For the longest time Google Analytics was the only free open source analytics program. At the very least, it was the best of breed so to use any other was virtual suicide. Many online marketers opted to use a paid analytics program so they could keep their information private and away from Google’s eyes, or they had other reasons. But there is a new alternative to Google Analytics that is free and open source and is picking up speed.

It’s called Piwik.

Piwik has some pretty awesome features that should make any online marketer jump at the chance to demo the software. Features include:

• Full ownership of your data
• Ability to generate e-mail reports in HTML and PDF formats
• Unlimited users, unlimited websites
• Custom login panel
• Delete old data you don’t use
• URL and IP blocking
• First party and third party cookies available
• Export your data in a variety of formats, including Excel, PHP, Json, and XML
• Compatible with a variety of servers, including Windows, Apache, Linux, IIS, MacOS, Solaris, and more

Piwik is so flexible you can install it on your own server or host it on Piwik’s servers. They also have a Developer Zone and a community forum, so you can get technical help when you need it.

Am I saying Piwik is the solution you need? No. I am saying it’s a useful alternative to Google Analytics, if you are in the market for one.

Tags: analytics, google analytics, website analytics

This entry was posted on Friday, December 28th, 2012 at 9:25 am and is filed under Tracking & Analytics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.