Self-host Counter
0.2Privacy-friendly web analytics with unique visitor counts
- Stars
- 1 012
- Port
- 80 (HTTP server)
- Requires
- Redis
What is Counter?
Counter is a privacy-focused web analytics platform that displays visitor statistics for web applications. It gathers only aggregated data without using cookies, logging, or IP address fingerprinting. The self-hosted edition runs as a single Go binary (cntr) with Redis as the primary database, while a SQL database handles archiving of older data (archiving is not yet implemented in the self-hosted beta). Features include daily unique visitor counts, referral tracking, and geographical location data. The project uses AGPL-3.0 licensing and the hosted service operates on a pay-what-you-want model. The self-hosted version is currently in beta and does not include the archiving functionality found in the hosted version.
Should you self-host Counter?
Counter scores 47/100 on selfhost.directory (how scoring works) and ranks #19 of 21 in Web analytics. It has 1 012 GitHub stars.
There was no stable release in the past 12 months, so check the repository's recent activity before you rely on it.
Setup is moderate: expect some configuration beyond a single command. It is AGPL-3.0-licensed and written mostly in JavaScript.
Its closest alternative on selfhost.directory is Umami (85/100, 39 753 stars). It scores higher overall, so compare the two before you pick. See Counter vs Umami side by side.
Features
- Geographical locations
- Pay what you want pricingApplies to hosted service only
- Privacy-friendly analytics
- Referrer tracking
- Unique visitor counting
Counter README
FAQ
Can I avoid the cookie banner when using counter.dev?
The author states they don't know, but suggests that due to the ePrivacy Directive, all SaaS web analytics including counter.dev likely need consent.
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