StatCounter vs W3Counter (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, StatCounter grades higher than W3Counter: 2.8 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
StatCounter grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
StatCounter
Web traffic stats with a live visitor feed and session replay
W3Counter
Website analytics with live visitor tracking and hit counters
Which one is for you
Pick StatCounter if
- Fits if you want to watch individual visits as they happen
- Works for small sites under 20,000 sessions a month
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, with 5,000 sessions and 14 days of data
- Watch out: session replay is billed separately from €9 a month
- Watch out: heatmaps and UTM tracking need Premium Plus at €19
- Pricey if your traffic grows, since 100,000 sessions is €29 or €45
- Watch out: the prices read were in euros, with no confirmed dollar price
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
| 2.8GPAStatCounterGood | 2.2GPAW3CounterFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPremium is €9 a month for 20,000 sessions, near $10, inside the $13 where the cheaper quarter ends. | BPlus is $149 a year for 3 sites, about $12 a month, just inside the cheaper quarter of analytics tools. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree forever, but 5,000 sessions a month and 14 days of data are caps you'll reach. The 30-day trial needs no card. | CA free plan for 1 website, but only 30 days of visitor history. |
| Features | BSessions, a live feed, conversions, replay, heatmaps and UTM tracking. Replay and heatmaps cost more. | CLive activity, a live map, traffic reports and hit counters cover the basics, with no replay or heatmaps. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating read. A tracking code to add and reports to learn. | CA tracking snippet to add to each site, and no store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, iPhone, Android and Windows apps, an API, and WordPress, Squarespace and Google Ads links. | CWeb dashboard only, with no apps or integrations listed. |
| Best for | simple traffic stats with a live visitor feed | 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: StatCounter and W3Counter. How we grade
Price against what you get
StatCounter starts at about $10.05 a month and scores 3.0 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.
StatCounter scores higher and starts $2.37 a month lower. Of the other website and product analytics tools on the chart, none scores higher than StatCounter 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
- StatCounter also covers session replay.
At a glance
| StatCounter | W3Counter | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | €9 per month for up to 20,000 sessions (€97 billed yearly) | $149 per year for 3 websites, billed annually ($19 per month billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Basic plan, free forever: 5,000 sessions per month, 14 days of data retention, trend charts, a reports dashboard and a real-time visitor feed. | 1 website, 30 days of visitor history, the analytics dashboard, Live Activity and Live Map. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of all features, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Statcounter | Awio Web Services LLC |
| Price read from | statcounter.com | w3counter.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
StatCounter
- The pricing page displayed euro prices when read from India; a US dollar list price was not confirmed.
- The free Basic plan stops at 5,000 sessions a month and keeps data for only 14 days.
- Session replay is billed separately: €9 a month for 1,000 recordings, €19 for 10,000, €29 for 50,000.
- Heatmaps and UTM campaign tracking need Premium Plus, the higher-priced tier.
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
StatCounter
- Live visitor feed
- A real-time list of visitors as they arrive, with location, device, navigation path and visit history for each one.
- Session replay
- Plays back a recording of each visitor's session. Basic includes none; recordings are an add-on from 1,000 per month on every plan.
- Heatmaps
- Interactive heatmaps show which parts of a page get attention and where visitors click on elements that are not links. Premium Plus only.
- Conversion and paid traffic analysis
- Premium tracks a landing page conversion rate and looks for repeat paid clicks from the same visitor, to help spot click fraud.
- Visitor labels and alerts
- Attach notes or customer IDs to a visitor and get an email or mobile alert when that visitor returns. Premium and above.
- Mobile apps and API
- iOS, Android and Windows apps are linked from the site, and the Premium plan adds API access for custom reports and scripts.
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
StatCounter
Basic€0
per month for up to 5,000 sessions
Trend charts, reports dashboard, real-time visitor feed and basic email reports. 14 days of data retention.
Premium€9
per month for up to 20,000 sessions (€97 billed yearly)
Adds landing page analysis, conversion tracking, CSV export, API access, live chat support and 3 years of data. €29 a month at 100,000 sessions.
Premium Plus€19
per month for up to 20,000 sessions (€205 billed yearly)
Adds heatmaps, Google Ads integration and UTM campaign tracking, with 5 years of data. €45 a month at 100,000 sessions.
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
StatCounter
- Annual discount
Save 10% with yearly billing
The pricing page says paying yearly saves 10%: Premium at 20,000 sessions is €97 a year against €9 a month.
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, StatCounter or W3Counter?
As of Nov 13, 2026, StatCounter is cheaper to start with: about $10.05 a month, against $12.42 a month when paid by the year for W3Counter. StatCounter starts at €9 per month for up to 20,000 sessions (€97 billed yearly), and W3Counter starts at $149 per year for 3 websites, billed annually ($19 per month billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, StatCounter or W3Counter?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both StatCounter and W3Counter have a free plan.
Which platforms do StatCounter and W3Counter run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only StatCounter lists Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.