Tidemark and the alternatives.
All of these are good tools. The real difference is where they run and how much you want to operate. Here is the honest version.
| Feature | Tidemark | Plausible | Umami | Matomo | Fathom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hosted version | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Self-host | Yes, MIT | Yes (Community Edition) | Yes, MIT | Yes, GPL | No |
| Self-hosting needs | PHP 8.3+ and a database. Works on shared hosting | Docker, Postgres and ClickHouse | Node.js and a database | PHP and MySQL/MariaDB. Works on shared hosting | — |
| Cookie-free by default | Yes | Yes | Yes | Configurable | Yes |
| Plausible-style tracking script and API | Yes | Native | No | No | No |
| Product scope | Web analytics, one page | Web analytics, one page | Analytics, journeys, retention, replay | Full analytics suite | Web analytics |
| Hosted price | Free tier, then $7/mo | From $9/mo | Free tier, paid plans | Paid plans | From about $15/mo |
Based on public information from each project. Products and prices change, so check their pages before you decide, and tell us if something here is out of date.
Choose Tidemark if
You want hosted analytics with a real free plan. One flat paid plan at $7 a month, and the freedom to leave with your data.
You already pay for PHP hosting. Run it there, without Node, Docker or a database cluster.
You want one calm dashboard. The script is about 2 KB gzipped.
You already use Plausible’s script or API. Point it somewhere you control.
Choose something else if
You want the most established managed service. Plausible and Fathom are mature, hosted and well run, and have been for years. Tidemark Cloud is newer.
You need funnels, retention, session replay or revenue reports. Umami and Matomo go much further than Tidemark does.
You need to import years of history. Tidemark can’t import from other tools yet.
Clear water. Honest numbers.
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