Fathom Analytics review and a Better review

Fathom Analytics is a privacy-friendly analytics built by Jack & Paul, who have successfully have been running it since 2018. It’s been marketed as a simple and privacy-friendly analytics tool, but some reports suggest it may not be as privacy-friendly as it claims.

This article will cover Fathom Analytics' features, strengths, and weaknesses. But there's more! We'll introduce you to an exciting alternative. This innovative solution offers a fresh perspective, empowering you to make informed decisions.

1. Fathom
2. Fathom Reviews
3. Simple Analytics: A better alternative
4. Feature comparison between Fathom Analytics and Simple Analytics
5. Conclusion
6. FAQs: A Better Alternative to Fathom
   1. How does Fathom Analytics prioritize privacy?
   2. Is it possible to self-host Fathom Analytics?
   3. Does Fathom Analytics integrate with other tools?

Fathom

Fathom Analytics, Plausible and Simple Analytics started at nearly the same time when there was a need for a Google Analytics alternative that is not only privacy-friendly but also easy to understand. It comes with all the bells and whistles, such as event tracking, UTM analytics, etc.

Pros of Fathom

• Simple and easy-to-use dashboard
• Provides uptime monitoring as an added feature
• Supports event tracking (e.g., tracking the number of PDF downloads, Newsletter signups, etc.)

Cons of Fathom

• Other options are more privacy-friendly
• It’s event-setting and goal-tracking features are limited

Fathom Reviews

"Get Actionable Website Insights While Respecting User Privacy."

What do you like best about Fathom Analytics?

It provides essential website metrics, such as page views, sessions, and referral sources, to help website owners track and analyze their website's performance. User-friendly interface with real-time tracking, customizable dashboards, and detailed reports. Its combination of privacy-focused analytics and user-friendly features makes it an excellent choice for businesses that want to track their website's performance while respecting their users' privacy.

What do you dislike about Fathom Analytics?

The user interface is not as intuitive as other analytics tools, making navigating and accessing certain features difficult. Some users might find the data visualization in Fathom Analytics less intuitive or user-friendly than other tools. Limited in terms of features compared to other analytics tools.

What problems is Fathom Analytics solving and how is that benefiting you?

It provides complete transparency into how data is collected, processed, and stored, which can help build trust with users and improve overall user experience. It is designed to load quickly, improving website performance and reducing page load times for users.

*Niranjan2 S., Mid-Market*

Source: G2

"Simple and fast analytics at your hands"

What do you like best about Fathom Analytics?

It's simplicity and how fluid works. It's great for having a quick and effective overview about your website.

What do you dislike about Fathom Analytics?

Maybe some more depth in setting up your own events.

What problems is Fathom Analytics solving and how is that benefiting you?

Understanding the evolution of our traffic, plus main traffic sources.

*Ferran R., Small Business*

Source: G2

Simple Analytics: A better alternative

Simple Analytics is an easy-to-use analytics tool that gives you the insights you need while being 100% GDPR-compliant.

It was founded by Adriaan van Rossum shortly after the GDPR was approved. Since its inception, Simple Analytics has had customers of all sizes, notable ones being: Michelin, Havas Media, Nomadlist, and the UK Government.

Though Simple Analytics might sound like a simple minimal analytics tool, it does pack some powerful features that many marketers love, such as automated event collection, goal tracking, e-commerce analytics, bypassing ad blockers (as it’s privacy-friendly), and much more.

Let's explore why it's become a preferred choice for businesses seeking reliable and affordable analytics tools.

Pros of using Simple Analytics

1. Simple UI: Simple Analytics is one of the easiest analytics tools. The dashboard is built in a way to easily understandable to non-marketers.
2. Affordable: Tracking website and product metrics is pretty affordable with Simple Analytics. For just $9/month, you can track 100,000 data points (pageviews + events). Additionally, you get features that you would find in much more expensive tools.
3. Privacy First: The world is moving in a direction where privacy is becoming increasingly important. Google Analytics has been declared illegal in multiple EU countries. You would rather avoid getting caught up in this mess. Take privacy or compliance with regulations into account.
4. Mini Websites: Have you ever seen “t.co” as a referrer in your web analytics? If you have, you must have broken your head trying to find the source. Simple Analytics helps you find the exact tweet that referred/mentioned to your website.
5. Lightweight: Your website is your storefront on the internet. Providing the best possible experience matters. Installing an analytics script has an impact on page speed. Choose an analytics tool that won’t slow your website down. Even Google recommends having a website that loads quickly.
6. Integration: Installing and integrating Simple Analytics is also super easy. It has 20+ integrations to select from, so you can get it added quickly.

Cons of using Simple Analytics

Due to privacy laws, Simple Analytics doesn’t store IPs and user identifiers, which makes it lack a couple of metrics, such as bounce rate, but it does have time on page to give you an idea of user stickiness.

Pricing of Simple Analytics

Simple Analytics offers one of the most affordable pricing structures in its segment. The plans start at just $9/month, which lets you track 100,000 data points.

If you need more features, such as team access, the pricing goes up to $49/month, increasing the data points limit from 100,000 to 1,000,000.

Feature comparison between Fathom Analytics and Simple Analytics

Conclusion

Fathom Analytics has certainly gained a lot of traction because of its ease of use and claims to be privacy-friendly. However, other options are more privacy-friendly. In addition, their event-tracking and goal-setting functions are limited.

Simple Analytics provides all the insights you need while being 100% GDPR compliant. They believe the internet should be an independent place that is friendly to website visitors. If this resonates with you, feel free to give it a try!

FAQs: A Better Alternative to Fathom

How does Fathom Analytics prioritize privacy?

Fathom Analytics prioritizes privacy by gathering minimum data, avoiding the use of cookies, and adhering to privacy standards. It does not track personal information or use invasive tracking techniques.

Is it possible to self-host Fathom Analytics?

Yes, Fathom Analytics provides a self-hosted version called Fathom lite, allowing businesses to self-host Fathom.

The self-host version is a stripped-down version of hosted Fathom Analytics, so you’ll find many missing features.

Does Fathom Analytics integrate with other tools?

Fathom Analytics integrates with numerous platforms such as WordPress, Ghost, and Shopify, allowing analytics to be seamlessly integrated into existing workflows.