Plausible – the best analytics for custom websites and online stores, a true alternative to Google Analytics

Today, more and more website owners face the fact that Google Analytics is no longer a convenient tool. Its interface is overloaded with features that are difficult to understand without training. In addition, the service stores and processes data according to Google’s policies, which doesn’t always align with business requirements for GDPR and local legislation.

From our practice, we see that many companies don’t need a bulky platform with hundreds of rarely used metrics. What they need is a clear, fast analytics tool that can easily be integrated into daily work. This is where Plausible Analytics comes in – a modern alternative to Google Analytics.

For owners of custom-built websites and e-commerce stores, this is particularly important. In such projects, analytics shouldn’t just be a “checkmark,” but a tool that helps reveal the real picture: how many users visited, which pages perform best, which sources generate sales. And all of this in a simple, visual format, easily accessible from a smartphone without unnecessary barriers.

1. Website Analytics Without Overload

GA is notorious for its complexity: dozens of reports, confusing structure, and countless features most businesses never use. As a result, many site owners get lost in the data and eventually stop using analytics as part of daily operations.

Plausible is built on a different principle: only the most important metrics, presented in a clean and easy-to-understand interface. You can start using it without training – everything is intuitive, and the numbers you need are always at hand.

2. Transparency and Data Privacy (GDPR-Friendly)

One of the biggest challenges with analytics services is compliance with European regulations for data storage and processing. Many companies in the EU have already officially abandoned GA due to GDPR violations.

Plausible was designed as a transparent alternative: it doesn’t use cookies, doesn’t collect unnecessary personal data, and is fully compliant with privacy standards.

3. Self-Hosted Option for Full Control Over Data

GA only works in Google’s cloud, which automatically creates dependency on an external provider and its rules.

Plausible offers flexibility: you can use the cloud version or host the system on your own servers. A free Community Edition is also available for self-hosting. This is the option we implement in our custom website projects and recommend to clients to ensure complete data control, security, and compliance.

Every custom project is unique, while standard analytics systems often prove too complex or overloaded with unnecessary features. In our web development practice, we choose Plausible because it focuses on key metrics and easily adapts to business needs – from online stores to corporate portals.

Flexible Integration with Company Processes

Unique business processes require equally unique analytics. Plausible Analytics can be embedded into any workflow: order tracking, non-standard sales funnels, integrations with external services. This creates end-to-end website analytics that becomes part of the business logic, not just a separate tool.

Unified Environment: Website + CRM + ERP

The most important advantage of Plausible for custom projects is the ability to combine website analytics with internal systems. Integration with CRM and ERP makes it possible to track not only traffic, but also end results: leads, sales, and financial performance. This turns analytics into a full-fledged business management tool.

The strengths of Plausible are especially evident in custom development projects, where simplicity, control, and flexible integration are crucial. Here are the key advantages:

• Self-Hosted: Data Control and Security. Plausible can be deployed on a company’s own servers. This is particularly important for businesses where confidentiality is a top priority. Data remains within your infrastructure, and you fully control storage and access, eliminating dependence on external providers.
• GDPR-Friendly: Compliance with Global Privacy Standards. The system complies with European regulations and does not use cookies. Plausible Analytics collects only the data that businesses truly need: traffic, sources, popular pages. This way, you protect yourself from legal risks and show customers that you respect their privacy.
• Mobile-Optimized Interface. Website and store owners can access statistics anytime directly from a smartphone. The interface is adapted for smaller screens: all key figures and graphs are displayed clearly without clutter. This means managers can quickly check site performance even on the go or during meetings.
• Clear and Simple Data Visualization. Instead of complex dashboards, Plausible shows only the essentials: number of users, traffic sources, and top-converting pages. Online analytics is presented in a clear format that requires no special expertise. This makes it useful as an operational tool, not just a report for analysts.
• Ease of Use and Setup. Connecting Plausible takes minimal time – in our experience, installation and initial configuration take less than an hour. The interface can be mastered in just a few minutes: everything is intuitive and doesn’t require employee training.
• Integration with CRM and Other Business Systems. Data from Plausible can easily be connected to CRM or ERP, linking web traffic to sales, leads, and funnels. This transforms website analytics into a complete business tool: you can track which sources actually generate clients and revenue.
• PWA Interface: Analytics as an App. Plausible works as a Progressive Web App (PWA). It can be “installed” on a smartphone or tablet and opened with a single tap, just like a native app. This makes analytics maximally accessible – in the office, on the road, or at meetings.

We don’t just recommend Plausible Analytics – we integrate it into the client’s digital ecosystem. In custom website and e-commerce development projects, we plan for analytics from day one and connect Plausible at launch.

Most often, we use the self-hosted Community Edition, installing the system on the client’s server. This approach ensures free, fully independent analytics where all data remains under full business control.

• Deployment with Custom Website Development. When launching a new project, we connect Plausible as the default analytics system. This gives the client transparent statistics from the very first days without unnecessary complexity.
  
• CRM Integration. We configure Plausible to work with CRM so that website analytics and company processes operate in a single environment. Managers can directly track how traffic turns into leads and sales.
  
• PWA Format for Mobile Access. To make analytics always available, we adapt Plausible in PWA format. Users can install it on their smartphone and check real-time traffic – fast, convenient, and without logging into bulky systems.

Examples of Plausible Implementation

We’ve already applied this approach successfully in multiple projects – from online stores to corporate portals. In each case, Plausible Analytics became part of the client’s digital environment, helping build analytics around business processes. Here are some examples:

• Efircards – a modern website platform where Plausible tracks visits, user activity, and order sources. With CRM integration, the client sees which channels actually drive sales.
• Zhivye Skazki (Living Tales) – an educational project where analytics shows which sections and stories are most popular with the audience. This helps adjust content strategy and increase user engagement.
• Avada Media – our corporate website. Here Plausible is the main analytics tool, providing transparent statistics on visits and marketing campaign performance.
• ByTheWay Logistics – a digital platform for a logistics company. Plausible delivers end-to-end analytics: from visits to leads and signed deals.
• VS Engineering – a corporate site for an engineering firm. We deployed a self-hosted Plausible instance to ensure full data control and GDPR compliance.
• BTW Shopping – an international ride-sharing service. As part of the project, we worked on SEO optimization, and Plausible played a key role as our analytics tool for tracking traffic, search queries, and promotion effectiveness.

You can see more examples of successful projects with Plausible and custom website development in our portfolio.

What This Gives To Businesses

• Website Transparency – owners see which pages and traffic sources generate results.
• Fast Managerial Decisions – statistics are always accessible, even from a phone.
• Sales Management Based on Facts – data integrates with CRM, so site analytics connects directly to funnels and deals.
• Time Savings – no hours wasted parsing complex reports, just key metrics.
• Security – all data is stored either on Plausible’s servers or your own (self-hosted).
• Improved Efficiency – website analytics becomes a tool for business growth, not a formality.

Plausible Analytics is a modern and convenient alternative to Google Analytics, especially for custom-built projects. It’s simple to use, GDPR-compliant, can be hosted on your own servers, and integrates easily with CRM and ERP.

For businesses, this means transparent statistics, faster decision-making, full control over data, and easy access to analytics from any device.

At Avada Media, we integrate Plausible into custom projects so that website owners immediately get a working tool for growth. If you’re planning a new project and want powerful yet simple analytics from day one – get in touch with our team, and we’ll find the right solution for your needs.