Web Tracking Tools Compared: GA4, Matomo, Plausible
Last updated: March 2026 · Reading time: 7 minutes
Without web tracking, you do not know if your website works. Who comes, from where, what do they do, what leads to an inquiry — and what does not? Since the end of third-party cookies (2024/25) and stricter privacy laws, tool selection faces new requirements: transparency and privacy must go hand in hand with meaningful analysis.
Google Analytics 4
Strengths: Largest feature set, free basic version, deep integration with Google Ads, Search Console, and Looker Studio. Predictive analytics and explorative data analysis.
Weaknesses: Complex setup, not fully GDPR-compliant (data export to USA), consent required, historical data not comparable with Universal Analytics.
Costs: Basic version free. GA4 360 (Enterprise) from approx. 50,000 USD/year.
Recommendation: For companies using the Google ecosystem that can handle the GDPR gray area. Consent management and server-side tracking are mandatory. More in the article Google Analytics 4.
Matomo (formerly Piwik)
Strengths: Self-hosting possible (full data control), GDPR-compliant when self-hosted, comprehensive features (heatmaps, session recordings, A/B testing in the Pro version), open source.
Weaknesses: Self-hosting requires server maintenance, cloud version less privacy-friendly than self-hosted, less predictive analytics than GA4.
Costs: On-premise free (open source). Cloud from approx. 23 EUR/month. Piwik PRO (Enterprise) on request.
Recommendation: For organizations that prioritize privacy and have self-hosting competence. arocom hosts Matomo for Drupal clients on EU servers.
Plausible Analytics
Strengths: Lightweight (under 1 KB script), no cookies, no consent banner needed, EU hosting, simple interface, open source.
Weaknesses: Fewer features than GA4 or Matomo, no e-commerce tracking, no heatmaps or session recordings.
Costs: From approx. 9 EUR/month (cloud). Self-hosting free.
Recommendation: For websites needing simple, GDPR-compliant analysis and that can forgo complex funnels.
Additional Tools Overview
etracker. German company, GDPR-compliant, cookieless tracking without consent. Strong in e-commerce. From approx. 19 EUR/month.
Fathom Analytics. Privacy-friendly, simple interface. From approx. 14 USD/month.
Adobe Analytics. Enterprise solution with AI-powered predictions and flexible integrations. License on request (from approx. 100,000 USD/year).
Piano Analytics (formerly AT Internet). French provider with EU hosting and customer journey analysis. Price on request.
How to Choose the Right Tool
Three questions lead to the decision:
1. What are your privacy requirements? If GDPR compliance without gray areas is the priority: Matomo (self-hosted), Plausible, or etracker.
2. What analysis depth do you need? For e-commerce funnels, cross-device tracking, and predictive analytics: GA4 or Adobe Analytics. For basic metrics: Plausible or Fathom.
3. What budget is available? GA4 and Matomo (self-hosted) are free. Cloud solutions start at 9-23 EUR/month. Enterprise solutions at 50,000+ EUR/year.
Set Up Web Tracking for Your Website
arocom integrates all common tracking tools into Drupal — including consent management, event tracking, and server-side tracking. We advise on tool selection and set everything up. Contact.
Which web tracking tool is GDPR-compliant?
Matomo (self-hosted on EU servers), Plausible, etracker, and Fathom can be used GDPR-compliantly. GA4 requires consent management and is legally controversial.
Do I need a consent banner?
With GA4 and all cookie-based tracking tools: yes. With Plausible and etracker (cookieless tracking): not necessarily under current law, but check with your data protection officer.
What is server-side tracking?
With server-side tracking, data is sent from your own server to the analytics tool, not from the user's browser. This bypasses browser blocking and gives more control over data. Recommended with GA4.
Can I use multiple tracking tools simultaneously?
Yes. Many companies use GA4 for Google integration and Plausible or Matomo as GDPR-compliant base analytics. Mind the performance: every additional script costs load time.
Read more
- Google Analytics 4 — The 10 most important differences
- Understanding Website Traffic — Sources, metrics, measures
- Pagespeed Optimization — Why load time determines ranking
- Future Check (Audit) — Independent analysis of your installation
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