Simple Analytics vs W3Counter (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Simple Analytics grades higher than W3Counter: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Simple Analytics grades higher on the free plan, ease of use and platforms. W3Counter grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Simple Analytics
Cookieless web analytics hosted in the EU
W3Counter
Website analytics with live visitor tracking and hit counters
Which one is for you
Pick Simple Analytics if
- Fits if you want a single page of traffic numbers with no cookie banner
- Works for someone leaving GA4 who wants to run both side by side
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to follow individual visitors, as it records pageviews with no visitor IDs
- Tight if you stay free: 1 month of history and a badge shown on your site
- Pricey if you add team members, at $20 a month each
- Watch out: bills from $500 paid by bank transfer carry an extra 10% in fees
Pick W3Counter if
- Fits if you run one small site and want a live visitor view
- Works for people who still want a hit counter on the page
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you track several sites, as the free plan covers 1
- Tight if you need history, as free keeps 30 days and Plus 6 months
- Watch out: email reports and conversion tracking need Plus or Pro
- Not for you if your site gets 1 million page views a month or more
- Skip it if you want mobile or desktop apps, as it is web only
How we grade them
| 2.6GPASimple AnalyticsGood | 2.2GPAW3CounterFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$20 a month for up to 100k pageviews, with extra users $20 a month each. That's just above the analytics cheaper quarter of $16.58. | BPlus is $149 a year for 3 sites, about $12 a month, just inside the cheaper quarter of analytics tools. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree plan: 1 user, 5 websites and unlimited pageviews under fair use. It keeps 1 month of history and requires a badge. There's also a 14-day trial with no card. | CA free plan for 1 website, but only 30 days of visitor history. |
| Features | CCookie-free pageviews and events, one-page dashboard, API and BI access, Google Analytics import and EU hosting. It does that job fully, but it doesn't follow individual users. | CLive activity, a live map, traffic reports and hit counters cover the basics, with no replay or heatmaps. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You paste in a script and read one page, with nothing to build. | CA tracking snippet to add to each site, and no store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but it works with WordPress, Webflow, Squarespace, Wix, Ghost, Cloudflare, Netlify and Google Tag Manager, plus an API. | CWeb dashboard only, with no apps or integrations listed. |
| Best for | simple, cookie-free site stats | live visitor stats and hit counters for a small site |
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: Simple Analytics and W3Counter. How we grade
Price against what you get
Simple Analytics starts at $20 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. W3Counter starts at $12.42 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0.
Simple Analytics scores higher, and starts $7.58 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other website and product analytics tools on the chart, 1 scores higher than Simple Analytics for less, and 17 score higher than W3Counter 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
At a glance
| Simple Analytics | W3Counter | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $20 per month for up to 100k pageviews | $149 per year for 3 websites, billed annually ($19 per month billed monthly) |
| Free plan | 1 user, 5 websites and unlimited pageviews under a fair-use policy, with 1 month of history and a badge required. | 1 website, 30 days of visitor history, the analytics dashboard, Live Activity and Live Map. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of all features, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Simple Analytics B.V. | Awio Web Services LLC |
| Price read from | simpleanalytics.com | w3counter.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Simple Analytics
- The free plan keeps only the latest month of data and requires a Simple Analytics badge on the site.
- The price follows pageviews, and the paid plan includes one user; extra users are $20 a month each.
- Bills from $500 can be paid by bank transfer, with an extra 10% in banking and service fees.
- It records pageviews and events without visitor IDs, so it does not follow individual users across visits.
W3Counter
- Only available for websites receiving fewer than 1 million page views per month.
- The Free plan covers 1 website and keeps 30 days of visitor history; Plus keeps 6 months and Pro 12 months.
- Email reports and conversion tracking need Plus or Pro.
- Web dashboard only, with no mobile or desktop apps listed.
Key features
Simple Analytics
- No cookies, no personal data
- The service says it sets no cookies, collects no personal data and creates no visitor IDs, so it does not need a consent banner.
- One-page dashboard
- Traffic is shown on a single dashboard that needs no configuration, with a public live dashboard available to view as an example.
- Run beside GA4
- Can run next to Google Analytics 4 to record pageviews and events from visitors who reject consent, so the two datasets can be compared.
- API and BI access
- A full API and exports let teams pull the data into their existing reporting tools. An MCP server and an AI assistant are also listed.
- Google Analytics import
- Historical Google Analytics data can be imported so reporting does not restart from zero after a switch.
- EU hosting
- Data is stored in the EU, with primary infrastructure in the Netherlands, and leaves it only when a customer opts into a feature such as the AI assistant.
W3Counter
- Live Activity
- Visits appear as they arrive, and each one can be opened to see the referral source and the path through your pages. Included on every plan.
- Live Map
- New visits show up on a world map at approximate locations. Included on every plan.
- Traffic reports
- Referral sources, search traffic, campaigns, popular landing pages, locations, devices and browsers.
- Conversion tracking
- An optional conversion code records signups, sales or other goals you define. Available on Plus and Pro.
- Email reports
- Daily, weekly or monthly summaries of visits, page views and conversions, with top referrers and pages. Available on Plus and Pro.
- Hit counters
- Classic visitor counter badges in dozens of retro designs that you can color and place on a page.
Plans
Simple Analytics
Free$0
For hobby sites: 1 user, 5 websites, the latest month of data and a required Simple Analytics badge.
Self-serve$20
per month for up to 100k pageviews
Price follows pageviews, up to 2.5M on the slider. Includes 1 user; each extra user is $20 a month. Annual billing shows 2 months free.
EnterpriseCustom
Quoted for your traffic, sites, data access and support needs; tied to a 30-day proof of concept run alongside GA4.
W3Counter
Free$0
1 website with 30 days of visitor history, the analytics dashboard, Live Activity and Live Map.
Plus$149
per year for 3 websites, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)
6 months of visitor history, the Active Now dashboard, email reports and conversion tracking.
Pro$399
per year for 10 websites, billed annually ($49 billed monthly)
12 months of visitor history, plus the Active Now dashboard, email reports and conversion tracking.
Ways to pay less
Simple Analytics
- Annual discount
2 months free on annual billing
The pricing page shows an annual payment option labelled 2 months free; the yearly total depends on the pageview limit you pick.
W3Counter
- Annual discount
Annual billing saves $79 to $189 a year
The pricing section states that annual billing saves $79 a year on Plus ($149 against $19 a month) and $189 a year on Pro ($399 against $49 a month).
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Simple Analytics or W3Counter?
As of Nov 13, 2026, W3Counter is cheaper to start with: $12.42 a month when paid by the year, against $20 a month for Simple Analytics. Simple Analytics starts at $20 per month for up to 100k pageviews, and W3Counter starts at $149 per year for 3 websites, billed annually ($19 per month billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Simple Analytics or W3Counter?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Simple Analytics and W3Counter 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.