Ackee vs Open Web Analytics (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Ackee and Open Web Analytics share a 2.0 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Ackee
Self-hosted, cookie-free analytics you run on your own server
Open Web Analytics
Free self-hosted web analytics framework with heatmaps
Which one is for you
Pick Ackee if
- Fits if you already run a server and want analytics without cookies
- Works for developers who want the data on their own machine
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want someone else to host it: there's no hosted version
- Too light for marketing teams, with few charts and filters
- Watch out: no paid support plan is listed
- Skip it if you don't want to run updates yourself
Pick Open Web Analytics if
- Fits if you can host PHP and want analytics you control
- Works for people with several sites on one install
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server and database
- Not for you if you need paid support, as it's only a wiki and GitHub
- Watch out: WordPress needs a separate plugin and other PHP apps use the SDK
- Tight if you want funnels, since none are listed
- Watch out: the site gives no company details or founding year
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAAckeeFair | 2.0GPAOpen Web AnalyticsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree software, but only free if you host it yourself, and the ladder puts that at the middle. The server bill is yours. | CFree under GPLv2, but you supply the server and database, which puts it at a C. |
| Free plan and trial | BNo fees at all and no caps, but you need your own server. | BNo paid edition and no limits listed, but nothing runs until you've hosted it. |
| Features | CViews, referrers, durations, several domains and a GraphQL API. It does that job fully, a smaller job than most analytics tools. | CVisitor and page tracking, heatmaps, session recordings and a REST API. No funnels or goals are listed. |
| Ease of use | DDocker or manual install on your own server, and you run the updates. No store rating. | DYou install the server, database and upgrades yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA web dashboard with a GraphQL API. No integrations named. | CWeb only, with a WordPress plugin and a PHP SDK. |
| Best for | cookie-free analytics you host yourself | self-hosted analytics with heatmaps |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Ackee and Open Web Analytics. How we grade
Price against what you get
Ackee has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Open Web Analytics has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other website and product analytics tools on the chart, none scores higher than Ackee for less, and none scores higher than Open Web Analytics for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Open Web Analytics also covers reports and session replay.
At a glance
| Ackee | Open Web Analytics | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Ackee (electerious) | Open Web Analytics |
| Price read from | ackee.electerious.com | openwebanalytics.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Ackee
- There is no hosted version on the site: you install, host and update Ackee yourself.
- The interface is deliberately minimal, with few charts and filters.
- The website lists no paid support plans.
Open Web Analytics
- It is self-hosted only; there is no hosted service on the pages read, so you manage the server, database and upgrades.
- WordPress needs a separate OWA integration plugin, and other PHP apps use the PHP SDK.
- Support is through the documentation wiki and the GitHub repository; no paid support is listed.
- The site publishes no founding year or company details; the project is run on GitHub.
Key features
Ackee
- Multiple domains
- The vendor says there is no limit on the number of domains or apps you can analyze from one installation.
- Views, referrers and durations
- Insights cover amount of visits, visit duration, referrers, language, screen dimensions, operating system, browser and device.
- Anonymized tracking
- No cookies and no unique user tracking; a multi-step process anonymizes tracked data.
- GraphQL API
- A central GraphQL API lets you pull data into your own interface or collect it from other services and apps.
- Docker and manual installs
- The Get started guide covers deploying with Docker, Heroku, Netlify or manually.
Open Web Analytics
- Visitor and page tracking
- Tracks visitors, page views, e-commerce transactions and configurable actions using a first-party JavaScript tracker.
- Heatmaps
- Generates click heatmaps for pages, as listed among the server's features on its GitHub page.
- Domstream session recordings
- Records visitor sessions in a feature called Domstream, so a visit can be replayed.
- Many sites, many users
- One OWA server can track an unlimited number of websites and offers a multi-user reporting interface.
- REST API and modules
- A REST API covers administration and data access, and custom modules extend the framework.
- Cookie lifetime options
- Tracker options shorten cookie lifetimes or make them session cookies, for sites that need a shorter retention period.
Plans
Ackee
Self-hosted$0
Open-source software you install and run on your own server; hosting costs are yours.
Open Web Analytics
Open source$0
Free to download and self-host under GPLv2, with no paid edition listed. You supply the server and database.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Ackee or Open Web Analytics?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Ackee and Open Web Analytics are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Ackee or Open Web Analytics?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Ackee and Open Web Analytics have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.