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AWStats alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave AWStats: very dated interface and coarse reports, and author has stopped releasing new versions after v8. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces AWStats, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. GoAccess currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Matomo logoMatomoOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted, iOS +15 of 562.6
2GoatCounter logoGoatCounterOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 459.6
3Plausible Analytics logoPlausible AnalyticsOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 455.3
  1. Matomo logo

    1. MatomoTop pick

    Best for: Organisations that want GA-level depth with full data ownership

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted, iOS, Android

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from AWStats

    Full analytics suite that can also import server logs.

    Pros

    • Free to self-host with full data ownership
    • No data sampling and unlimited retention
    • Very wide feature set, including ecommerce and funnels

    Cons

    • Interface feels dated and crowded
    • Self-hosting large sites needs tuning
    • Heatmaps, recordings and other extras are paid plugins
    Visit Matomo Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Matomo a good AWStats alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Data sampling
    None
    Checked Oct 25, 2026matomo.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud free trial
    Yes, no credit card
    Checked Oct 25, 2026matomo.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Report data retention
    Forever (Cloud)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026matomo.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Users
    1 million organisations
    Checked Oct 25, 2026matomo.org(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    GPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. GoatCounter logo

    2. GoatCounter

    Best for: Personal sites and blogs that want free, honest stats without tracking people

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from AWStats

    Light open-source stats with log-file import.

    Pros

    • Free hosted service for reasonable public use
    • Very light script, plus pixel and log-import options
    • Easy to self-host as a single binary

    Cons

    • Deliberately basic, with no funnels or ecommerce
    • One-person project with limited support
    • Interface is plain compared with commercial tools
    Visit GoatCounter Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is GoatCounter a good AWStats alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Open source
    Yes, hosted or self-hosted
    Checked Oct 25, 2026goatcounter.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Price
    Free for reasonable public usage
    Checked Oct 25, 2026goatcounter.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Script size
    ~3.5KB
    Checked Oct 25, 2026goatcounter.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cookies
    None
    Checked Oct 25, 2026goatcounter.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Plausible Analytics logo

    3. Plausible Analytics

    Best for: Sites that want clear, privacy-first traffic stats without a consent banner

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from AWStats

    Modern hosted privacy analytics with a clean dashboard.

    Pros

    • Clean single-page dashboard anyone can read
    • Cookie-free with no personal data collected
    • Open source, with a free self-hosted edition

    Cons

    • No free plan on the hosted service
    • Less depth than GA4 or Matomo for analysts
    • Some features land in the cloud before the self-hosted edition
    Visit Plausible Analytics Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Plausible Analytics a good AWStats alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free trial
    30 days, no credit card
    Checked Oct 25, 2026plausible.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Self-hosting
    Community Edition, free, AGPL
    Checked Oct 25, 2026plausible.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Data location
    EU, European-owned infrastructure
    Checked Oct 25, 2026plausible.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Cookie banner
    Not required
    Checked Oct 25, 2026plausible.io(opens source in a new tab)

The best AWStats alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

GoAccess logo

Best AWStats alternative for most people

GoAccess

Modern, actively developed log analyzer with real-time dashboards.

Matomo logo

Best AWStats alternative for a free option

Matomo

Full analytics suite that can also import server logs.

GoatCounter logo

Best AWStats alternative for open source

GoatCounter

Light open-source stats with log-file import.

Plausible Analytics logo

Best AWStats alternative for self-hosting

Plausible Analytics

Modern hosted privacy analytics with a clean dashboard.

GoAccess logo

Best AWStats alternative for Mac

GoAccess

Modern, actively developed log analyzer with real-time dashboards.

GoAccess logo

Best AWStats alternative for Linux

GoAccess

Modern, actively developed log analyzer with real-time dashboards.

Matomo logo

Best AWStats alternative for iPhone and Android

Matomo

Full analytics suite that can also import server logs.

Cloudflare Web Analytics logo

Best AWStats alternative for working in the browser

Cloudflare Web Analytics

Free hosted stats if your site uses a script instead.

AWStats alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to AWStats?

GoAccess ranks first right now. Modern, actively developed log analyzer with real-time dashboards. Matomo and GoatCounter follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to AWStats?

Yes. GoAccess (open source), Matomo (open source), GoatCounter (open source) and Cloudflare Web Analytics (free) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to AWStats?

Yes: GoAccess, Matomo, GoatCounter and Plausible Analytics. GoAccess, Matomo and GoatCounter can also be self-hosted.

Which AWStats alternatives work on Linux?

GoAccess runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from AWStats?

The complaints we hear most: very dated interface and coarse reports; author has stopped releasing new versions after v8; not designed for marketing analysis.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces AWStats, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.