Analytics Head vs Plausible Analytics

Analytics Head is a deliberately simple WordPress plugin for Google Analytics. No dashboards, no Google account connection, no feature creep — just the tracking code, placed exactly where you want it. Why use this plugin? Lightweight — a handful of options, minimal overhead, no external dependencies Easy — paste your GA4 Measurement ID (G-XXXXXXXXXX) and you are done Head placement by default — required for Google Search Console verification via Analytics Flexible — footer placement, role-based hiding, Consent Mode v2, optional Google Ads IDs Developer-friendly — filters and actions to customize output without forking the plugin Unlike heavyweight analytics suites, this plugin does one job well: inject the standard gtag.js snippet into your site. Features Google tag / GA4 Measurement ID support (GT-…, G-XXXXXXXXXX) Additional tracking IDs for separate destinations (e.g. Google Ads AW-) Legacy UA- ID acceptance (with admin notice to migrate) Code in by default (optional footer placement) Tracking never injected in wp-admin Hide tracking for administrators on the front end Hide tracking per user role Google Consent Mode v2 defaults (for GDPR / cookie plugins) Keep settings on uninstall (optional) Developer hooks and filters External services This plugin connects to Google Analytics (via Google Tag Manager / gtag.js) to provide website analytics. When: on public front-end page views only (never in the WordPress admin area), unless tracking is hidden for the current visitor by plugin settings What is sent: standard Google Analytics measurement data (for example page URL, referrer, browser/device information, and IP-derived location), processed by Google Who receives it: Google LLC / Google Analytics Terms of Service: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/terms/us/ Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy You are responsible for informing visitors (for example in your privacy policy) and, where required, obtaining consent. Suggested privacy policy text is also offered under Settings → Privacy when the plugin is active. Requirements WordPress 6.3 or later (compatible with WordPress 7+) PHP 7.4 or later Examples Filter tracking IDs add_filter( 'pp_google_analytics_head_tracking_ids', function( $ids ) { // Add a separate destination only — not a second ID for the same Google tag. $ids[] = 'AW-123456789'; return $ids; } ); Change Consent Mode defaults (PHP) add_filter( 'pp_google_analytics_head_consent_defaults', function( $defaults ) { $defaults['wait_for_update'] = 2000; $defaults['region'] = [ 'PL', 'DE', 'US-CA' ]; return $defaults; } ); Grant consent after the user accepts cookies (JavaScript) Call this from your consent plugin callback or custom banner “Accept” handler. Update all four types that this plugin sets to denied by default: gtag('consent', 'update', { analytics_storage: 'granted', ad_storage: 'granted', ad_user_data: 'granted', ad_personalization: 'granted' }); If you only want basic analytics (not ads), grant analytics and keep ads denied: gtag('consent', 'update', { analytics_storage: 'granted', ad_storage: 'denied', ad_user_data: 'denied', ad_personalization: 'denied' }); Modify the inline gtag config add_filter( 'pp_google_analytics_head_inline_script', function( $script, $ids ) { $script .= "gtag('event','page_view');"; return $script; }, 10, 2 );

Plausible Analytics is a simple, lightweight and privacy-friendly WordPress analytics plugin and a Google Analytics alternative for WordPress. Understand your website stats, traffic, content and conversions with a clean analytics dashboard that doesn’t slow down your WordPress site or require complex setup. No cookies. No consent banners. Fully compliant with GDPR, CCPA and PECR. Live Demo. You need a subscription to Plausible Analytics to track your stats. There’s a free 30-day trial with no credit card required. We’re completely independent, self-funded, bootstrapped and debt-free. We’re not interested in raising funds or taking investment. We choose the subscription business model rather than surveillance capitalism. We’re operating a sustainable project funded solely by the fees that our subscribers pay us. Visit our website for full details. Why WordPress users choose Plausible Most analytics tools are complex, slow and difficult to use. Plausible is built to be simple, fast and easy to understand. “I use Plausible for traffic analytics. Privacy-friendly, no cookie banner needed, lightweight script that doesn’t slow down the page.” — Joost de Valk, founder of Yoast SEO “I really like the simplicity of the dashboard, not bloated with countless options and tabs. I know exactly where to look.” — Tomzur, co-founder of Kinsta Here are the main reasons that WordPress users love Plausible. Simple analytics dashboard for WordPress Get all your key metrics in a single, clear dashboard. See traffic, top pages, referrers and conversions at a glance without digging through multiple reports or menus. Check your traffic within your WordPress dashboard and get all essential insights on one page in one minute. Lightweight analytics that won’t slow your WordPress site Built for speed, Plausible adds almost no weight to your pages. Our script is at least 54 times smaller than Google Analytics. Your site stays fast, your visitors get a better experience, and your analytics won’t impact performance. More accurate analytics you can trust Get a clearer picture of your traffic, even when visitors use ad blockers or privacy tools. First-party tracking option helps bypass blockers No data sampling or estimation Count more real visitors compared to traditional analytics tools Features a real time dashboard, that’s actually real time Your stats reflect what’s actually happening on your site, not partial or distorted data. Read about our accuracy practices. WordPress analytics without cookies or