The Counter.dev Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Counter.dev in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Counter.dev
The Insider’s Guide
Free, open-source, cookie-free web analytics for small sites
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among website and product analytics tools, read from Counter.dev’s own pages.
Made by Counter.dev · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Counter.dev’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Counter.dev’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 32 of the 58 other website and product analytics tools we grade
Counter.dev is a web analytics service that counts unique visitors per day and shows referrals, without cookies, server logging or IP address fingerprinting. The service is free to use, and its source code is published under the AGPL-v3 license.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Counter.dev, taken from its own pages and our grades.
There's no pricing page or plan limits, only a line that you can pay whenever you want.
- 1
Best for bare-bones visitor counts, free
Counter.dev is free, open-source analytics with no cookies, and it shows unique visitors per day and referrals.
- 2
It is free
Counter.dev has no paid plan at all.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Unique visitors per day
Metrics are based on the number of unique visitors per day rather than a per-visitor profile.
- 5
Referrals
Shows which other websites link to your site and send visitors to it.
- 6
No cookies or IP fingerprinting
The vendor says it uses no cookies, keeps no logs and does no IP address fingerprinting.
- 7
A 2.4 GPA, above 32 of 58
That is against the other website and product analytics tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Counter.dev is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Counter.dev at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- It is free
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Counter.dev
- Category
- Website & Product Analytics
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for bare-bones visitor counts, free
Counter.dev is free, open-source analytics with no cookies, and it shows unique visitors per day and referrals. That's about all it shows. There's no pricing page or plan limits, only a line that you can pay whenever you want.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Free hosted, no server needed, with an optional payment. It covers very little, so it can't be an A. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free to everyone, with no plan limits stated on the site. |
| Features | D | Unique visitors a day and referrals. A very narrow set of numbers. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. You sign up and paste in a tracking snippet. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web only, with open-source code. No integrations. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Counter.dev is for
- Fits if you only want a daily visitor count and referrers
- Works for hobby sites where cookie banners are unwelcome
Who it is not for
- Too light for anyone who needs funnels, events or goals
- Not for you if you want published plan limits: the site shows none
- Watch out: tracking code appears only after you create an account
- Skip it if you need support, as none is described
Good to know
Good for
- Personal sites and small projects that need basic traffic counts
- People who want an open-source tool without a paid plan
Worth knowing
- The site shows no pricing page or plan limits; payment is described only as optional and made when you are ready.
- The vendor says it keeps things simple and shows only the basics, so there is no feature comparison with larger tools.
- Sign-up and tracking code are found after creating an account on counter.dev.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Counter.dev is free to use.
Free hosted, no server needed, with an optional payment.
Free
$0
The vendor offers the service free to everyone and says you can start paying whenever you want.
Read from counter.dev on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Free, open-source, cookie-free web analytics for small sites. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, reports, web analytics.
- Unique visitors per day
- Metrics are based on the number of unique visitors per day rather than a per-visitor profile.
- Referrals
- Shows which other websites link to your site and send visitors to it.
- No cookies or IP fingerprinting
- The vendor says it uses no cookies, keeps no logs and does no IP address fingerprinting.
- Live demo dashboard
- A demo dashboard can be opened from the homepage before signing up.
- Open-source code
- The frontend, backend and services are published on GitHub under the AGPL-v3 license.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Counter.dev is made by Counter.dev.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
32/58
Other website and product analytics tools it is graded above
Counter.dev's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 32 of the 58 other website and product analytics tools we grade, and level with 11.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 55 of 58) and worst on features (D, above 0).
Counter.dev has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 59 website and product analytics tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Counter.dev’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 42 of 58
- AFree plan and trialAbove 55 of 58
- DFeaturesAbove 0 of 58
- CEase of useAbove 3 of 58
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 58
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 38 website and product analytics tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Counter.dev is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Counter.dev is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A tracking script and a database that counts every visit.
What this rests on. Counter.dev’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
GoatCounter, Plausible, Umami, Simple Analytics and Tinylytics
The 5 tools Counter.dev is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
GoatCounter
Free
Open source web analytics, free and donation-supported.
- GoatCounter is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Counter.dev also covers reports.
- 2.4GPA
Plausible
Free plan · from $7.50/mo
Cookie-free, privacy-first website analytics made and hosted in the EU.
- Plausible is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Counter.dev also covers reports.
- 2.6GPA
Umami
Free plan · from $20/mo
Open-source, cookieless web and product analytics.
- Umami is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Umami also covers session replay.
- 2.6GPA
Simple Analytics
Free plan · from $20/mo
Cookieless web analytics hosted in the EU.
- Counter.dev is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.6GPA
Tinylytics
Free trial · from $7/mo
Cookie-free web analytics with uptime and link checks.
- Counter.dev has a free plan. Tinylytics does not, though it has a free trial.
- Counter.dev is open source, according to its own site.
- Tinylytics also covers dashboards.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Counter.dev free?
Yes. Counter.dev is free to use.
How much does Counter.dev cost?
Counter.dev lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does Counter.dev work on?
Counter.dev is available on Web.
Does Counter.dev have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Counter.dev is listed for Web.
Does Counter.dev have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Counter.dev is listed for Web.
Is Counter.dev open source?
Yes. Counter.dev is open source, according to its own site.
Who makes Counter.dev?
Counter.dev is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Counter.dev?
The closest alternatives to Counter.dev in our directory are GoatCounter, Plausible, Umami, Simple Analytics and Tinylytics.
How does Counter.dev compare with other website and product analytics tools?
Counter.dev's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 32 of the 58 other website and product analytics tools we grade, and level with 11.
Is Counter.dev good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Counter.dev B for value for money. Counter.dev has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Counter.dev?
Counter.dev is free, so making your own would save you nothing. What you could not make: A tracking script and a database that counts every visit.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Counter.dev’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Counter.dev's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Counter.dev. Prices change, so check counter.dev before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Counter.dev, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/counterdev
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Counter.dev: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/counterdev
Know someone choosing between website and product analytics tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/counterdev/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded website and product analytics tools after Counter.dev, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Website & Product Analytics Insider's GuideEvery one of the 59 website and product analytics tools we grade, compared
- Google Analytics Insider's GuideGoogle's free website and app analytics, with a paid 360 tier3.4 GPA
- Microsoft Clarity Insider's GuideFree session recordings and heatmaps from Microsoft, no traffic cap3.2 GPA
- PostHog Insider's GuideOpen-source product analytics with replays, flags and surveys3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Counter.dev’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Counter.dev is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Counter.dev. Prices and plans change: check counter.dev before you buy.