Pirsch Analytics

What is Pirsch Analytics?

Pirsch Analytics is a lightweight, privacy-friendly web analytics tool built specifically for modern websites and businesses that prioritize data protection and simplicity. Based in Germany, Pirsch focuses on delivering essential insights without tracking personal data or using cookies — making it fully GDPR-compliant by design.

Pirsch Analytics is a lightweight, privacy-friendly web analytics tool built specifically for modern websites and businesses that prioritize data protection and simplicity. Based in Germany, Pirsch focuses on delivering essential insights without tracking personal data or using cookies — making it fully GDPR-compliant by design.

It is intended as a fast, efficient alternative to Google Analytics, Plausible, Fathom, and others, particularly for companies that want clean, lightweight tracking without legal or technical complications.

Key Features

• Privacy-first tracking: No cookies, no tracking consent banners needed under GDPR.

• Lightweight script: Extremely small tracking code (

• Real-time analytics: Immediate updates on traffic, referrers, top pages, and more.

• Event tracking: Custom events can be tracked (e.g., button clicks, form submissions) without needing external libraries.

• API-first approach: Full REST API to build custom dashboards or integrate analytics into your own apps.

• Multiple integrations: Official plugins/extensions for WordPress, Laravel, Django, Ghost CMS, and others.

• White-label option: Agencies can offer Pirsch under their own brand.

• Self-hosting available: Besides their cloud offering, self-hosting versions are available for total data control.

Technical Foundation

• Backend: Developed with Go for high efficiency and scalability.

• Hosting: Servers located in Germany, operating under strict European data protection laws.

• Data processing: Anonymized tracking without IP storage, using techniques like hashed and salted IP + user agent combinations.

• Integration: API clients available for multiple programming languages (JavaScript, Go, PHP, Python, Ruby).

Use Cases

• Privacy-conscious websites: Blogs, SaaS apps, e-commerce sites that want to respect visitor privacy.

• Agencies: Offering clients simple, branded analytics without complexity.

• Startups: Who need fast, reliable metrics without dealing with cookie banners and compliance hurdles.

• Developers: Who want to build custom reporting systems using Pirsch’s API.

Pricing

Pirsch uses a simple, usage-based pricing model based on:

• Number of pageviews per month

• Number of websites tracked

They typically offer:

• Free trial (14 days, no credit card)

• Affordable plans starting from low monthly rates (especially compared to enterprise analytics solutions)

• Custom plans for large websites and agencies

• Self-hosting license option for a one-time fee plus optional maintenance

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Extremely fast and lightweight

• Cookie-free, fully GDPR-compliant

• Developer-friendly with a strong API

• Clear, transparent pricing

• Excellent customer support with quick response times

• No vendor lock-in thanks to API access and self-hosting options

Cons:

• Limited advanced marketing features (e.g., no deep ecommerce tracking out of the box)

• Fewer built-in integrations compared to larger competitors like Google Analytics

• Custom event tracking requires minor coding skills

• Focused mainly on essential web analytics, not user behavior (like heatmaps or session replays)

How It Differs From Alternatives

• Versus Google Analytics: No personal data collection, no cookies, no need for a consent banner; simpler and much faster to implement.

• Versus Plausible and Fathom: Very similar philosophy but Pirsch leans even more toward developer friendliness (stronger API focus).

• Versus Matomo: Matomo is more feature-rich and heavy; Pirsch is minimalistic and optimized for speed.

• Versus Simple Analytics: Pirsch typically offers deeper customization options via API.

Typical Metrics You Can Track

• Unique visitors

• Page views

• Bounce rates

• Average session duration

• Referrer sources (websites, search engines)

• Device types (mobile, tablet, desktop)

• Browser types and operating systems

• Custom events (e.g., clicks, downloads, signups)

Best Practices for Using Pirsch Analytics

• Focus on key metrics: Customize your dashboard to show KPIs that really matter to your site.

• Use the API: Build personalized dashboards, embed analytics in your admin panels, or automate reporting.

• Integrate early: Especially if you want custom event tracking — plan what events you want to measure from the start.

• Combine with server-side tracking: Pirsch supports HTTP API tracking to bypass ad-blockers more effectively and capture full traffic data.

• Stay transparent with users: Even if consent isn’t legally required, openly communicating your privacy approach builds trust.