consent banners Plausible comes with in-built privacy and compliance with various laws around the world such as GDPR, CCPA, etc. No cookies No personal data collection No persistent identifiers No cross-site or cross-device tracking Your site data is not used for any other purposes. All visitor data is exclusively processed with servers owned and operated by European companies and it never leaves the EU. You can track your traffic without showing cookie consent banners. Track events, content, marketing campaigns and revenue Understand how people use your site and what drives results. Track: Engagement and behavior — scroll depth, bounce rate and time on page Content performance — top pages, entry pages, authors, categories and taxonomies Events (no code needed) — outbound links, file downloads, form submissions, site searches, 404 pages and affiliate link clicks Marketing campaigns — analyze traffic from UTM-tagged campaigns across ads, email and social Custom events — define your own goals and conversions without writing code Revenue and funnels — track purchases, conversion rates and customer journeys Built-in WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads analytics Plausible provides automated WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads analytics solutions to track conversions, revenue and attribution. Track activities like adding to cart, removing from cart, entering checkout and completing a purchase Track revenue and conversions automatically View the full purchase funnel from product view to checkout Measure cart abandonment and drop-off points Understand which channels drive sales Shareable and client-friendly dashboards Your stats are private by default but can be shared. Public dashboards via custom links Private links with optional password protection Team access with user roles Open source and transparent Plausible is open source software. You can inspect and verify the code on GitHub. We’re an independent, bootstrapped company funded by our customers, not by advertising or data collection. Your data stays yours. If you’re happy to manage your own infrastructure, you can self-host Plausible too. Smooth transition from Google Analytics Switching from Google Analytics is simple and you won’t lose the insights that matter. Plausible gives you all the essential metrics in a clean, easy-to-use dashboard, including real-time traffic, top pages, referrers and campaign performance. No complicated configuration, no learning curve, just clear insights from day one. Import your historical stats from Google Analytics and learn how to get the most out of your Plausible experience. Built for WordPress Plausible fits naturally into how WordPress sites are built and managed: Works with any WordPress theme Compatible with caching and performance plugins Works with multilingual sites built with WPML, with each language domain on its own dashboard No need to edit theme files or use tag managers Simple setup with no coding required View your stats directly in your WordPress dashboard Google Analytics alternative for WordPress If you’re looking for a simpler and more privacy-friendly alternative, Plausible offers everything you need without the complexity. No overwhelming reports or menus No data sampling No complex configuration One intuitive dashboard No GDPR, CCPA, PECR, etc., compliance headaches Who is this for? Bloggers, publishers and content creators who want to understand which posts perform best, where traffic comes from, and how readers engage Businesses and marketers tracking conversions, campaigns, and growth across SEO, ads, email and social channels WooCommerce and digital store owners who want simple revenue tracking, funnels and insights into customer journeys Agencies and freelancers managing multiple WordPress sites and sharing clean, client-friendly dashboards Product teams and startups measuring user behavior, key events and conversion funnels without complex setup Privacy-conscious site owners who want analytics without cookies, personal data collection or consent banners Anyone switching from Google Analytics who wants a simpler, faster and more intuitive analytics experience Features Easy setup and integration Automatically includes tracking code in your site header Simple plugin settings page with onboarding guide Works with caching plugins and CDNs Proxy support to bypass ad blockers and improve stats accuracy Import your historical Google Analytics stats Our product is updated several times per week and with our WordPress plugin you always have access to all the latest features WordPress-specific tracking Automatically track post authors, categories and custom taxonomies for deeper content insights Enable Enhanced Measurements to track file downloads, outbound links, affiliate clicks, form submissions, site searches and 404 error pages automatically Track events without coding using CSS classes directly in the WordPress editor No JavaScript knowledge required — everything can be configured from the plugin settings Disable tracking for admin users or selected user roles Ecommerce and conversions WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads integration Revenue tracking Conversion tracking and funnels Campaign tracking with UTM parameters Integrate with Google Search Console for search queries data within Plausible dashboard Insights and reporting One-page dashboard with all key metrics View your Plausible stats directly in your WordPress dashboard (you can grant access to other user roles too) Email and Slack reports Traffic spike notifications Filter and segment by any metric For more information: How to setup Plausible Analytics WordPress plugin. Pricing Plausible Analytics is a subscription-based service. Free 30-day trial No credit card required No data selling or tracking We’re funded by our customers, not by collecting or selling personal data.