Not every website needs the depth of Google Analytics or Matomo. Sometimes you just want simple, affordable, privacy-conscious analytics that tells you what matters. Simple Analytics and Clicky are two excellent options in this space.
This comparison covers pricing, privacy features, dashboard quality, and who each tool serves best.
1. At a Glance
| Dimension | Simple Analytics | Clicky |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $9/mo (100k pageviews) | Free (1 site) / Pro $9.99/mo |
| Free Tier | ❌ 14-day trial | ✅ Free (1 site, 3k pageviews/day) |
| Cookie-Free | ✅ Yes, GDPR compliant by default | ❌ Uses cookies (anon) |
| Dashboard | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Cleanest in class | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Functional, data-rich |
| Real-Time | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Uptime Monitoring | ❌ Not available | ✅ Included |
| Best For | Privacy-first site owners | Data-driven marketers |
2. Pricing
Simple Analytics
Simple Analytics is a hosted SaaS: $9/mo for 100k pageviews, $49/mo for 500k, $99/mo for 1.5M. All features included — no tier gating. GDPR compliant by design, no cookie banner needed.
Clicky
Clicky offers a free plan (1 website, 3k pageviews/day). Pro ($9.99/mo) adds multiple sites, uptime monitoring, and Twitter analytics. Clicky is one of the oldest analytics tools and offers excellent value.
3. Core Features
Simple Analytics
Simple Analytics focuses on privacy-first simplicity. The dashboard shows visitors, pageviews, referrers, top pages, countries — and nothing else. No tracking scripts that slow your site. It's the most GDPR-friendly option available.
Clicky
Clicky is more traditional: real-time analytics, heatmaps, uptime monitoring, and Twitter stats. The dashboard is data-dense — great for power users who want lots of metrics. The heatmap feature is a nice bonus at this price point.
4. Ease of Use
Simple Analytics wins for elegance — one script, beautiful dashboard, zero configuration. Clicky offers more data but the interface is busier. Both are straightforward to set up compared to Google Analytics.
5. Verdict
• You want the cleanest, simplest analytics dashboard
• You don't need heatmaps or uptime monitoring
• You're happy paying a small monthly fee for zero maintenance
• You need uptime monitoring included
• You like data-rich dashboards with lots of metrics
• You want heatmaps without paying for a separate tool
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