Comparison of Free Web Analytics Platforms

This guide presents a comparison of seven free web analytics platforms, highlighting their features, limitations, and trade-offs. It outlines that while these platforms can be beneficial for various projects, users must consider the sacrifices in features, data sampling, performance, and data privacy that come with using free products. The document provides a detailed 65-point table comparing the platforms, including Piwik PRO Core, Google Universal Analytics, Google Analytics 4, Matomo, Countly Community, Mixpanel, and Woopra. Key aspects covered include performance and features, privacy and security compliance, data collection flexibility, reporting features, product integrations, data anonymization, and customer support. The guide emphasizes the importance of assessing each platform's capabilities to ensure it meets the specific needs of the user's project, especially as projects may evolve and require more advanced features in the future.