Overview
Two Privacy-First Philosophies
Same Goal, Different Approach
Staminads: Built for pro marketers who need to detect which dimensions drive engaged traffic. Median metrics (TimeScore), advanced traffic categorization with backfill, and full ad network detection.
Fathom: Simple, managed SaaS with a clean dashboard. Average-based metrics with device fingerprinting for visitor counting.
Self-hosted vs. SaaS
Staminads: Full-featured self-hosting with Docker. Own your data, pay only for infrastructure.
Fathom: SaaS-only model starting at $15/month. No self-hosting option available.
What They Share
Both platforms are built on the same privacy-first principles:
- Cookieless: No cookies, no consent banners required
- Privacy-focused: Minimal data collection
- Lightweight: Minimal script impact on page load
- Full API: REST API for data access
- Event tracking: Track custom goals and conversions
Where They Differ
The key differences come down to depth of analysis, pricing model, and self-hosting:
Staminads Advantages
- • Median metrics (not averages)
- • Traffic categorization with backfill
- • 10 custom dimensions per event
- • Unlimited sites (self-hosted)
- • API doesn't count against quota
- • Full self-hosting (own your data)
Fathom Advantages
- • Fully managed SaaS
- • Simple, clean dashboard
- • EU data isolation option
- • Google Analytics importer
- • Email reports built-in
Fathom Analytics is a privacy-focused analytics platform from Canada. It fingerprints visitors by hashing IP + User-Agent with a daily rotating salt, and focuses on simplicity with a managed SaaS. Pricing starts at $15/month for 100K pageviews.
Staminads is also privacy-first and cookieless, but focuses on deeper engagement analysis with median metrics (TimeScore), advanced traffic categorization with historical backfill, and full self-hosting with no feature limitations.
Quick Comparison
| Staminads | Fathom | |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking Method | Cookieless (session-only, no fingerprinting) | Cookieless (daily IP+UA hash fingerprint) |
| Consent Required | No consent needed | Legally contested (ePrivacy Directive) |
| Engagement Metrics | Median values (TimeScore) | Average only (can't measure exit pages) |
| Traffic Categorization | Advanced traffic categorization for pro marketers | None (dashboard filters only) |
| Traffic Backfill | Recompute & modify historical data | None (GA import only) |
| Data Delay | Real-time (<1 second) | Near real-time (5-min counter refresh) |
| API Access | Full access (unlimited) | Full access (counts against pageview quota) |
| Sites Limit | Unlimited | Up to 50 sites |
| Pricing | Free (infrastructure only) | $15-$470+/month (SaaS only) |
| Self-hosting | Full product (Docker) | Not available (SaaS only) |
Tracking & Privacy
Both platforms are cookieless, but use different tracking approaches with different legal implications.
The Fingerprinting Question
Fathom uses device fingerprinting — hashing IP address + User-Agent with a daily rotating salt to identify unique visitors. While Fathom claims this is fully compliant, the EDPB Guidelines 2/2023 (finalized October 2024) raise concerns:
- ePrivacy Directive Article 5(3): Fingerprinting explicitly falls within scope and requires consent unless a narrow exemption applies
- Hashing ≠ Anonymization: Under GDPR, hashed data is pseudonymized, not anonymous — IP addresses remain personal data
- Regulatory scrutiny: The UK ICO labeled Google's 2025 fingerprinting policy "irresponsible"
Staminads takes a different approach: IP is processed only for GeoIP location (with customizable settings), not for fingerprinting or identification. No device hashing, no cross-session linking. Each session is independent — eliminating the legal gray area.
