Aptabase vs Countly vs HitKeep
Aptabase, Countly, and HitKeep are all privacy-first, cookie-free analytics platforms that can be self-hosted for free, but they optimize for different jobs:…
Freemium · From Free (up to 20,000 events/month)
Best for: Indie developers and small product teams who want free, anonymous event tracking across mobile, desktop, and web apps without managing infrastructure.
Freemium / Subscription · From Free (Community Edition); Flex plans from $175/month
Best for: Teams that need product analytics combined with engagement tools like push notifications, A/B testing, and crash reporting, and are willing to pay for a commercial private-cloud or self-hosted enterprise deployment.
Freemium / Open Source · From Free (self-hosted); Pro from €150/year (cloud)
Best for: Agencies and website owners who want free, single-binary self-hosted web analytics with built-in ecommerce, funnels, and multi-site client reporting.
At a Glance
| Aptabase | Countly | HitKeep | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary category | Analytics | Analytics | Analytics |
| Rating | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium / Subscription | Freemium / Open Source |
| Starting price | Free (up to 20,000 events/month) | Free (Community Edition); Flex plans from $175/month | Free (self-hosted); Pro from €150/year (cloud) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Not documented | Yes | Not documented |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows | Web, iOS, Android | Web |
| Team collaboration | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| AI features | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| Public API | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Standout Differences
All three can be self-hosted for free
Aptabase and HitKeep are open source and free to self-host with no feature gating, and Countly offers a free, open-source Community Edition alongside its commercial tiers.
Aptabase, Countly, HitKeep
Countly is the only one with a built-in engagement suite
Push notifications, remote configuration, A/B testing, and crash reporting across iOS, Android, React Native, and more are unique to Countly among these three.
Countly
HitKeep is built for agencies and ecommerce sites
Multi-client reporting for up to 50 sites, native ecommerce and funnel tracking, AI crawler detection, and Google Search Console integration are specific to HitKeep.
HitKeep
Aptabase has the broadest app-platform SDK coverage
More than 10 SDKs spanning iOS, Android, Flutter, Electron, Tauri, Unity, and Unreal Engine make Aptabase well suited to teams shipping across multiple app platforms.
Aptabase
Pricing philosophy diverges sharply
Aptabase and HitKeep are free to self-host indefinitely, while Countly's commercial Flex plan starts at $175/month and its self-hosted Enterprise tier requires custom pricing.
Countly, Aptabase, HitKeep
Feature-by-Feature
Deployment and Data Ownership
| Feature | Aptabase | Countly | HitKeep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free self-hosting option | Available | Available | Available |
| Cookie-free, anonymous tracking | Available | Not documented | Available |
| Managed cloud hosting option | Available | Available | Available |
Core Analytics
| Feature | Aptabase | Countly | HitKeep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom event tracking | Available | Available | Available |
| Funnels and ecommerce tracking | Not documented | Not documented | Available |
| Real-time live dashboard | Available | Not documented | Not documented |
Engagement and Growth Extras
| Feature | Aptabase | Countly | HitKeep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Push notifications and remote configuration | Unavailable | Available | Unavailable |
| Crash and error reporting | Unavailable | Available | Unavailable |
| AI crawler detection and Search Console integration | Unavailable | Unavailable | Available |
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Aptabase
Countly
HitKeep
Pros & Cons
Aptabase
Pros
- Fully open source and self-hostable at no cost
- Privacy-first design with no cookies or device fingerprinting
- Broad SDK coverage across mobile, desktop, and web platforms
- Generous free tier (20,000 events/month) with no overage fees
Cons
- Smaller and newer than established analytics platforms, so advanced behavioral analytics (deep funnels, cohorts) are more limited
- Anonymity-by-design means less granular per-user tracking than identity-based analytics tools
- Exact paid-tier pricing requires configuring event volume on the site rather than being listed upfront
