Matomo – a privacy-friendly alternative to Google Analytics

More and more organizations are looking for alternatives to Google Analytics. The reason is often a combination of increased privacy requirements, stricter legislation and a desire to have more control over their data.

One tool that has received much attention in this context is Matomo. But what exactly is Matomo, and why do so many organizations choose it?

What is Matomo?

Matomo is a web analytics platform that helps you understand how visitors use your website. For example, you can see how many people visit your site, which pages are most popular, and how users find their way to your site.

Unlike many other analytical tools, Matomo can be installed on your own servers. This means that the organization itself owns and controls all data collected.

Matomo is also open source and has been developed with a clear focus on integrity and transparency.

Image source

Why do organizations choose Matomo?

More control over data

One of the biggest reasons why organizations choose Matomo is the data control. When the tool is installed on its own servers, all data is stored within the organization’s own infrastructure.

This means that:

no data is shared with third parties

the organization fully owns its data

it becomes easier to meet internal security requirements

For governments and organizations with high data security requirements, this is often crucial.

Privacy focus and GDPR

Matomo is designed to be used in a way that respects users’ privacy. Among other things, the platform offers features for:

anonymization of IP addresses

control over cookies

data retention in the EU

configuration for cookie-free tracking

This makes the tool particularly interesting for organizations that are actively working to comply with General Data Protection Regulation.

Powerful analysis

Despite its privacy focus, Matomo offers many of the features found in larger analytics platforms. Among other things, you can:

track traffic and page views

analyze user behavior

measuring conversions and targets

track campaigns

analyze e-commerce

There are also extensions for functions such as heatmaps, session recordings and A/B testing.

Matomo vs Google Analytics

Both Matomo and Google Analytics are powerful tools for web analytics, but they differ in some important ways.

Google Analytics is a cloud service where data is stored at Google. This means that organizations need to relate to how Google handles the data.

Matomo, on the other hand, can be installed on your own servers, giving your organization full control over how data is collected, stored and used.

The difference means that many organizations in Europe see Matomo as a more privacy-friendly alternative.

When is Matomo a good choice?

Matomo is particularly suitable for organizations such as:

want full control over their data

have high standards of privacy and GDPR compliance

prefer open-source solutions

want to avoid sending user data to external platforms

At the same time, Google Analytics can still be attractive to organizations that prioritize advanced automation, AI-based insights, or a large ecosystem of integrations.

Executive summary

Matomo is a powerful web analytics tool that combines functionality with a strong focus on privacy and data control. For organizations that want to analyze their web traffic without compromising user privacy, Matomo can be a very interesting option.

As data protection and transparency become increasingly important, we will also see more organizations evaluating tools like Matomo as a complement or alternative to traditional analytics platforms.