Privacy & Tracking Comparison
| Feature | Staminads | Fathom |
|---|---|---|
| Cookies | No cookies used | No cookies used |
| Device Fingerprinting | No fingerprinting | Yes (IP + UA hash with daily salt) |
| ePrivacy Directive Compliance | Clear (no device access/fingerprinting) | Legally contested (EDPB Guidelines 2/2023) |
| GDPR Compliance | Yes (no personal data processed) | Claimed (but IP processing is debated) |
| Visitor Identification | None (session-only) | Daily unique visitor hash |
| Cross-session Tracking | Within same day only | |
| IP Address Processing | GeoIP only (customizable settings) | Hashed for visitor fingerprinting |
| Data Residency | Your servers (you control) | US or EU (EU Isolation option) |
Fathom's Legal Position
Fathom has invested heavily in legal compliance and claims full GDPR, CCPA, ePrivacy, and PECR compliance. They argue their daily salt rotation makes the hash irreversible and qualifies as "reach measurement." However, the EDPB's 2023 guidelines suggest this interpretation may be challenged. When in doubt, consult your own legal team.
Staminads: No Fingerprinting
Staminads processes IP addresses only for GeoIP location (with customizable settings) — not for identification or fingerprinting. No device hashing, no cross-session linking. Pure session analytics with clear ePrivacy compliance.
Traffic Categorization
This is where Staminads shines. Advanced traffic categorization with backfill means you can map your marketing mix and recategorize historical data at any time.
Traffic Categorization Features
| Feature | Staminads | Fathom |
|---|---|---|
| Channel Groupings | Custom rules to map your marketing mix | None (no channel groupings) |
| Traffic Rules | Set value, clear value, set default | None |
| Custom Dimensions | 10 dimensions you can modify via rules | None (only _value for events) |
| Backfill on Rule Change | Yes (recompute all historical data) | No (not possible) |
| Saved Segments | Yes (real-time) | No (instant filters only) |
| Ad Network Detection | Google, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Microsoft | Google & Microsoft only (gclid, msclkid) |
| UTM Parameters | Full support + custom | source, medium, campaign, content, term |
| Rule Operators | equals, contains, regex, is empty | None (no categorization rules) |
Ad Network Click ID Detection
Staminads automatically detects click IDs from all major ad networks:
gclid Google Adsfbclid Meta/Facebookttclid TikTokmsclkid Microsoftli_fat_id LinkedIndclid Google DV360
Fathom only captures gclid and msclkid. For Meta, TikTok, or LinkedIn traffic, you'd need to manually add UTM parameters to every campaign.
The Backfill Difference
In Staminads, when you update a traffic rule (e.g., split "social" into "twitter" and "linkedin"), all historical data is recomputed with the new categorization. Fathom has no traffic categorization rules — only dashboard filters for querying existing data. You can't group sources into custom channels or recategorize historical traffic.
Real-time Data Exploration
Both offer real-time dashboards with different refresh characteristics.
Real-time Capabilities
| Feature | Staminads | Fathom |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time Dashboard | ||
| Data Refresh Rate | <1 second | Instant (counter every 5 min) |
| Current Visitors | Instant | 5-minute refresh window |
| Query Performance | Fast (ClickHouse) | Fast (sharded database) |
| Data Sampling | Never (full dataset) | Never |
| Historical Query Speed | Sub-second for any range | Fast (6-month limit for daily grouping) |
Query Limitations
Fathom has some API limitations: when grouping daily, you can't aggregate over 6 months of data in a single query. Advanced filtering on data before March 2021 is also not supported. Staminads has no such limitations.
Deep Data Exploration
Staminads offers a filterable dashboard plus a Custom Explore for deep data analysis. Drill down by any dimension — source, campaign, country, device, or custom dimensions. Fathom uses a simpler dashboard with click-to-filter.
Engagement Metrics
This is a key differentiator. Staminads uses median values for engagement metrics. Fathom uses averages, which are easily skewed by outliers.