Countly
Pros
- Strong focus on data ownership and privacy with self-hosting options
- Combines analytics, crash reporting, and engagement tools in one platform
- Free, open-source Community Edition available for smaller teams
- Broad SDK coverage across mobile, web, and desktop platforms
- Usage-based rather than seat-based pricing on the Flex plan
Cons
- Commercial pricing starts relatively high for smaller teams ($175/month)
- Enterprise (self-hosted) tier requires custom pricing and sales contact
- Advanced personalization and AI features are add-ons on the Flex plan rather than included by default
- Self-hosting the Community Edition requires infrastructure and DevOps effort
HitKeep
Pros
- Free, unrestricted self-hosting with no external database dependencies to manage
- Cookie-free, privacy-first tracking simplifies compliance without a consent banner
- Native ecommerce, funnel and AI crawler tracking beyond basic pageview analytics
- Multi-client reporting makes it well-suited for agencies managing several sites
- Full data export avoids vendor lock-in
Cons
- Limited public information on the company, team or funding behind the project
- Cloud free tier caps retention at 60 days, which may be short for long-term trend analysis
- Smaller ecosystem and community size compared to established players like Matomo or Plausible
- EU/US-only cloud hosting regions may not suit all data residency needs
- Self-hosting still requires basic server management skills despite the single-binary design
Use Cases
Aptabase
- Mobile app analytics — Track feature usage and events in native iOS and Android apps without collecting personal data.
- Desktop app telemetry — Monitor usage in Electron or Tauri desktop applications.
- Privacy-compliant web analytics — Add anonymous event tracking to web apps while staying aligned with GDPR/CCPA.
Countly
- Mobile app product analytics — Product teams tracking user behavior, crashes, and engagement across iOS and Android apps.
- Privacy-regulated industries — Organizations that need first-party, self-hosted analytics to meet data residency or compliance requirements.
- Customer engagement campaigns — Teams using push notifications, remote configuration, and A/B testing to drive engagement.
HitKeep
- Privacy-compliant website analytics — Organizations subject to strict data protection requirements use HitKeep's cookie-free tracking to measure traffic without consent banners.
- Self-hosted analytics infrastructure — Developers and technical teams self-host HitKeep's single binary to keep full control over analytics data and infrastructure.
- Agency multi-site reporting — Marketing and SEO agencies use HitKeep's Business tier to manage analytics reporting across up to 50 client websites.
Screenshots
Aptabase
Countly
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these is completely free to self-host?
Aptabase and HitKeep are free to self-host indefinitely with no feature restrictions. Countly's Community Edition is also free and open source, but its advanced adaptivity and AI intelligence features are reserved for the paid Flex (from $175/month) or Enterprise self-hosted tiers.
Which tool is best for tracking ecommerce and conversion funnels?
HitKeep is the only one of the three that documents native ecommerce transaction revenue tracking and multi-step conversion funnels.
Does any of these track mobile app crashes?
Countly does, with crash and error reporting across iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter, Unity, and other platforms. Aptabase and HitKeep don't document this capability.
Are these tools cookie-free and GDPR-friendly by default?
Aptabase and HitKeep are cookie-free by design and avoid personal identifiers out of the box. Countly offers a Compliance Hub for consent management, but it isn't inherently cookie-free the way the other two are.
Which has the most SDK coverage for mobile and desktop apps?
Aptabase (10+ SDKs including Unity, Unreal Engine, Electron, and Tauri) and Countly (broad SDK support plus crash reporting) both target app developers, whereas HitKeep is focused on website analytics rather than native app instrumentation.
Which tool is best for agencies managing multiple client websites?
HitKeep, which supports multi-client reporting for up to 50 sites and 20 team members on its Business cloud tier.
Related Comparisons
- Ackee vs d8a.tech vs HitKeep
- Aptabase vs Countly Community Edition vs d8a.tech
- Aptabase vs Countly vs d8a.tech
- Counter vs GoAccess vs HitKeep
Read the full Aptabase review · Read the full Countly review · Read the full HitKeep review