Article

Google Analytics alternatives 2026: privacy-friendly web analytics for SMEs

Which analytics tools are GDPR-compliant without a cookie banner? Comparison of Plausible, Matomo, Pirsch and GA4 for Dutch SME business owners.

Written by Loek Delahaye, founder, Delahaye Solutions · ex-CTO with 10+ years in software and AIUpdated: 27 June 2026

Short answer

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) processes personal data (IP addresses, user IDs, behavioural data) and sends it to Google servers in the US. Under Dutch Telecommunications Act Article 11.7 and the GDPR, opt-in consent is required; data transfers to the US have been challenged (NOYB complaints led to enforcement in Austria, France and Italy, 2022-2023). Check current guidelines at autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl.
Cookieless alternatives such as Plausible Analytics (EU, Estonia) and Pirsch Analytics (Germany) do not process personal data and store no cookies. As a result, cookie opt-in is generally not required, because Article 11.7 of the Dutch Telecommunications Act only applies to cookies and similar technologies that process personal data. Always verify this with your privacy lawyer.
Matomo can be self-hosted on an EU server: data never leaves your own infrastructure. The cloud version is EU-hosted. Matomo offers deeper segmentation than Plausible, comparable to GA4, but still requires consent when using cookies or fingerprinting.

Why are SMEs looking for alternatives to Google Analytics?

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the world's most widely used web analytics tool, but for Dutch and European SMEs it carries GDPR risks. GA4 sends personal data (IP address, cookie ID, behavioural data) to Google servers in the United States. Under Dutch Telecommunications Act Article 11.7, opt-in consent is required for non-functional cookies; the GDPR requires a processing ground and data transfer agreements for transfers outside the EU. NOYB complaints led in 2022-2023 to enforcement decisions in Austria (DSB), France (CNIL) and Italy (Garante) that the use of GA without additional measures violates the GDPR. This article compares the main privacy-friendly alternatives for SMEs that want accurate visitor statistics without legal risk.

GA4 and GDPR

Why Google Analytics is a GDPR risk for Dutch businesses

Google Analytics 4 processes personal data at multiple levels: IP addresses (even after partial anonymisation, whether the remainder qualifies as personal data is debated), cookie IDs (_ga, _ga_xxx), user IDs and device fingerprints. Under GDPR Article 4(1), these are personal data if they are traceable to an individual. Data transfer to the US falls under GDPR Chapter V (Art. 44-49): the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (2023) is in force, but could be challenged again (Schrems III risk). Under Dutch Telecommunications Act Article 11.7, consent is required for non-functional cookies; Google's Consent Mode v2 is a technical solution but does not exempt you from the legal obligation to obtain consent before loading GA. For SMEs without dedicated privacy counsel, a cookieless tool with EU data storage is the simplest compliance route. Current guidelines: autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl.

Plausible Analytics

Plausible Analytics: cookieless, EU-hosted, no consent required

Plausible Analytics is an open-source web analytics tool based in Estonia (EU). Plausible uses no cookies, stores no personal identifiers and aggregates statistics entirely server-side. IP addresses are not stored: they are used to estimate unique visitors via a hash that resets daily. Because Plausible places or reads no cookies and processes no personal data as defined in GDPR Article 4(1), cookie opt-in under Dutch Telecommunications Act Article 11.7 is generally not required. Plausible provides real-time pageviews, traffic sources, bounce rate, geographic data and conversion goals. Disadvantages compared to GA4: no individual-level user segmentation, no advertising integration, no server-side e-commerce funnels. Price: indicatively from approximately €9/month for 10,000 pageviews; check current rates at plausible.io. Data is stored on EU servers (Hetzner, Germany).