Engagement Metrics Comparison
| Feature | Staminads | Fathom |
|---|---|---|
| Session Duration Calculation | Median (TimeScore) | Average (skewed by outliers) |
| Exit Page Duration | Measured via focus tracking | Not measured (no subsequent page) |
| Scroll Depth | 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% thresholds | Not built-in (custom events only) |
| Time on Page | Median with focus tracking | Average (time between page loads) |
| Bounce Rate | Configurable time threshold (default 10s) | Single page sessions / Total sessions |
| Engagement Score | TimeScore (composite median) | No composite metric |
Why Median Matters
Fathom's average can be misleading. Staminads' median shows you typical user behavior.
Exit Page Problem
Fathom calculates time on page by measuring the time between page loads. This means they can't measure time spent on the last page of a session — a significant blind spot. Staminads uses focus tracking to measure engagement on every page, including exit pages.
Goals & Conversions
Both platforms support goal and conversion tracking. Staminads provides a dedicated goals dashboard with KPI summaries, time-series charts, and breakdown widgets.
Goals & Conversions Features
| Feature | Staminads | Fathom |
|---|---|---|
| Goals Dashboard | Dedicated view with KPIs & charts | Events section in main dashboard |
| Conversion Tracking | ||
| Revenue Tracking | Yes (with median value) | Yes (_value parameter) |
| Goal Breakdowns | By any dimension | Limited (no dimension breakdown) |
| Event Properties | 10 custom dimensions | Only _value (no custom properties) |
| Conversion Formula | Configurable | Pageviews or People (configurable) |
Find Your Winning Dimensions
Staminads' goals dashboard reveals which traffic sources, campaigns, and dimensions drive the most conversions. Identify winners by any dimension — source, campaign, country, device, or custom dimensions — all in one view. Fathom shows event totals but lacks dimension breakdowns.
Multi-tenant & Enterprise
Staminads offers unlimited sites with self-hosting. Fathom caps at 50 sites on all plans.
Enterprise Features
| Feature | Staminads | Fathom |
|---|---|---|
| Sites Included | Unlimited (self-hosted) | Up to 50 sites |
| Team Members | Unlimited (self-hosted) | Single account (sharing only) |
| Multi-tenant Architecture | Isolated workspaces | Single account with shared dashboards |
| Data Retention | Unlimited (self-hosted) | Forever (SaaS) |
| All-sites View | Yes | Yes (aggregate across sites) |
User Roles & Permissions
User Management
| Feature | Staminads | Fathom |
|---|---|---|
| Role Types | Owner, Admin, Editor, Viewer | Account owner only (password sharing) |
| Team Invitations | Yes (email invites) | No (share passwords instead) |
| Granular Permissions | Per-workspace, per-site | None |
| Dashboard Sharing | Role-based | Password-protected or public links |
Fathom's Sharing Model
Fathom doesn't have traditional user roles. Instead, it uses password-protected dashboard links or public sharing. Passwords must be entered each time (no persistent login). For agencies, this means managing shared passwords rather than proper user accounts.
API Access
Both platforms provide REST APIs, but with different usage policies.
API Capabilities
| Feature | Staminads | Fathom |
|---|---|---|
| REST API | ||
| API Availability | All installations | All paid plans |
| API Usage Quota | Unlimited (doesn't count) | Counts against pageview quota |
| Rate Limits | Configurable | 2,000/hr (CRUD), 10/min (queries) |
| Raw Data Export | Full access (your database) | CSV exports |
| Real-time API |
API Quota Warning
Important: Fathom's API requests count against your monthly pageview quota. If you build integrations or dashboards that frequently poll the API, you'll consume your pageview allowance faster. Staminads' API is unlimited and doesn't affect any quota.
