Counter: Web analytics made simple and privacy-friendly
Counter is a self-hosted web analytics tool. Web analytics made simple and privacy-friendly.
Why self-host Counter
Running Counter yourself means you control the data, the uptime policy, and the upgrade schedule. That is a different relationship with software than subscribing to a hosted service.
What it does
Counter falls into the Web Analytics category of self-hosted software. It is designed to be deployed on your own infrastructure, whether that is a home server, a VPS, or a local machine running Docker.
Deployment
Getting Counter running usually takes under an hour if you have a working Docker setup. The official documentation covers the basic deployment steps.
Alternatives
If Counter does not fit your needs, common alternatives include Google Analytics. The self-hosted versions of these tools often differ in resource requirements and feature focus, so it is worth testing the one that matches your workload.
Maturity
The current version is 0.2.1, which means the project is still pre-1.0. That is not a disqualifier, but it is worth checking the changelog before upgrading in a setup where stability matters.
License
It is licensed under AGPL-3.0, making it freely available for personal and commercial use.
Links
For anyone already running a home server, Counter is a natural addition. It handles web analytics without requiring a paid subscription or an account with a third party.