| Google Analytics | Plausible | |
|---|---|---|
| Script Size | ~45KB | <1KB |
| Cookies | Yes (multiple) | None |
| GDPR | Consent required | Compliant by default |
| Dashboard | Complex, multi-page | Simple, one page |
| Pricing | Free (you pay with data) | $9/mo for 10K pageviews |
| Data Ownership | Google owns it | You own it |
Head to plausible.io and create an account. The 30-day free trial gives you full access to all features - no credit card required to start.
After signing up, you'll be prompted to add your first website. Enter your domain (e.g., yourdomain.com) and your timezone. That's it for setup.
Plausible's pricing starts at $9/month for up to 10,000 monthly pageviews. If you're under that, this is your only cost. Plans scale based on pageviews, not features - every plan gets every feature.
Add a single line to your website's <head> section:
<script defer data-domain="yourdomain.com"
src="https://plausible.io/js/script.js"></script>That's the entire tracking code. One script tag, no configuration object, no initialization call.
For common platforms:
Next.js / React: Add to your _document.js, layout.tsx, or use the next/head component.
WordPress: Add to your theme's header.php or use a "header scripts" plugin.
Framer: Add via Site Settings → Custom Code → Head.
Webflow: Add via Project Settings → Custom Code → Head Code.
Open your website in a browser (make sure ad blockers are disabled - some block Plausible too). Then check your Plausible dashboard.
You should see your visit appear within seconds. Plausible shows real-time data - no 24-48 hour processing delay like GA4.
If you don't see data, check:
Domain match: The data-domain value must exactly match what you entered in Plausible (no www. prefix unless that's what you registered).
Script loaded: Open browser DevTools → Network tab and search for plausible. The script should load with a 200 status.
Ad blocker: Some privacy extensions block Plausible. You can use a proxy setup to avoid this.
In your Plausible dashboard, go to Site Settings → Goals. You can track two types of events:
Pageview goals: Track visits to specific pages (e.g., /thank-you for form completions, /pricing for purchase intent).
Custom events: Track button clicks, form submissions, or any user action. Add a CSS class or fire a JavaScript event:
<!-- Option 1: CSS class (no JS needed) -->
<a href="/signup" class="plausible-event-name=Signup+Click">
Sign Up
</a>
<!-- Option 2: JavaScript API -->
<script>
document.getElementById('cta-btn').addEventListener('click', () => {
plausible('CTA+Clicked');
});
</script>Start with 3-5 key goals that map to your business metrics: signups, purchases, contact form submissions, etc.
Before removing GA, download your historical data for reference. In GA4:
Quick export: Go to any report, click the share/export icon, and download as CSV or PDF.
Full export: Go to Admin → Data Export to export your complete dataset (available for GA4 properties linked to BigQuery).
Save these exports somewhere accessible. You won't need them day-to-day, but they're useful for year-over-year comparisons during your first year on Plausible.
Note: Plausible cannot import historical GA data. Your Plausible analytics start from the moment you add the script.
Once Plausible is confirmed working, remove Google Analytics from your site. Look for and delete:
<!-- Remove this: Google tag (gtag.js) -->
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-XXXXXXX"></script>
<script>
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
gtag('js', new Date());
gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXX');
</script>
<!-- Also remove Google Tag Manager if present -->
<script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){...})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-XXXXXXX');</script>After removing the scripts, your site will load faster immediately. The GA script adds significant weight and makes multiple network requests on every page load.
If you're using Google Tag Manager for other tags (Facebook Pixel, etc.), you can keep GTM and only remove the GA tag from within GTM rather than removing GTM entirely.
One of Plausible's best features: you can make your analytics dashboard public. Many indie hackers and transparent companies do this as a trust signal.
Go to Site Settings → Visibility and toggle "Public Dashboard." You'll get a shareable link like plausible.io/yourdomain.com that anyone can view.
You can also create shared links with password protection for team members or clients who need access without a Plausible account. This replaces GA's complex user permissions system.
Plausible starts tracking from the moment you install the script. There's no way to import your Google Analytics history. Keep your GA exports for reference, especially if you need year-over-year comparisons.
Plausible counts unique visitors without cookies, using a hash of IP + User Agent that resets daily. Your unique visitor numbers will differ from GA - this is expected and neither is "wrong," they just measure differently.
If you rely heavily on GA4's audience segments, detailed conversion funnels, or ecommerce tracking, Plausible is intentionally simpler. It covers the 80% of analytics most sites actually use. For the other 20%, consider keeping GA4 alongside Plausible during a transition period.
I'll handle the Google Analytics to Plausible switch for you. Script installation, goal setup, and cookie banner removal.
Work with me →
