Swetrix vs Pirsch: A Comprehensive Features Comparison

Swetrix and Pirsch are both modern, privacy-focused alternatives to Google Analytics. We both share a common goal: tracking website traffic without compromising user privacy, using cookie-less tracking, and being GDPR-compliant. Both tools originate from Europe and take data privacy seriously.

However, when you look past the surface, there are significant differences in feature depth, open-source philosophy, and the breadth of insights provided.

Here is a detailed comparison to help you decide which tool is right for you.

Why choose Swetrix over Pirsch?

	Swetrix	Pirsch
Core Features
Real-time Analytics
Custom Events
Page views
Live visitors count
UTM Tracking
Device stats (browser, OS, type)
Email Reports
Advanced Features
Performance Monitoring (Web Vitals)
User Flow Analysis
Error Tracking
Alerts / Notifications
Geolocation map visualisation
Funnels
Segments
Multiple Domains per Site
Security & Access
Bot filtering
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Role-based Access Control
Shared Dashboards
Organisations (Teams)
Privacy & Compliance
Cookie-less Tracking
Open Source		(Core only)
Self-hostable		(Enterprise)
EU data residency
Technical specifications
Script size	6 KB	~11 KB
API access
Bypass adblockers
Pricing & Support
Entry price	$19.00	$12.00
Customer support

Key Difference: Full Observability vs. Just Counters

Pirsch is a great tool if you only want to count visitors. But running a modern website requires more than just knowing how many people showed up. You need to know what experience they had.

Swetrix is a full observability platform that includes:

• Performance Monitoring: We track Core Web Vitals (TTFB, LCP, CLS) so you can see if your site is slow for users in specific regions or on specific devices. Pirsch doesn't track performance.
• Error Tracking: We automatically capture JavaScript errors occurring in your users' browsers. If a button is broken for 10% of your users, Swetrix will tell you. Pirsch won't.

With Pirsch, you're flying blind on technical issues. With Swetrix, you get the full picture.

Key Difference: Visualizing User Behavior

Data is useless if you can't visualize it.

• User Flow Diagrams: Swetrix generates visual flow diagrams showing exactly how users navigate through your pages, where they loop back, and where they drop off.
• Geolocation Maps: Swetrix provides an interactive world map to visualize your traffic sources instantly.

Pirsch relies heavily on simple lists and tables. While functional, it lacks the visual depth needed to spot patterns quickly.

Key Difference: Truly Open Source vs. "Open Core"

Swetrix is fully open-source and community-driven. You can host the entire platform yourself, for free, on your own server using our official Docker images. We believe in total transparency and data ownership.

Pirsch claims to be open-source, but their self-hosting option is often gated behind Enterprise plans or is significantly more complex to set up. Their business model leans more towards proprietary SaaS, whereas Swetrix is built with the developer community in mind first.

Conclusion

If you are looking for the absolute cheapest option ($12/mo) and only care about basic "vanity metrics" like pageviews, Pirsch is a fine choice.

However, if you are serious about your website and need a professional tool that helps you improve performance, fix bugs, and understand user journeys - all while remaining 100% open-source - Swetrix is the better investment.