LightMetrica vs Umami: hosted simplicity or self-hosted freedom
Umami is a popular open-source analytics tool: cookie-free, lightweight and easy to self-host. LightMetrica offers a similar clean dashboard as a hosted service with a few extras. Here's how they compare.
At a glance
| LightMetrica | Umami | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Hosted service, free to use | Self-hosted for free; Umami Cloud as a hosted option |
| Source code | Closed | Open source (MIT) |
| Cookies | None | None |
| Script | About 2 KB | A few KB |
| What you maintain | Nothing — just paste the code | Server, database and updates when self-hosting |
| Goals | Phone, email, messenger, download and outbound clicks tracked automatically | Custom events via attributes or JavaScript |
| Advanced reports | No | Reports such as funnels and retention |
| Interface languages | English and Russian | Many languages |
Features and plans change; check the vendors' sites for the current details.
Where Umami is stronger
- Open source under MIT — about as permissive as licences get.
- Full control. Self-hosted, your data never leaves your server, and you can customise everything.
- Multi-site at no cost when you host it yourself.
- Advanced reports like funnels and retention for deeper questions.
- Translations into many interface languages.
Where LightMetrica is different
- Nothing to run. No server, database, backups or upgrades — paste one line of code and you're done.
- Automatic goals for calls, emails, messengers, downloads and outbound links.
- AI assistants as a source, plus named sources for Yandex, Dzen, VK and Telegram.
- A weekly AI Smart Report with a plain-language summary and one to three recommendations.
- History import from Yandex Metrica.
Which one to choose
- Choose Umami if you're comfortable running a server and want open source with full control over your data.
- Choose LightMetrica if you'd rather not maintain anything and want automatic goals and weekly recommendations out of the box.
FAQ
Is self-hosting Umami really free? The software is free. You still pay for the server and spend time on updates and backups.
Do Umami and LightMetrica count the same way? Roughly. Both avoid cookies and count anonymous visitors, but rules for sessions and bot filtering differ, so expect small differences.
Can I move from Umami to LightMetrica? Yes — add the LightMetrica code; you can keep both running for a while to compare numbers.
Try LightMetrica — free
Lightweight, independent, cookie-free analytics: the counter installs in a minute — on its own or next to your current tools. Every week — an AI-powered Smart Report: what changed and what to do next.