Stack
Fathom
A cookieless web analytics service that reports site traffic on a single dashboard and includes many sites and forever data retention on its entry plan.
What it actually does
Fathom is a privacy-focused traffic dashboard in the same one-page style as Plausible. It records pageviews, referrers, top content, devices, locations, goals, and uptime without cookies, so no consent banner is needed under GDPR.
Pricing is built around volume rather than per-site fees: the entry plan covers 100k pageviews and a large number of sites, which makes it attractive to founders running a portfolio of small projects under one bill. Data is retained for as long as you remain a customer.
It is a proprietary cloud product with no free tier and no open-source self-host path, so it is a pay-to-use service from day one after the trial ends.
Fathom vs its main rivals
The tools people actually weigh against Fathom: Plausible, Simple Analytics, Matomo. Same criteria for every column, including where Fathom loses.
| Fathom |  Plausible |  Simple Analytics |  Matomo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Pricing & access | ||||
| Free tier | NoNo (7-day trial) | NoNo | YesFree | YesFree (self-host) |
| Starting price | $15/mo | $9/mo | ~$22/mo | $0 self-host |
| Open source / self-host | NoNo | YesAGPL | NoNo | YesGPL |
Privacy & hosting | ||||
| Cookieless, no banner | YesYes | YesYes | YesYes | YesOptional |
| EU data isolation | YesYes | YesYes | YesYes | YesSelf-host |
Analytics depth | ||||
| Goals / events | YesYes | YesYes | YesYes | YesYes |
| Funnels | NoNo | YesBusiness plan | NoNo | YesYes |
| Session recording | NoNo | NoNo | NoNo | YesYes |
Developer & API | ||||
| REST API | Free | Paid | Paid | Free |
Scaling & limits | ||||
| Included pageviews (entry) | 100k | 10k | Unlimited (free) | Unlimited (self-host) |
| Sites at entry | 50 | 1 | 5 | Unlimited |
| Data retention | Forever | 3+ yr | 1 mo (free) | Unlimited |
- 50 sites included on the $15 entry plan, more sites than most privacy dashboards at that price
- Forever data retention while you remain a customer, so trend history never expires
- 100k pageviews at entry, ten times Plausible's Starter allowance for a comparable dashboard
- No plan under $15/mo, so a single low-traffic site pays more than Plausible's $9 Starter
- Traffic-only stats: no funnels-by-cohort, session replay, or product analytics
- Proprietary with no open-source self-host option, so there is no zero-cost escape hatch
Pay less for it
4 ways foundYearly billing gives 2 months free, dropping the effective entry rate to about $12.50/mo
The many-sites entry plan replaces several separate single-site subscriptions
Evaluate on a trial before committing, no feature unlocks to pay for
Plausible — A $9 Starter is cheaper for a single low-traffic site and adds an open-source self-host path
StackTracker tracks what you actually pay for Fathom and every other tool, flags overpayment, and shows the dollars you would save by switching.
Is it the right tool for you
- You run a portfolio of several small sites and want one flat bill
- You want forever retention without paying for a premium tier
- You want zero maintenance and no self-hosting
- You have one low-traffic site and want the cheapest paid plan → use Plausible
- You need product analytics or replays → use PostHog
- You want a free tier → use Umami
Track what Fathom and the rest of your stack cost
StackTracker adds up every subscription, plus your hours, so you see the real number.
Prices and limits last verified 2026-07-20.