Google Analytics comparisons
Fathom vs Google Analytics: which should you use in 2026?
Updated
Key takeaways: Fathom vs Google Analytics
Pick Fathom if…
- You manage many sites — every Fathom plan includes at least 50.
- You want a dashboard anyone can read and a cookie-free setup without a banner.
- You want to keep your full history for as long as you subscribe.
- You want EU visitors' data anonymized on EU servers before it's stored.
Pick Google Analytics if…
- You need analytics for free.
- You need funnels, custom event properties, audiences or user-level paths — Fathom has none of these.
- Your marketing runs on Google Ads, Looker Studio and BigQuery.
- You need multi-user access with roles today — Fathom says full user accounts are still in progress.
Fathom vs Google Analytics at a glance
Facts from each vendor's public pages, checked October 2026.
| Feature | Fathom | Google Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| Company | FathomCanadian, bootstrapped, since 2018 | Google AnalyticsGoogle (US) |
| Price | Fathom$15/mo (100K pageviews) to $470/mo (25M); 7-day trial, card required | Google AnalyticsFree; Analytics 360 by quote |
| Sites | Fathom50+ on every plan (extra 50 for $10/mo) | Google AnalyticsUp to the account/property limits |
| Cookies / consent | FathomNo cookies; no banner needed (vendor claim) | Google Analytics_ga cookies; consent required in EEA/UK/CH |
| Data handling | FathomEU traffic routed via EU CDN to EU servers, IP stripped; anonymized data stored on US infrastructure | Google AnalyticsEU traffic collected on EU servers, IP not stored, then forwarded |
| Open source | FathomNo (old Fathom Lite is MIT but unmaintained for features) | Google AnalyticsNo |
| Data retention | FathomFull history while subscribed | Google AnalyticsExplorations: 2 or 14 months on standard |
| Events & conversions | FathomEvents with a name and value; no custom properties | Google AnalyticsEvents with up to 25 parameters; key events |
| Funnels | FathomNo | Google AnalyticsFunnel explorations |
| Search Console | FathomIntegration available | Google AnalyticsNative link |
| Learning curve | FathomMinimal | Google AnalyticsSteep |
Fathom vs GA4 for privacy and GDPR
Fathom doesn't use cookies and says it complies with GDPR, ePrivacy, PECR and CCPA without consent banners. Its EU approach is specific: EU visitors are routed through Bunny.net's EU-owned CDN to EU servers, where the IP address is stripped; the resulting anonymized data is then stored on Fathom's US infrastructure. If your policy requires analytics data to stay in the EU at rest, check that detail with your DPO.
GA4 sets two-year _ga cookies and Google requires legally valid consent in the EEA, UK and Switzerland, so EU sites typically run it behind a consent banner and lose the visitors who decline (unless Consent Mode modeling kicks in). GA4 doesn't store EU users' IP addresses and collects their data on EU servers first. Regulators in Austria, France and Italy ruled against Universal Analytics transfers in 2022; the 2023 EU–US Data Privacy Framework now covers transfers, with an appeal pending at the EU Court of Justice.
Fathom vs Google Analytics pricing at three traffic levels
Fathom's cheapest plan covers 100K pageviews; GA4 is free. Monthly prices as of October 2026:
| Monthly traffic | ≤ 100K pageviews/mo | 1M pageviews/mo | 10M pageviews/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fathom | ≤ 100K pageviews/mo: $15 | 1M pageviews/mo: $60 | 10M pageviews/mo: $200 |
| Google Analytics | ≤ 100K pageviews/mo: $0 | 1M pageviews/mo: $0 | 10M pageviews/mo: $0 |
Fathom yearly billing gives two months free; custom events count toward the pageview allowance. All Fathom plans have the same features. Analytics 360 is quote-only.
Setting up Fathom vs Google Analytics
Fathom is one script and has integrations for WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce, Ghost, Webflow, Next.js, Nuxt, GTM, Wix and Squarespace. Events take a line of JavaScript (fathom.trackEvent) and the dashboard is one screen. GA4 setup means Tag Manager or gtag, consent banner and Consent Mode, key events, retention settings and integrations — then learning reports and Explorations.
Who each one is for
Fathom suits freelancers, agencies and businesses with many simple sites who want clean traffic and conversion counts without consent friction. GA4 suits advertisers and analysts who need depth — funnels, audiences, attribution and raw data — and are willing to manage consent.
How to move from GA4 to Fathom
Fathom has a GA4 importer, so you can bring retained GA4 history with you; Universal Analytics data can't be imported because Google deleted it after July 1, 2024. Run both scripts for a few weeks, map your GA4 key events to Fathom events, then remove GA4.
A third option: VisitTrack
Disclosure: VisitTrack publishes this page.
Fathom intentionally skips funnels and custom properties. If you want privacy-first analytics that also has funnels, journeys and revenue attribution from Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, Polar and Razorpay, VisitTrack includes them on every plan from $5/mo, with cookieless or hybrid modes.
Fathom vs Google Analytics: frequently asked questions
Is Fathom Analytics free?
No. Fathom has no free plan; it starts at $15/mo for 100K pageviews with a 7-day trial that requires a card. Standard GA4 is free.
Is Fathom GDPR compliant?
Fathom says it complies with GDPR, ePrivacy and PECR without cookies or consent banners, and it strips EU visitors' IP addresses on EU servers before storing anonymized data in the US.
Does Fathom have funnels?
No, Fathom doesn't document funnels or custom event properties as of October 2026. GA4 has funnel explorations.
Can I import Google Analytics into Fathom?
Yes. Fathom's GA4 importer brings in retained GA4 data; Universal Analytics history can't be imported anymore.
How many sites can I track with Fathom?
Every Fathom plan includes at least 50 sites, with extra packs of 50 for $10/mo or $100/yr. Pageviews are shared across sites.
Why switch from Google Analytics to Fathom?
The usual reasons are dropping the cookie banner, getting a dashboard non-specialists can read, and avoiding GA4's sampling, thresholds and 14-month exploration limit.
Sources and methodology
Prices and features were checked on each vendor's public pages in October 2026. Vendors change plans often — confirm on the official pricing page before you buy. VisitTrack publishes this comparison and competes with some of these tools; we have no affiliate relationship with either vendor.
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See which channels actually bring paying customers
VisitTrack is cookie-free analytics with revenue attribution built in. One script tag, no consent banner, live in two minutes. 14 days free, no card required.