Comparison · Web analytics

VisualClicks vs Matomo: open-source analytics or a complete package with an SEO check?

Matomo is the best-known open-source alternative to Google Analytics – self-hosted or as a cloud in Frankfurt, with heatmaps and replays as paid extensions. VisualClicks is a cloud service from Germany that combines analytics, heatmaps, replays and a technical SEO check of domain, URLs and rankings in one product.

Matomo is a good fit if …

you want to run analytics on your own servers
open source is a must for you
you want a feature set close to Google Analytics and like to assemble plugins yourself

VisualClicks is a good fit if …

you do not want to run your own analytics infrastructure
heatmaps, replays and an SEO check should be included without separate plugins
you want to check domain, Core Web Vitals and rankings against competitors
you want to see requests from all AI crawlers

VisualClicks and Matomo side by side

As of October 20, 2026. Based on the vendors’ publicly available information.

Criterion	VisualClicks	Matomo
Cookieless measurement available	Yes – cookieless mode, consent modes to choose from	Yes – cookieless tracking can be enabled
Data stored in the EU	Yes – servers in Germany	Yes – cloud in Frankfurt or self-hosted
Self-hosting possible	No – cloud service only	Yes – On-Premise
Open source	No	Yes – core under GPL, premium plugins paid
Custom dashboards	Yes – drag and drop, cards with own filters	Yes – widget dashboards
Funnels	Yes – including path analysis	Yes – paid plugin on On-Premise
E-commerce tracking	Yes – including server-side orders	Yes
Click and scroll heatmaps	Yes – on the live page, add-on	Yes – paid plugin or cloud with limits
Session replays	Yes – add-on	Yes – paid plugin or cloud with limits
Technical domain/SEO check	Yes – daily domain check with score	No – not in the documented feature set
Core Web Vitals per URL (lab test)	Yes – phone and desktop	Partly – SEO Web Vitals plugin, On-Premise only
Keyword rankings with competitors	Yes – SEO Pro add-on	No – Search Console positions without competitors
AI assistants as a dedicated channel	Yes – ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, Gemini, Claude and more	Yes – “AI Assistants” channel
AI crawler detection	Yes – via server API or log import	Partly – AI chatbot report, training crawlers excluded
Server-side API	Yes – with API keys	Yes – HTTP Tracking API
Automatic anomaly detection	Yes – daily, with causes	Partly – insights and threshold alerts

Cookieless measurement available

VisualClicks

Yes – cookieless mode, consent modes to choose from

Matomo

Yes – cookieless tracking can be enabled

Data stored in the EU

VisualClicks

Yes – servers in Germany

Matomo

Yes – cloud in Frankfurt or self-hosted

Self-hosting possible

VisualClicks

No – cloud service only

Matomo

Yes – On-Premise

Open source

VisualClicks

Matomo

Yes – core under GPL, premium plugins paid

Custom dashboards

VisualClicks

Yes – drag and drop, cards with own filters

Matomo

Yes – widget dashboards

Funnels

VisualClicks

Yes – including path analysis

Matomo

Yes – paid plugin on On-Premise

E-commerce tracking

VisualClicks

Yes – including server-side orders

Matomo

Yes

Click and scroll heatmaps

VisualClicks

Yes – on the live page, add-on

Matomo

Yes – paid plugin or cloud with limits

Session replays

VisualClicks

Yes – add-on

Matomo

Yes – paid plugin or cloud with limits

Technical domain/SEO check

VisualClicks

Yes – daily domain check with score

Matomo

No – not in the documented feature set

Core Web Vitals per URL (lab test)

VisualClicks

Yes – phone and desktop

Matomo

Partly – SEO Web Vitals plugin, On-Premise only

Keyword rankings with competitors

VisualClicks

Yes – SEO Pro add-on

Matomo

No – Search Console positions without competitors

AI assistants as a dedicated channel

VisualClicks

Yes – ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot, Gemini, Claude and more

Matomo

Yes – “AI Assistants” channel

AI crawler detection

VisualClicks

Yes – via server API or log import

Matomo

Partly – AI chatbot report, training crawlers excluded

Server-side API

VisualClicks

Yes – with API keys

Matomo

Yes – HTTP Tracking API

Automatic anomaly detection

VisualClicks

Yes – daily, with causes

Matomo

Partly – insights and threshold alerts

The key differences

Operation and data storage

Matomo On-Premise runs on your own server – full control, but updates, database maintenance and scaling are your responsibility too. Matomo Cloud is hosted in Frankfurt. VisualClicks is a pure cloud service on servers in Germany; we take care of operation, updates and check runs.

Cookies and consent

Both can measure without cookies. Matomo itself points out that in Germany JavaScript tracking should be treated as requiring consent under the TDDDG. VisualClicks offers a cookieless mode and consent modes; whether your use requires consent can only be assessed bindingly by your data protection adviser.

Heatmaps, replays and funnels

With Matomo On-Premise, heatmaps, session recordings and funnels are paid plugins; in the cloud they are included with monthly limits. In VisualClicks, funnels with path analysis are part of the product, heatmaps and replays come as an add-on – in the same data set as all reports.

SEO and technology

Matomo shows positions from Search Console and – On-Premise via plugin – Web Vitals through the PageSpeed API. VisualClicks additionally checks the domain (certificate, DNS, security headers, ports, crawl files), measures every URL itself on phone and desktop and tracks keyword rankings compared with competitors.

Using VisualClicks and Matomo together?

Running both is possible but rarely needed, since the analytics features overlap a lot. It can make sense to keep Matomo as your existing data base and use VisualClicks for heatmaps, replays and the SEO check.

Frequently asked questions

Can I self-host VisualClicks like Matomo?

No. VisualClicks is a cloud service on servers in Germany. If you must run analytics on your own infrastructure, Matomo On-Premise is the better choice.

Is VisualClicks open source?

No. The tracking code can be inspected, but the application itself is not open source. Matomo’s core is licensed under the GPL.

What does VisualClicks offer that Matomo does not document?

A daily domain check with a domain score, its own test browser for Core Web Vitals on phone and desktop, keyword rankings compared with competitors and the capture of all AI crawlers via server API or log import.

Sources

All information on Matomo without guarantee, as of October 20, 2026, researched on the vendors’ websites and documentation. Features and prices may change. Trademarks belong to their respective owners; VisualClicks is not affiliated with them.

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