Overview
Two Privacy-First Philosophies
Same Goal, Different Approach
Staminads: Built for pro marketers who need to detect which dimensions drive engaged traffic. Median metrics (TimeScore), advanced traffic categorization with backfill, and full ad network detection.
Plausible: Aggregate-only with a simple, single-page dashboard. Focus on ease of use with daily rotating hashes for visitor counting.
Depth vs. Simplicity
Staminads: Built for teams that want to identify winning traffic sources, campaigns, and dimensions based on real engagement — not just pageviews.
Plausible: Built for those who want quick insights without complexity. Dashboard-first, minimal configuration.
What They Share
Both platforms are built on the same privacy-first principles:
- Cookieless: No cookies, no consent banners required
- GDPR Compliant: No personal data collection
- Open Source: Both licensed under AGPL-3.0
- Self-hostable: Run on your own infrastructure
- Lightweight: Minimal script impact on page load
Where They Differ
The key differences come down to depth of analysis and control:
Staminads Advantages
- • Median metrics (not averages)
- • Traffic categorization with backfill
- • 10 custom dimensions per event
- • Unlimited sites (self-hosted)
- • Full API access on all installations
- • Sub-second real-time data
Plausible Advantages
- • Simpler, single-page dashboard
- • Managed SaaS with support
- • Smaller script size (~1KB)
- • Google Search Console (shows search terms)
- • Email/Slack reports on all plans
- • Funnel analysis (browser-centric, 24h limit)
Plausible Analytics is a lightweight, privacy-focused analytics platform from the EU. It uses daily rotating hashes for visitor counting and focuses on simplicity with a single-page dashboard. Their managed SaaS starts at $9/month.
Staminads is also privacy-first and cookieless, but focuses on deeper engagement analysis with median metrics (TimeScore), advanced traffic categorization with historical backfill, and full self-hosting control.
Quick Comparison
| Staminads | Plausible | |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking Method | Cookieless (session-only, no fingerprinting) | Cookieless (daily IP+UA hash fingerprint) |
| Consent Required | No consent needed | Legally contested (ePrivacy Directive) |
| Engagement Metrics | Median values (TimeScore) | Average/aggregate only |
| Traffic Categorization | Advanced traffic categorization for pro marketers | Predefined channels (no customization) |
| Traffic Backfill | Recompute & modify historical data | Limited (imports only, no modification) |
| Data Delay | Real-time (<1 second) | Near real-time |
| API Access | Full access | Full access |
| Sites Limit | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Pricing | Free (infrastructure only) | $9-$19+/month (or self-host free) |
| Script Size | ~2KB gzipped | ~1KB |
Tracking & Privacy
Both platforms are cookieless, but use different tracking approaches with different legal implications.
The Fingerprinting Question
Plausible uses device fingerprinting — hashing IP address + User-Agent with a daily rotating salt to identify unique visitors. While Plausible claims this is GDPR compliant, the EDPB Guidelines 2/2023 (finalized October 2024) raise concerns:
- ePrivacy Directive Article 5(3): Fingerprinting explicitly falls within scope and requires consent unless a narrow exemption applies
- Hashing ≠ Anonymization: Under GDPR, hashed data is pseudonymized, not anonymous — IP addresses remain personal data
- Regulatory scrutiny: The UK ICO labeled Google's 2025 fingerprinting policy "irresponsible"
Staminads takes a different approach: IP is processed only for GeoIP location (with customizable settings), not for fingerprinting or identification. No device hashing, no cross-session linking. Each session is independent — eliminating the legal gray area.
Privacy & Tracking Comparison
| Feature | Staminads | Plausible |
|---|---|---|
| Cookies | No cookies used | No cookies used |
| Device Fingerprinting | No fingerprinting | Yes (IP + UA hash with daily salt) |
| ePrivacy Directive Compliance | Clear (no device access/fingerprinting) | Legally contested (EDPB Guidelines 2/2023) |
| GDPR Compliance | Yes (no personal data processed) | Claimed (but IP processing is debated) |
| Visitor Identification | None (session-only) | Daily unique visitor hash |
| Cross-session Tracking | Within same day only | |
| IP Address Processing | GeoIP only (customizable settings) | Hashed for visitor fingerprinting |
| Data Residency | Your servers (you control) | EU (Hetzner, Germany) or self-host |
Plausible's Legal Position
Plausible has an independent legal assessment from a German data protection lawyer supporting their approach. They argue the daily salt rotation makes the hash irreversible and qualifies as "reach measurement." However, community discussions and the EDPB's 2023 guidelines suggest this interpretation may be challenged. When in doubt, consult your own legal team.
Staminads: No Fingerprinting
Staminads processes IP addresses only for GeoIP location (with customizable settings) — not for identification or fingerprinting. No device hashing, no cross-session linking. Pure session analytics with clear ePrivacy compliance.