Matomo Analytics

Matomo: self-hosted or EU cloud with GA4 depth and full data ownership

Matomo (formerly Piwik) is an open-source analytics platform that can be fully self-hosted on your own EU server, so no data ever leaves your own infrastructure. The self-hosted version is free; VPS hosting costs indicatively €5-20/month depending on traffic (check your hosting provider). Matomo Cloud is EU-hosted (Frankfurt) and costs indicatively from €19/month; check current rates at matomo.org. Matomo offers comparable depth to GA4: segmentation, funnel analysis, heatmaps (extra module), A/B testing and e-commerce tracking. With cookieless tracking (no JavaScript cookie, IP hash method) no opt-in is required; when using cookies or fingerprinting the Dutch Telecommunications Act consent obligation applies. Matomo is GDPR-compliant: the processor (Matomo Cloud) offers a data processing agreement (GDPR Art. 28 DPA); self-hosting eliminates the external processor entirely. Disadvantage: requires more technical management than GA4 or Plausible.

Comparison table and decision model

GA4 vs Plausible vs Matomo vs Pirsch: which tool suits your SME?

Pirsch Analytics is a German alternative (Karlsruhe, DE) that is cookieless and GDPR-compliant, similar to Plausible but with slightly more extensive segmentation. Price indicatively from approximately €5/month; check pirsch.io. Decision model for Dutch SMEs: (1) Running Google Ads? Then GA4 with Consent Mode v2 is most pragmatic; ensure a compliant cookie banner. (2) No advertising budget and want no cookie banner? Choose Plausible or Pirsch: cookieless, EU-hosted, no opt-in required. (3) Want GA4 depth (segmentation, funnels, e-commerce) but EU data and full control? Choose Matomo self-hosted on a Dutch or German VPS. (4) Larger organisation with compliance requirements? Matomo Cloud with DPA, or GA4 with legal review of your data transfer agreements. All external tools require a data processing agreement (GDPR Art. 28 DPA); self-hosted Matomo eliminates the external processor.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about Google Analytics alternatives

Can I still use Google Analytics 4 without a cookie banner?

No. Google Analytics 4 sets cookies (_ga, _ga_xxx) and processes personal data such as IP addresses and behavioural data. Under Dutch Telecommunications Act Article 11.7, opt-in consent is required for non-functional cookies. Without a cookie banner and consent you are in breach of the Telecommunications Act. Check current guidelines at autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl. A cookieless tool like Plausible or Pirsch makes a cookie banner unnecessary.

Is Plausible Analytics truly GDPR-compliant without opt-in?

Plausible does not process personal data and stores no cookies: IP addresses are not retained; visitors are tracked in aggregate via a daily-reset hash. Because no cookies are placed or read, the consent obligation of Dutch Telecommunications Act Art. 11.7 does not apply. Whether no processing ground under GDPR Art. 6 is needed depends on whether personal data are processed at all. Consult a privacy lawyer for certainty. Plausible is based in the EU (Estonia).

What is the difference between Matomo self-hosted and Matomo Cloud?

Self-hosted Matomo runs on your own server (or an EU VPS); all data stays within your own infrastructure and you have no external data processor. Self-hosted Matomo is free (open source); you only pay hosting costs. Matomo Cloud is a managed SaaS service, EU-hosted in Frankfurt; you sign a data processing agreement (GDPR Art. 28 DPA) with Matomo. Cloud costs indicatively from €19/month; check matomo.org for current rates. For SMEs without in-house DevOps, Cloud is easier; for maximum data control choose self-hosted.

What is Google Consent Mode v2 and does it resolve GDPR issues?

Google Consent Mode v2 is an API that tells GA4 and Google Ads whether a visitor has given consent. Without consent, GA4 does not set cookies and limits data collection; Google uses 'modelling' to estimate missing data. Consent Mode v2 is a technical way to use GA4 in a GDPR-compliant manner, but it does not exempt you from the obligation to obtain consent. You still need a compliant cookie banner. It also does not resolve the data transfer risk to the US; check autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl for current guidance.

Which analytics tool do you recommend for an SME webshop?

For a webshop running Google Ads or Meta Ads, GA4 with Consent Mode v2 and a compliant cookie banner is the most pragmatic choice: the advertising integrations are irreplaceable. For a webshop without an advertising budget that wants e-commerce tracking without a cookie banner, self-hosted Matomo offers the best combination: depth comparable to GA4, full data ownership, EU data, and cookieless mode available. Plausible is ideal for informational websites and blogs without advertising integration needs.

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