Rybbit vs. Umami
Compare the key features of Rybbit and Umami.
Why choose Rybbit over Umami?
 | Umami | |
|---|---|---|
| Core Analytics Features | ||
| Simple dashboard | ||
| Real-time data | ||
| Visitor analytics | ||
| Page analytics | ||
| Source tracking | ||
| Device/OS/Browser stats | ||
| UTM tracking | ||
| Custom events | With attributes | With properties |
| Conversion goals | ||
| Advanced Features | ||
| Session Replay | ||
| Funnels | ||
| User journeys (Sankey) | ||
| User profiles | ||
| Sessions tracking | ||
| Real-time globe view | ||
| Web Vitals dashboard | ||
| Error tracking | ||
| Retention reports | ||
| Privacy & Open Source | ||
| Cookie-free tracking | ||
| GDPR/CCPA compliant | ||
| No personal data collection | ||
| IP anonymization | ||
| Daily rotating salt option | ||
| Open source | ||
| Self-hostable | ||
| User Experience | ||
| No training required | ||
| Public dashboards | ||
| Live demo | ||
| Team collaboration | ||
| Performance & Technical | ||
| Real-time updates | ||
| API access | ||
| Self-hosted DB options | ClickHouse | PostgreSQL/MySQL |
| Cloud DB options | ClickHouse | ClickHouse |
| Bot filtering | ||
| Bypasses ad blockers | ||
| Data & Infrastructure | ||
| Data retention | 2-5+ years | Limited |
| Team collaboration | ||
| Organization support | ||
| Multiple websites | ||
| Cloud hosting option | ||
| Pricing & Support | ||
| Entry price | $19/mo | $20/mo |
| Pricing model | Events-based | Usage-based + $20/mo |
Understanding the Key Differences
More Than Just a Lightweight Alternative
Umami has earned respect as one of the lightest analytics scripts available at under 2KB. It's a testament to minimalism and efficiency. Rybbit takes a different approach: while our script is larger at 18KB, it's because we've packed in powerful features like session replay, error tracking, and advanced user analytics. Think of it this way: Umami is a bicycle - efficient, simple, gets you there. Rybbit is an electric bike - still easy to use, but with power assistance when you need to go further, faster, and with more insight into your journey.
Privacy-First, Open Source Brothers
Both Rybbit and Umami share the same DNA: privacy-focused, cookie-free, GDPR-compliant analytics that respect user privacy. We're both open source, both self-hostable, and neither of us will ever sell your data. Umami uses PostgreSQL or MySQL for data storage, while we use ClickHouse for massive scalability. The privacy community wins either way. The difference is that Rybbit goes further with features like daily rotating salt for enhanced anonymization, while still maintaining the privacy principles we both stand for.
Session Replay: The Game Changer
Umami tells you what happened. Rybbit shows you exactly how it happened. Our session replay feature is the critical difference - watch real users navigate your site, identify confusion points, spot bugs as they happen, and understand why users drop off. See rage clicks, form abandonment, and user frustration in real-time. Umami deliberately avoids this to maintain simplicity, but we believe you can have both privacy and deep insights. Session replay transforms analytics from numbers into understanding, from metrics into actionable improvements.
Beyond Basic Analytics
While Umami recently added funnels and journey reports, Rybbit goes several steps further. We offer comprehensive user profiles showing complete session history, real-time error tracking to catch JavaScript issues instantly, Web Vitals monitoring for performance optimization, and a stunning real-time globe visualization. Umami focuses on being a simple Google Analytics alternative. Rybbit aims to be a complete analytics platform that replaces multiple tools - combining the simplicity of Umami, the power of Mixpanel, the debugging capability of LogRocket, and the performance monitoring of web vitals tools.
Data Retention and Scale
One of Umami's acknowledged limitations is data retention - they openly state having limited retention capabilities. Rybbit offers 2-5+ years of data retention depending on your plan, powered by ClickHouse, the same database that handles billions of events at Cloudflare. While Umami works great for small to medium sites, our infrastructure is built for scale from day one. Whether you're tracking thousands or millions of events, Rybbit maintains sub-second query performance. This isn't just about handling more data - it's about being able to analyze historical trends, year-over-year comparisons, and long-term user behavior patterns.
Self-Hosting vs Managed Service
Umami shines as a self-hosted solution - it's completely free when you host it yourself, making it perfect for developers comfortable managing their own infrastructure. Their cloud offering is relatively new and limited. Rybbit offers both robust self-hosting options and a mature managed cloud service with a generous free tier of 10,000 events. We handle the infrastructure, updates, scaling, and maintenance so you can focus on understanding your users. For teams that want the benefits of self-hosting without the operational overhead, Rybbit provides the best of both worlds.
Built for Different Needs
Umami is perfect if you want a free, ultra-lightweight, self-hosted alternative to Google Analytics for basic web analytics. It does that job admirably. Rybbit is built for teams that need more: product analytics, user behavior insights, conversion optimization, debugging tools, and performance monitoring. If you're running a blog or content site and just need visitor counts, Umami might be enough. If you're building a SaaS product, e-commerce platform, or any application where understanding user behavior deeply matters, Rybbit provides the tools you need without the complexity of enterprise analytics platforms.
The Complete Picture
Choosing between Umami and Rybbit isn't about which is "better" - it's about what you need. Umami is excellent for basic analytics with minimal overhead. Rybbit is designed for teams that need comprehensive insights without sacrificing simplicity or privacy. Our session replay, error tracking, Web Vitals monitoring, and advanced user analytics aren't just features - they're tools that help you build better products. While Umami keeps things simple, we've proven you can have powerful features and still maintain ease of use. With Rybbit, you're not just counting visitors, you're understanding users.