Instead of Google Analytics
Matomo
Self-host it and the numbers stay on your server. This one is for site owners, not readers.
What it is
Analytics you run yourself, on your own hardware, with no data leaving it. Can be configured to need no cookie banner at all. There is a hosted version if you would rather not run it, which trades some of the point away.
What you give up
- You are now the one responsible for updates, backups and the database.
- No advertising integrations, which is the feature people usually miss and rarely need.
- Reports are less pushy about what to conclude. Some people find that harder.
How to move
- 01Install on the same server that runs the site. PHP and MySQL, which you already have.
- 02Run both trackers in parallel for a fortnight so you can see how the numbers differ, and they will.
- 03Switch on IP anonymisation and turn off the cookie — then the banner goes too.
- 04Remove the Google tag. Confirm nothing on your site loads from a third-party origin any more.