When Matomo is the right answer: If you need to fully replace GA4 with the entire feature set — session recordings, heatmaps, e-commerce revenue tracking, dedicated A/B-test management UI — Matomo is the most complete privacy-compliant option available. Logly doesn't compete on feature depth; it competes on simplicity and speed.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Logly | Matomo |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ✓ Up to 10,000 pv/mo forever | ✓ Self-hosted is free (server costs apply) |
| Cloud entry price | ✓ $9/mo (early access, 100k pv) | ~$19–23/mo (50k hits) |
| Script size | ✓ < 1 KB | ✗ ~22 KB |
| No cookies (default) | ✓ | Cookieless mode available, not default |
| Consent banner required | ✓ Not required | Required unless cookieless mode enabled |
| GDPR compliant | ✓ | ✓ With correct configuration |
| EU hosted | ✓ Always | ✓ Cloud · depends on self-hosted location |
| Ad blocker bypass | ✓ Built-in, zero config | Possible via self-hosting on your domain |
| Active time-on-page | ✓ Pauses when tab is hidden | ✗ Standard wall-clock measurement |
| Heatmaps | ✗ | ✓ Premium plugin |
| Session recordings | ✗ | ✓ Premium plugin |
| A/B testing | ✓ Via custom events | ✓ Premium plugin |
| E-commerce tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Funnels & goals | ✓ Multi-step funnels with drop-off | ✓ |
| Setup time | ✓ ~2 min | Several hours (full configuration) |
| Open source | ✗ | ✓ GPL |
Pricing as published on matomo.org — verify with their current page. Last checked May 2026.
3 reasons people choose Logly over Matomo
Matomo's script is 22× heavier
Matomo's tracking script loads around 22 KB. Logly's is under 1 KB. Both are async, so neither is render-blocking — but on a slow mobile connection, 22 KB is still 22 KB being fetched, parsed, and executed. For performance-obsessed sites, Logly is the clear choice.
Cookieless mode in Matomo isn't the default — it requires configuration
Matomo can run without cookies and without a consent banner, but you have to explicitly enable cookieless mode, disable fingerprinting, and verify the configuration. Out of the box, Matomo uses cookies and requires consent. Logly never uses cookies and never requires a consent banner — no configuration needed.
Most teams only need 10% of what Matomo offers
Matomo is powerful because it does everything. But most sites only look at visitors, top pages, referrers, and rough engagement time. Setting up Matomo for those four metrics takes hours and leaves 90% of the platform unused. Logly gives you those answers in 2 minutes, with a single screen that doesn't require training to read.
Frequently asked questions
I need heatmaps and session recordings — should I use Matomo?
Yes, straightforwardly. If heatmaps or session recordings are requirements, Matomo (or a dedicated tool like Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity) is the right answer — these require JavaScript that is fundamentally heavier than Logly's design allows. A/B testing is a different case: Logly handles the measurement side via custom events (one event per variant, compare counts in the dashboard), which covers most landing-page tests. If you need a UI to define experiments and automatic variant assignment, Matomo's premium plugin or a dedicated tool like Optimizely is the better fit.
Can I run both Logly and Matomo on the same site?
Yes, and some teams do. Matomo for deep conversion analysis and Logly for a fast, accurate daily traffic view that passes ad blockers. The scripts don't conflict. The combined weight is still far below GA4 alone.
Is Matomo actually GDPR compliant without cookies?
Yes — when correctly configured in cookieless mode with the right privacy settings, Matomo is GDPR compliant without a consent banner. The key word is "configured". The official Matomo documentation has a detailed checklist. If you follow it, you're covered. Logly requires no checklist.
Matomo self-hosted is free — why pay for Logly?
Self-hosted Matomo needs a PHP server, a MySQL database, regular updates, and someone to manage it. For a team that already runs its own infrastructure and wants full control, self-hosted Matomo is excellent value. For everyone else, the true cost of "free" self-hosting is higher than $9/mo of someone else's time.
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