Pricing
Staminads
Software cost (self-hosted)
+ ClickHouse: Included or managed
- ✓ Unlimited pageviews
- ✓ Unlimited websites
- ✓ Unlimited team members
- ✓ Full API access (unlimited)
- ✓ Unlimited data retention
- ✓ All features included
Fathom
Per month (SaaS only)
500K pageviews: $45/month
1M pageviews: $60/month
5M pageviews: $140/month
- ✓ Up to 50 sites
- ✓ Full API (counts against quota)
- ✓ Email reports
- ✓ EU Isolation option
- ✓ 7-day free trial
Cost Comparison at Scale
At higher traffic volumes, self-hosting becomes significantly more cost-effective:
Open Source & Self-hosting
Open Source Comparison
| Feature | Staminads | Fathom |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Yes (AGPL-3.0) | No (closed source) |
| Source Code | Full access on GitHub | Not available |
| Self-hosting | Full product (Docker) | Not available (SaaS only) |
| Technology Stack | Typescript + ClickHouse | Unknown (closed source) |
| Data Ownership | 100% yours (your servers) | Stored on Fathom servers |
SaaS Lock-in
Fathom is a closed-source, SaaS-only product. There's no self-hosting option — your data lives on their servers and you pay monthly based on pageviews. Staminads is fully open source (AGPL-3.0) and self-hosted, giving you complete control over your data and infrastructure.
Unique Fathom Features
Fathom has some features that Staminads doesn't currently offer.
Features Unique to Fathom
Data & Analytics
- • Google Analytics importer
- • EU data isolation (Schrems II)
- • All-sites aggregate view
Reporting & UX
- • Email reports (weekly/monthly)
- • Dark mode
- • Public dashboard sharing
When Fathom Might Be Better
If you want a fully managed SaaS with no infrastructure to maintain, EU data isolation for Schrems II compliance, or need to import historical Google Analytics data, Fathom is a solid choice.
When to Choose Each Platform
Choose Staminads
Staminads is the better choice if you want to:
- Detect winning dimensions that drive engaged traffic
- Use median metrics (not misleading averages)
- Advanced traffic categorization to map your marketing mix
- Backfill historical data when rules change
- Self-host and own your data (no SaaS lock-in)
- Unlimited API usage without quota concerns
Choose Fathom
Fathom might be better if you:
- Want a fully managed SaaS with no infrastructure
- Need EU data isolation for Schrems II
- Want to import Google Analytics history
- Prefer the simplest possible dashboard
- Want email reports built-in
- Don't need advanced traffic categorization
- Don't need advanced data exploration
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fathom's fingerprinting really compliant?
Fathom claims full GDPR, CCPA, ePrivacy, and PECR compliance. They hash IP + User-Agent with a daily rotating salt to count unique visitors. However, the EDPB Guidelines 2/2023 explicitly include fingerprinting within the scope of Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive. Under GDPR, hashing is pseudonymization (not anonymization), and IP addresses are personal data. If you need to eliminate any legal gray area, Staminads' session-only approach avoids fingerprinting entirely.
Can I migrate from Fathom to Staminads?
Yes. Both platforms track similar core metrics. Install the Staminads script and start collecting data immediately. Fathom allows CSV exports of your data. Note that Staminads' different metric calculations (median vs average) mean the numbers may not be directly comparable.
Why does Fathom cap at 50 sites?
Fathom includes up to 50 sites on all paid plans. For agencies or businesses with more sites, this may require contacting sales for custom pricing. Staminads has no site limits when self-hosted.
Why does Fathom's API count against pageviews?
Fathom's API requests consume your monthly pageview quota. This means building dashboards or integrations that frequently poll the API will eat into your allowance. Staminads' API is unlimited and doesn't affect any quota — use it as much as you need.
Which is better for agencies?
Staminads offers unlimited sites, proper user roles (Owner, Admin, Editor, Viewer), and advanced traffic categorization with backfill — built for agencies managing multiple clients. Fathom caps at 50 sites and uses password-based sharing instead of user accounts.
Ready to find your winning dimensions?
Both Staminads and Fathom are privacy-first. Choose Staminads to detect which traffic sources, campaigns, and dimensions drive the most engaged visitors — with full self-hosting and no pageview limits.