Plausible vs Google Analytics: Time to Switch?
Read time: 9 min | Updated: January 2026
TL;DR: For 80% of websites, Plausible is the better choice. You lose deep-dive features you probably never use anyway, but gain simplicity, speed, and hassle-free privacy. Unless you genuinely need e-commerce tracking or complex funnels - then stick with GA4 or go with Matomo.
Here’s the thing: Google Analytics has been annoying me for years.
Not because it’s bad. Because it’s too much. 47 reports I never look at. Cookie consent popups that scare visitors away. And always that nagging question: Is this even legal here?
Two years ago I switched to Plausible on my blog. Here’s what I learned.
The Fundamental Difference
Google Analytics wants to know everything about your visitors. Where they come from, what they click, how long they scroll, whether they convert, what they buy.
Plausible wants to know: How many people were there? Where did they come from? Which pages did they look at?
That’s it.
Sounds like less. It is. The question is: Do you need more?
Quick Comparison
| Plausible | Google Analytics 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From €9/month | ”Free” (you pay with data) |
| GDPR | Compliant without cookie banner | Consent banner required |
| Script size | ~1 KB | ~45 KB |
| Learning curve | 5 minutes | Hours to days |
| Data belongs to | You | |
| Servers | EU (Frankfurt) | USA/Global |
| Setup | 1 script tag | Tag Manager recommended |
What You DON’T Get with Plausible
Let’s be honest. You lose features.
No Detailed User Flows
GA4 shows you exactly how users navigate through your site. Page A → Page B → Exit. With Sankey diagrams and everything.
Plausible shows: These pages were visited. Entry pages, exit pages. But not the path in between.
Do you need this? For most blogs/landing pages: No. For complex web apps: Maybe.
No Real E-Commerce Tracking
GA4 has native e-commerce tracking. Product views, add-to-cart, purchases, revenue per product.
Plausible has revenue goals. You can track that someone bought and how much. But not what.
Do you need this? For an online shop: Yes, definitely. For SaaS or info products: Probably not.
No Audience Segments
In GA4 you can build complex segments. “Returning users from Germany who visited at least 3 pages.”
Plausible has filters. Country, device, page, source. But no combinable segments you can save.
Do you need this? For marketing optimization at scale: Yes. For “who reads my blog”: No.
No Machine Learning
GA4 has Predictive Audiences. “Likely buyers in the next 7 days.”
Plausible has… none of that.
Do you need this? Honestly? Most people I know don’t even use this in GA4.
What You GAIN with Plausible
No Cookie Banner Needed
This is the killer.
Plausible collects no personal data. No cookies. That means: No consent popup.
Know how many people leave your site when they see the cookie banner? I measured it: About 15% of my visitors used to click the banner away and then were gone.
Now? No banner, no problem.
Your Data Stays in the EU
Plausible stores in Frankfurt. Not in the USA.
After Schrems II, that’s relevant. Google Analytics’ data export to the US is legally… questionable. Multiple EU data protection authorities have declared GA illegal.
With Plausible you’re on the safe side.
45x Smaller Script
Google Analytics: ~45 KB. Plausible: ~1 KB.
That makes a measurable difference in page speed. Especially on mobile, especially on slow connections.
My Lighthouse Performance score went up 3-4 points after switching. Not kidding.
One Dashboard Instead of 47 Reports
GA4 is overwhelming. I spend more time figuring out where the data is than actually using it.
Plausible is one page. Everything at a glance. I look at it, see what I need to know, done.
You’re Not the Product
Google Analytics is “free” because Google uses your data for ads. You pay with your visitors’ data.
Plausible costs money. But your data belongs to you. It’s not resold, not used for targeting, not analyzed.
Migration: Easier Than You’d Think
The switch is simple:
- Create Plausible account (30 days free)
- Add script tag (one line)
- Remove Google Analytics script
- Remove cookie banner (if it was only there for GA)
Important: Historical data can’t be migrated. You start at zero.
My tip: Run both in parallel for 2-4 weeks. Then you’ll see if you’re missing anything.
Who Should Switch?
✅ Switch to Plausible if:
- You have a blog, portfolio, or landing page
- Privacy matters to you (or should)
- You’re annoyed by cookie banners
- You never looked deeper than “how many visitors”
- Page speed matters to you
- You’re in the EU and want to be legally safe
❌ Stay with GA4 if:
- You have an e-commerce shop with complex tracking
- You do marketing automation with audience segments
- You need the GA4 ↔ Google Ads integration
- Your team is already trained on GA4 and actively uses it
The Cost Calculation
“But Google Analytics is free!”
It’s not.
Hidden costs of GA4:
- Time for setup and maintenance: Tag Manager, events, conversions…
- Cookie consent tool: €10-50/month
- Lost visitors from cookie banner: ???
- Legal risk: GDPR fines up to 4% of revenue
Plausible:
- €9/month for 10K pageviews
- Done.
For most sites, Plausible is cheaper when you factor everything in.
My Setup Today
After 2 years with Plausible:
- I look at the dashboard once a week (5 minutes)
- I track which articles perform well
- I see where traffic comes from
- That’s it
Do I miss GA4? Not at all.
The “advanced features” - I never used them. I told myself I’d need them someday. I didn’t.
FAQ
Do I lose historical data?
You can export from GA4. But not import into Plausible. Different formats.
Is Plausible really GDPR-compliant?
Yes. No cookies, no personal data, EU servers, EU company. You don’t need cookie consent for Plausible.
What about Google Search Console?
You can keep using it. GSC and Analytics are independent. Plausible even has a GSC integration.
Can I run both in parallel?
Yes, makes sense for a transition period. But long-term: Double scripts = double overhead.
What if I’m missing features?
You can always switch back. Or move to Matomo, which has more features but is still EU-compliant.
Try It
- Plausible: 30 days free trial - no credit card
- Or self-host directly (free)
See also:
Last updated: January 2026
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