Traffic Categorization
This is where Staminads shines. Custom traffic rules with backfill means you can map your marketing mix and recategorize historical data at any time.
Traffic Categorization Features
| Feature | Staminads | Plausible |
|---|---|---|
| Channel Groupings | Custom rules to map your marketing mix | Predefined channels (can't customize) |
| Traffic Rules | Set value, clear value, set default | None (channels are hardcoded) |
| Custom Dimensions | 10 dimensions you can modify via rules | 30 properties (set at collection only) |
| Backfill on Rule Change | Yes (recompute all historical data) | No (not possible) |
| Saved Segments | Yes (real-time) | Yes (personal or site-level) |
| Ad Network Detection | Google, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Microsoft | Google & Microsoft only (no Meta/TikTok) |
| UTM Parameters | Full support + custom | source, medium, campaign, term, content |
| Rule Operators | equals, contains, regex, is empty | None (no categorization rules) |
Ad Network Click ID Detection
Staminads automatically detects click IDs from all major ad networks:
gclid Google Adsfbclid Meta/Facebookttclid TikTokmsclkid Microsoftli_fat_id LinkedIndclid Google DV360
Plausible only detects gclid and msclkid. For Meta, TikTok, or LinkedIn traffic, you'd need to manually add UTM parameters to every campaign.
The Backfill Difference
In Staminads, when you update a traffic rule (e.g., split "social" into "twitter" and "linkedin"), all historical data is recomputed with the new categorization. Plausible has no traffic rules — channels are hardcoded, and you can't recategorize your data.
Real-time Data Exploration
Both offer real-time dashboards, but with different refresh rates and capabilities.
Real-time Capabilities
| Feature | Staminads | Plausible |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time Dashboard | ||
| Data Refresh Rate | <1 second | Near real-time |
| Current Visitors | Instant | Last 5 minutes |
| Query Performance | Fast (ClickHouse) | Fast (ClickHouse) |
| Data Sampling | Never (full dataset) | Never |
| Historical Query Speed | Sub-second for any range | Sub-second for any range |
ClickHouse Under the Hood
Both Staminads and Plausible use ClickHouse, purpose-built for analytics queries at scale. Both can query billions of events in milliseconds with no data sampling. Performance is comparable.
Deep Data Exploration
Staminads offers a filterable dashboard plus a Custom Explore for deep data analysis. Drill down by any dimension — source, campaign, country, device, or custom dimensions. Plausible uses a single-page dashboard optimized for simplicity.
Engagement Metrics
This is a key differentiator. Staminads uses median values for engagement metrics. Plausible uses averages, which are easily skewed by outliers.
Engagement Metrics Comparison
| Feature | Staminads | Plausible |
|---|---|---|
| Session Duration Calculation | Median (TimeScore) | Average (skewed by outliers) |
| Single-page Session Duration | Measured via focus tracking | Measured via focus tracking |
| Scroll Depth | 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% thresholds | 1-100% continuous (built-in) |
| Time on Page | Median with focus tracking | Average with focus tracking |
| Bounce Rate | Configurable time threshold (default 10s) | Single page view without events |
| Engagement Score | TimeScore (composite median) | No composite metric |
Why Median Matters
Plausible's average can be misleading. Staminads' median shows you typical user behavior.
Both Track Engagement Time
Both platforms use focus tracking and visibility detection to measure time on page accurately, even for single-page sessions. The key difference is how they report it: Staminads uses median (resistant to outliers), Plausible uses average (skewed by tabs left open).
Goals & Conversions
Both platforms support goal and conversion tracking. Staminads provides a dedicated goals dashboard with KPI summaries, time-series charts, and breakdown widgets.
Goals & Conversions Features
| Feature | Staminads | Plausible |
|---|---|---|
| Goals Dashboard | Dedicated view with KPIs & charts | Goals within main dashboard |
| Conversion Tracking | ||
| Revenue Tracking | Yes (with median value) | Yes (Business plan) |
| Funnel Analysis | Coming soon | Yes (browser-centric, 24h limit) |
| Goal Breakdowns | By any dimension | By any dimension |
| Event Properties | 10 custom dimensions | 30 custom properties |
Find Your Winning Dimensions
Staminads' goals dashboard reveals which traffic sources, campaigns, and dimensions drive the most conversions. Identify winners by any dimension — source, campaign, country, device, or custom dimensions — all in one view.
Multi-tenant & Enterprise
Staminads offers unlimited sites with self-hosting. Plausible tiers site limits by plan.
Enterprise Features
| Feature | Staminads | Plausible |
|---|---|---|
| Sites Included | Unlimited (self-hosted) | Unlimited (self-hosted) or 1-10 (SaaS) |
| Team Members | Unlimited (self-hosted) | Unlimited (self-hosted) or 0-10+ (SaaS) |
| Multi-tenant Architecture | Isolated workspaces | Team-based organization |
| Data Retention | Unlimited (self-hosted) | Unlimited (self-hosted) or 3-5 years (SaaS) |
User Roles & Permissions
User Management
| Feature | Staminads | Plausible |
|---|---|---|
| Role Types | Owner, Admin, Editor, Viewer | Owner, Admin, Editor, Billing, Viewer + Guest roles |
API Access
Both platforms provide full API access when self-hosted.
