Quick answer
Plausible Analytics - Plausible Analytics wins for most builders because its free trial includes a fuller modern analytics workflow, while Clicky wins only if you need a true ongoing free plan with no card and one-site tracking beyond a short trial.
How the free tiers compare
These products solve the same problem in different ways. Clicky is the closer thing to an actual free tier: you can keep using it indefinitely on one website with 3,000 daily page views and 30 days of history, and you do not need a credit card. That makes it better for a small site that just wants baseline analytics without a deadline. Plausible is not an ongoing free tier, but its 30-day trial is broader in workflow: the trial includes access to Starter, with goals, custom events, email and Slack reports, Google Analytics import, and a privacy-focused dashboard. After the trial, Plausible’s paid ladder is simpler and starts at $9/month, while Clicky’s paid plans start at $9.99/month and then jump by site and traffic limits. If you care about long-term free use, Clicky is the real free option. If you care about a cleaner product and can pay soon, Plausible is the better fit.
Clicky vs Plausible Analytics free tier, side by side
| ClickyFTV 52 | Plausible AnalyticsFTV 36 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free access typeClicky is ongoing; Plausible is time-limited. | Free plan | 30-day free trial |
| Credit card requiredBoth inputs explicitly say no card is required. | No | No |
| Sites on free accessPlausible’s trial includes Starter access, not an ongoing free plan. | 1 website | 1 site on the Starter plan during trial |
| Traffic capDifferent measurement windows, so the caps are not directly interchangeable. | 3,000 daily page views total | 10,000 monthly pageviews |
| Data retention on free accessPlausible’s trial includes Starter features and retention. | 30 days of history | 3 years of data retention on Starter during trial |
| Included analytics featuresFeature sets differ more than the quota numbers suggest. | Basic analytics, real-time data, segmentation, customizable dashboard, API access, widgets | Traffic, goals, revenue attribution, funnels, referrer data, Search Console integration, reports |
After you outgrow the free tier
Both products use flat monthly pricing after the free access ends. Clicky’s first paid tier is Pro at $9.99/month, then Pro Plus at $14.99 and Pro Platinum at $19.99, with a custom tier for much higher volume. Plausible starts slightly cheaper at $9/month for Starter, then Growth at $14 and Business at $19, with Enterprise by quote. For small builders, Plausible is usually the cheaper paid entry point. Clicky becomes the better value only if its free plan is enough to delay payment altogether.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Clicky | Plausible Analytics |
|---|---|---|
| 1 site, low-traffic personal blogPlausible is not free long term. | Free (within tier) | Free during 30-day trial, then $9/mo |
| 1 site, around 5,000 pageviews/dayBoth fit within their entry paid tiers based on the provided quotas. | $9.99/mo | $9/mo |
| 3 sites, small team, up to 10k monthly pageviewsPlausible Growth covers up to 3 sites; Clicky’s cheapest listed paid plan is 10 websites. | $19.99/mo if you need paid multi-site coverage | $14/mo |
| 10 sites, up to 100k daily page viewsPlausible Business explicitly supports up to 10 sites; Clicky’s Pro Platinum lists 30 websites and 100,000 daily page views. | $19.99/mo minimum listed, but quota fit is unclear from the provided plans | $19/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Clicky when…
- You want one website tracked continuously on a free plan, not a time-limited trial.
- You need no-credit-card signup and expect to stay under 3,000 daily page views.
- You mainly want core analytics, visitor logs, segmentation, heatmaps, and uptime monitoring on a small site.
- You want a free plan with 30 days of history and do not need more retention yet.
Pick Plausible Analytics when…
- You are okay with a 30-day trial and want to test a fuller analytics workflow before paying.
- You want goals, custom events, email and Slack reports, and Google Analytics import in the entry experience.
- You plan to manage multiple sites later and want a simpler paid ladder starting at one site for $9/month.
- You care more about privacy-focused analytics and a lightweight dashboard than about an indefinite free tier.
Bottom line
For the most common builder use case, Plausible is the better paid path because it gives you a cleaner analytics stack for $9/month and scales neatly across small team setups. Clicky is the better free-tier pick only if your priority is staying free as long as possible on a single site. If you know you will pay soon, Plausible is easier to grow with. If you want to avoid payment entirely for a basic one-site setup, Clicky is the more durable free choice.
Read the full listings: Clicky and Plausible Analytics. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.