The best free analytics plugins for WordPress

If you’re running a WordPress site (or twenty of them) flying blind without analytics is like running ads with your eyes closed. You think you know what’s working, until the leads dry up, conversions dip, or your best-performing post quietly disappears from page one.

That’s why analytics plugins aren’t just “nice to have” tools; they’re your early-warning system. They show you what pages drive revenue, where visitors drop off, and how campaigns actually perform before you waste more budget guessing.

In this guide, we’ll dig into the top free analytics plugins, compare how they handle data, and spotlight where others miss the mark, so you don’t lose growth opportunities simply because you weren’t looking at the numbers.

By the end, you’ll know exactly which plugin keeps you informed, compliant, and ahead of competitors still playing the guessing game.

Running a WordPress site without analytics is basically guesswork. You might see traffic coming in, but you don’t know where it’s from, which pages keep people reading, or which ones quietly lose visitors. Host logs don’t give you the full picture, and Google Analytics alone can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re jumping between multiple tools.

A good analytics plugin brings those insights straight into your WordPress dashboard. It shows you what content performs well, what needs attention, and where people are coming from, so you can make decisions based on real data instead of gut feeling.

Common pain points it solves include:

• Installing and maintaining Google Analytics (or GA4) manually.
• Having to jump between multiple tools (host stats, Google Analytics, custom code).
• Not tracking events like button clicks, downloads, forms.
• Needing an analytics tool that doesn’t slow down the site or conflict with caching.
• Ensuring compliance with privacy laws (e.g., GDPR, cookie consent) while still getting meaningful data.

This article provides a list of the best free analytics plugins for WordPress, explains how to choose among them, shows key features and pitfalls, and offers actionable setup steps.

Before selecting one of the best free analytics plugins for WordPress, evaluate your needs with these criteria:

• Page-views, visitors, sessions (basic metrics).
• Real-time data (optional but useful for promotions/live events).
• Event tracking: downloads, button clicks, form submissions.
• Integration with e-commerce (if you use WooCommerce).
• Dashboard inside WordPress (vs having to leave WP to view data).
• Ease of installation and onboarding (minimal code).
• Performance: lightweight, does not slow down your site or conflict with caching.
• Privacy/data ownership: Does it store analytics on your server?
• Does it send data externally?
  Compatibility with GDPR/consent requirements.
• Free vs premium: What you get without paying.

Here are three standout free options that cover different use-cases.

Burst Statistics is a great example of a privacy-friendly, self-hosted analytics plugin built specifically for WordPress.

What it offers (free tier):

• Self-hosted, data stored on your server, no third party tracking.
• Core metrics: pageviews, visitors, sessions, time on page, referrers.
• Real-time dashboard inside WordPress.
• Light footprint; minimal performance impact.
• No Google Analytics account required; no external cookies by default.

What is limited in free tier:

• Advanced features (UTM tracking, geo-insights, multiple goals) are in the Pro version.

Best for: Website owners who want full control of their analytics data, privacy-concerned sites, EU-based websites, sites where performance is critical.

We’ve found that the sites which review their analytics monthly grow faster, because they spot what’s working and drop what’s not.

MonsterInsights is widely cited as the most popular analytics plugin for WordPress.

What it offers (free tier):

• Easy Google Analytics (GA4) integration in WordPress.
• Dashboard inside WordPress showing traffic stats.
• Reliable community and strong brand backing.

What is limited in free tier:

• Some event tracking and e-commerce features require upgrade.

Best for: Bloggers or small business owners who want a trusted, user-friendly plugin that connects to Google Analytics quickly.

Site Kit by Google is the official WordPress plugin from Google and it’s completely free.

Free tier highlights:

• Seamlessly connects Google Analytics, Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, and AdSense in one dashboard
• No need for manual code or API setups, authentication happens with your Google account
• Provides insights on top-performing pages, traffic sources, and search performance directly inside WordPress

Limitations:

• Reports are simplified, not ideal for deep event tracking or e-commerce analysis
• Can occasionally slow down the dashboard or conflict with heavy caching setups

Best for: Site owners who want a trusted, all-in-one Google solution without juggling multiple plugins or dashboards

Here’s a simplified comparison of the three plugins above:

Here’s a general step-by-step guide for deploying one of these plugins and getting value right away.

Go to Plugins → Add New in your WordPress dashboard. Search for the plugin (e.g., Burst Statistics, MonsterInsights, SiteKit) and click Install → Activate.

For Google Analytics based plugins (MonsterInsights/SiteKit):

1. Create or identify your Google Analytics (GA4) property.
2. In the plugin settings, connect the property (often via OAuth).
3. Confirm tracking code deployment page-wide.

For Burst Statistics:

• No external account needed. Data stored locally.
• Optionally configure cookieless tracking if you want minimal cookie burden.

• Select what user roles should be excluded (e.g., admin, editor).
• Enable real-time stats (if available).
• For e-commerce sites: enable WooCommerce or other cart tracking.
• For privacy: ensure anonymisation enabled for IPs or opt-out for logged-in users.

Check if your plugin tracks:

• File downloads
• Button clicks
• Form submissions
• If not, consider adding minimal custom tracking or switching to the plugin that offers it free.

• Review popular pages/posts and optimise weaker ones.
• Look at traffic sources and allocate budget or effort accordingly.
• If you have conversions (sign-ups, sales), track drop-off and potential bottlenecks.
• Use your data to improve content, links, CTAs or site structure.

• Run a site speed test using a tool like page speed insights before and after the plugin install to confirm no major regression.
• Review your cookie-consent mechanism to ensure analytics scripts are controlled.
• Take a backup of your analytics settings and data.

If you just want some numbers in WordPress, most analytics plugins will do the job. But if you actually care about performance, privacy, and understanding what’s happening on your site without drowning in dashboards, the choice becomes clearer.

Google-based plugins like MonsterInsights and Site Kit work well if you’re already committed to GA4 and don’t mind relying on third-party tracking. For many site owners though, that setup can feel heavy, overcomplicated, or harder to keep compliant.

That’s where Burst Statistics stands out. It gives you the essentials – page views, visitors, referrers, and engagement, directly inside WordPress, without sending data elsewhere or slowing things down. You stay in control of your data, avoid unnecessary tracking scripts, and still get insights you can actually act on.

For most WordPress sites, especially those focused on performance, privacy, or simplicity, a lightweight, self-hosted analytics plugin isn’t a compromise – it’s the smarter starting point. Install it, check it regularly, and let the data guide your decisions instead of guessing.