API Capabilities
| Feature | Staminads | Plausible |
|---|---|---|
| REST API | ||
| API Availability | All installations | All installations |
| Rate Limits | Configurable | Configurable (self-hosted) |
| Raw Data Export | Full access (your database) | Full access (your database) |
| Real-time API |
Pricing
Staminads
Software cost (self-hosted)
+ ClickHouse: Included or managed
- ✓ Unlimited pageviews
- ✓ Unlimited websites
- ✓ Unlimited team members
- ✓ Full API access
- ✓ Unlimited data retention
- ✓ All features included
Plausible
Software cost (self-hosted)
+ ClickHouse: Included or managed
- ✓ Unlimited pageviews
- ✓ Unlimited websites
- ✓ Unlimited team members
- ✓ Full API access
- ✓ Unlimited data retention
- ✓ All features included
Both Are Free to Self-Host
Both platforms are open source and free to self-host with full features. Infrastructure costs are similar. The choice comes down to feature differences: Staminads is built for pro marketers with median metrics, advanced traffic categorization with backfill, and ad network detection. Plausible offers simplicity and funnels.
Open Source
Open Source Comparison
| Feature | Staminads | Plausible |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Yes (AGPL-3.0) | Yes (AGPL-3.0) |
| Source Code | Full access on GitHub | Full access on GitHub |
| Self-hosting | Docker | Docker |
| Technology Stack | Typescript + ClickHouse | Elixir/Phoenix + ClickHouse |
| Community | Growing | Established (24K+ GitHub stars) |
Unique Plausible Features
Plausible has some features that Staminads doesn't currently offer.
Features Unique to Plausible
Integrations
- • Google Search Console (shows search terms)
- • Email reports (scheduled)
- • Slack notifications
- • Looker Studio connector (Business+)
- • WooCommerce/Shopify plugins
Analysis Features
- • Funnel analysis (browser-centric, 24h limit)
- • GA4 import wizard
- • CSV data import
- • Public dashboard sharing with password
When Plausible Might Be Better
If you prefer a simpler dashboard or want to see Google Search Console search terms, Plausible is a solid choice.
When to Choose Each Platform
Choose Staminads
Staminads is the better choice if you want to:
- Detect winning dimensions that drive engaged traffic
- Use median metrics (not misleading averages)
- Advanced traffic categorization to map your marketing mix
- Backfill historical data when rules change
- Auto-detect all ad networks (Google, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn)
- Explore data deeply with Custom Explore
Choose Plausible
Plausible might be better if you:
- Want a managed SaaS with support
- Want Google Search Console search terms
- Prefer the simplest possible dashboard
- Want email/Slack reports built-in
- Don't need advanced traffic categorization
- Don't need advanced data exploration
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Plausible's fingerprinting really GDPR compliant?
It's legally contested. Plausible hashes IP + User-Agent with a daily rotating salt to count unique visitors. They have a legal opinion from a German lawyer supporting their approach. However, the EDPB Guidelines 2/2023 explicitly include fingerprinting within the scope of Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive, which requires consent. Under GDPR, hashing is pseudonymization (not anonymization), and IP addresses are personal data. If you need to eliminate any legal gray area, Staminads' session-only approach avoids fingerprinting entirely.
Can I migrate from Plausible to Staminads?
Yes. Both platforms track similar core metrics. Install the Staminads script and start collecting data immediately. Historical data from Plausible can be exported as CSV, though Staminads' different metric calculations (median vs average) mean the numbers may not be directly comparable.
Why does Staminads use median instead of average?
Averages are easily skewed by outliers. If one user leaves a tab open for an hour, Plausible's average session duration spikes. Staminads' median shows you what a typical user actually does — much more actionable for optimization.
Both are open source — what's the difference?
Both use AGPL-3.0 and can be self-hosted with full features. The key differences are in approach: Staminads is built for pro marketers with median metrics and advanced traffic categorization with backfill. Plausible uses average metrics and predefined channels.
What about script size and performance?
Plausible's script is slightly smaller (~1KB vs ~2KB gzipped). Both are dramatically smaller than Google Analytics (~45KB). The difference is negligible for most sites — both load in milliseconds and have minimal performance impact.
Which is better for agencies or multi-tenant use?
Both offer unlimited sites when self-hosted. Staminads provides isolated workspaces with advanced traffic categorization and backfill — built for agencies and pro marketers who need to recategorize historical data across client sites.
Ready to find your winning dimensions?
Both Staminads and Plausible are privacy-first and open source. Choose Staminads to detect which traffic sources, campaigns, and dimensions drive the most engaged visitors.