": "Simple pricing with 10,000 free events per month. All features included at every tier. Self-host for free with unlimited events."
    },
    "competitor": {
      "model": "Pageview-based with 7-day trial",
      "description": "100K pageviews: $15/month ($150/year). Up to 50 sites included. All features included. Custom events count as pageviews. Annual billing saves 2 months. Fathom has no free tier and never does discounts.",
      "free_tier": "No free tier (7-day trial only)",
      "pricing_url": "https://usefathom.com/pricing"
    }
  },
  "migration": {
    "title": "Migrating from Fathom to OpenPanel",
    "intro": "Both use lightweight scripts and simple event tracking, making migration straightforward.",
    "steps": [
      {
        "title": "Install OpenPanel SDK",
        "description": "Add the OpenPanel SDK to your application. Both use lightweight scripts, so the transition is straightforward."
      },
      {
        "title": "Map Events",
        "description": "Fathom's trackEvent() becomes OpenPanel's op.track(). Event values translate directly."
      },
      {
        "title": "Set Up User Identification (New)",
        "description": "Unlike Fathom, OpenPanel can identify users. Add op.identify() calls to unlock retention, cohorts, and user profiles."
      },
      {
        "title": "Configure Product Analytics (New)",
        "description": "Set up funnels, retention reports, and cohorts. These features aren't available in Fathom."
      },
      {
        "title": "Remove Fathom Script",
        "description": "Once verified, remove the Fathom tracking script. Both are cookie-free so no consent changes needed."
      }
    ],
    "difficulty": "easy",
    "estimated_time": "30 minutes to 2 hours",
    "sdk_compatibility": {
      "similar_api": true,
      "notes": "Both use simple event tracking APIs. Fathom's trackEvent() becomes OpenPanel's op.track()."
    },
    "historical_data": {
      "can_import": false,
      "notes": "Most teams start fresh with OpenPanel and run both tools in parallel briefly."
    }
  },
  "use_cases": {
    "title": "Where OpenPanel is a better fit than Fathom",
    "intro": "Choose OpenPanel when you need product analytics beyond simple web traffic.",
    "items": [
      {
        "title": "SaaS Products Needing User Analytics",
        "description": "Fathom shows aggregate website traffic. If you need to understand individual user journeys, retention, and behavior within your product, OpenPanel adds these capabilities while staying privacy-friendly.",
        "icon": "users"
      },
      {
        "title": "Teams Who Want Self-Hosting",
        "description": "Fathom is cloud-only with no self-hosting option. If data sovereignty or compliance requirements mean you need to host your own analytics, OpenPanel provides full self-hosting in a single Docker container.",
        "icon": "server"
      },
      {
        "title": "Startups Needing a Free Tier",
        "description": "Fathom has no free option, requiring a minimum $15/month commitment. OpenPanel offers 10,000 free events monthly, perfect for early-stage products or side projects.",
        "icon": "trending-up"
      },
      {
        "title": "Mobile App Analytics",
        "description": "Fathom is designed for websites and doesn't provide native mobile SDKs. OpenPanel offers native iOS, Android, and React Native SDKs with full product analytics capabilities.",
        "icon": "smartphone"
      },
      {
        "title": "Teams Needing Funnel Analysis",
        "description": "Fathom tracks simple conversions but doesn't offer multi-step funnel analysis. If understanding conversion paths matters, OpenPanel provides detailed funnel visualization.",
        "icon": "filter"
      }
    ]
  },
  "faqs": {
    "title": "Frequently asked questions",
    "intro": "Common questions about switching from Fathom to OpenPanel.",
    "items": [
      {
        "question": "Is OpenPanel as privacy-friendly as Fathom?",
        "answer": "Yes! Both are cookie-free by default and don't require consent banners. The key difference is that OpenPanel allows optional user identification for product analytics, while Fathom is strictly anonymous. You control whether to identify users in OpenPanel."
      },
      {
        "question": "Why switch from Fathom to OpenPanel?",
        "answer": "Teams typically switch when they need: 1) Product analytics (funnels, retention, cohorts), 2) User identification, 3) Self-hosting options, or 4) A free tier for starting out. Fathom excels at simple web analytics but doesn't offer these capabilities."
      },
      {
        "question": "Does Fathom have a free tier?",
        "answer": "No. Fathom offers a 7-day free trial, then requires a minimum $15/month subscription. They intentionally don't offer a free tier or discounts. OpenPanel provides 10,000 free events monthly."
      },
      {
        "question": "Can I self-host Fathom?",
        "answer": "No. Fathom Analytics is cloud-only. Their legacy open-source version (Fathom Lite) exists but uses cookies, has limited features, and is no longer actively developed. OpenPanel offers full self-hosting in a single Docker container."
      },
      {
        "question": "Which has the smaller tracking script?",
        "answer": "They're similar. Fathom's script is approximately 2KB, and OpenPanel's is 2.3KB. Both are significantly smaller than Google Analytics (45KB+) or other enterprise tools."
      },
      {
        "question": "Can Fathom track mobile apps?",
        "answer": "Not natively. Fathom is designed for web analytics and doesn't provide mobile SDKs. You could send events via their API, but there are no mobile-specific features. OpenPanel offers native iOS, Android, and React Native SDKs."
      },
      {
        "question": "What will I lose switching from Fathom?",
        "answer": "Fathom's Google Analytics import tool is well-regarded if you're migrating historical data. Their EU Isolation feature is enabled by default for all customers. However, you'll gain product analytics, self-hosting options, and a free tier that Fathom doesn't offer."
      },
      {
        "question": "Is Fathom or OpenPanel better for blogs/content sites?",
        "answer": "For simple content sites where you just need traffic stats, Fathom's simplicity is excellent and their GA importer helps with transitions. If you're running a SaaS, e-commerce, or any product where understanding user behavior matters, OpenPanel's product analytics features provide more value."
      }
    ]
  },
  "related_links": {
    "articles": [
      {
        "title": "9 best open source web analytics tools",
        "url": "/articles/open-source-web-analytics"
      },
      {
        "title": "Cookieless analytics",
        "url": "/articles/cookieless-analytics"
      }
    ],
    "alternatives": [
      {
        "name": "Plausible",
        "url": "/compare/plausible-alternative"
      },
      {
        "name": "Simple Analytics",
        "url": "/compare/simple-analytics-alternative"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ctas": {
    "primary": {
      "label": "Start with OpenPanel",
      "href": "https://dashboard.openpanel.dev/onboarding"
    },
    "secondary": {
      "label": "View on GitHub",
      "href": "https://github.com/Openpanel-dev/openpanel"
    }
  }
}