Pirsch vs Countly
Pirsch is privacy-friendly web analytics with no cookies, made and hosted in Germany, while Countly is open-source product analytics for mobile, web, and desktop with crash reporting. The biggest difference up front: Countly is free, while Pirsch starts at $4/mo. Pirsch is built for privacy-focused teams wanting simple web analytics, whereas Countly targets mobile app teams wanting open-source analytics.
| Feature | Pirsch | Countly |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | ✓ |
| Cookie-Free | ✓ | — |
| Crash Reports | — | ✓ |
| Events | ✓ | — |
| GDPR-Ready | ✓ | — |
| Mobile Analytics | — | ✓ |
| Push Notifications | — | ✓ |
| Server-Side | ✓ | — |
| Surveys | — | ✓ |
Pricing: Countly is completely free, which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Pirsch starts at $4/mo, but Free for 2.5K pageviews. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.
Feature gaps: Pirsch offers Cookie-Free, Events and GDPR-Ready that Countly lacks. Countly brings Crash Reports, Mobile Analytics and Push Notifications that Pirsch does not have.
Team fit: Pirsch is geared toward small teams teams, while Countly is aimed at mid-size teams teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.
Open source: Countly is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Pirsch is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.
Where each tool shines: Pirsch's biggest strengths are: includes cookie-free as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows. includes gdpr-ready as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows. Countly's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. includes mobile analytics as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows.
Watch out for: With Pirsch, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Countly, the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.
choose Pirsch if
- You need a tool built for privacy-focused teams wanting simple web analytics
- You specifically need Cookie-Free and Events
- You care about includes gdpr-ready as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
- Your team size fits the small teams profile Pirsch is designed for
- The free tier works for you: free for 2.5k pageviews
choose Countly if
- You need a tool built for mobile app teams wanting open-source analytics
- Budget is a hard constraint — Countly is free, Pirsch is not
- You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
- You specifically need Crash Reports and Mobile Analytics
- You care about includes mobile analytics as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows
frequently asked
What is the difference between Pirsch and Countly?
Pirsch is privacy-friendly web analytics with no cookies, made and hosted in Germany, while Countly is open-source product analytics for mobile, web, and desktop with crash reporting. The biggest difference up front: Countly is free, while Pirsch starts at $4/mo. Pirsch is built for privacy-focused teams wanting simple web analytics, whereas Countly targets mobile app teams wanting open-source analytics.
Should I use Pirsch or Countly?
Countly is the free option; Pirsch charges $4/mo but may offer more polish. Here is how they compare.
When should I choose Pirsch over Countly?
Choose Pirsch if You need a tool built for privacy-focused teams wanting simple web analytics; You specifically need Cookie-Free and Events; You care about includes gdpr-ready as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows; Your team size fits the small teams profile Pirsch is designed for; The free tier works for you: free for 2.5k pageviews.
When should I choose Countly over Pirsch?
Choose Countly if You need a tool built for mobile app teams wanting open-source analytics; Budget is a hard constraint — Countly is free, Pirsch is not; You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code; You specifically need Crash Reports and Mobile Analytics; You care about includes mobile analytics as a core feature, purpose-built for analytics workflows.
related comparisons
Google Analytics vs Pirsch · Plausible vs Pirsch · Fathom vs Pirsch · Umami vs Pirsch · PostHog vs Pirsch · Mixpanel vs Pirsch · Amplitude vs Pirsch · Hotjar vs Pirsch