Friendly Analytics is based on Matomo (formerly Piwik), the world’s most popular open source solution for web analytics.
But how does Friendly Analytics differ from Matomo?
To answer this question, we must first define what is meant by “Matomo”. On the one hand, there is the open source software Matomo. On the other hand, there is the hosting offer “Matomo Cloud” from a company of the founder of Matomo.
In the following, we will go over the main differences between Friendly Analytics and the Matomo Cloud, as well as between Friendly Analytics and a do-it-yourself installation of Matomo:
Matomo Cloud vs. Friendly Analytics
Friendly Analytics is functionally comparable to Matomo Cloud. However, there are some important differences, especially when it comes to privacy. These are:
| Friendly Automate | Matomo Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Switzerland (Europe) | New Zealand |
| Hosting | Providers headquartered in Switzerland or EU | Amazon AWS |
| Configuration | Privacy | Standard |
Headquarters
Friendly Analytics is provided by Friendly LLC from Switzerland in the heart of Europe. This means you benefit from the highest standards in terms of data protection and legal security. The company behind Matomo Cloud (Innocraft), on the other hand, is based in New Zealand.
Hosting
Friendly stores all customer data exclusively in Switzerland or the EU with providers headquartered in Switzerland or the EU – and not in the clouds of tech corporations from the USA. The Matomo Cloud, however, uses Amazon AWS for hosting.
Configuration
We have already adjusted all settings in Matomo for maximum privacy. You would need to configure them yourself if you use Matomo Cloud.
Matomo (Open Source Software) vs. Friendly Analytics
Of course, you can also download Matomo yourself and run it on your own server. Even if this seems cheap at first, it could still be expensive.
These are the advantages of Friendly Analytics compared to installing Matomo on your own:
| Friendly Automate | Matomo (own installation) | |
|---|---|---|
| Effort | Low | High |
| Responsibility | None | High |
| Privacy | High | Depending on settings |
Effort
The download and installation of Mautic is free of charge. However, the secure and reliable operation of the software, including regular updates and functional tests, requires a lot of time – and time is money.
Responsibility
If you run a software yourself, you are responsible for the correct function. A failure in your spare time is no fun. At Friendly Analytics, we take care of problems anytime – also on weekends.
Privacy
We are experts in data protection and spend a lot of time educating ourselves on data protection regulations such as the FADP (CH) and the GDPR (EU). We incorporate this knowledge into the configuration of the software – which again saves you time.
