Plausible is $9/mo (10k pageviews). Headcount is a self-hosted alternative at $1.99/mo. Here's when each makes sense.
| Headcount | Plausible | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Self-hosted, your infra | Plausible CE requires Docker, Postgres, and Clickhouse |
| Data location | Your server, your disk | Your server (if self-hosted) |
| Free tier | 10,000 events/mo | Paid only |
| Pro pricing | $1.99/mo | $9/mo (10k pageviews) |
| Dependencies | None (single binary + SQLite) | Docker, Postgres, etc. |
| Setup time | ~30 seconds | 15-30 minutes (self-host) |
| Dashboard | Built-in at /ui | Web UI |
| License | BSL 1.1 | Open source |
Headcount is a single Go binary with embedded SQLite. Install it with one command, and you are running in under a minute. Your data stays on your server.
curl -fsSL https://stockyard.dev/headcount/install.sh | sh
Choosing between Headcount and Plausible is less about which tool is better and more about what kind of infrastructure you want to maintain. Plausible at $9/mo (10k pageviews) handles hosting, backups, and uptime for you. Headcount at $1.99/mo shifts that responsibility to you — but also shifts the control. If you already run servers, Headcount adds negligible operational burden. If you do not, Plausible removes it entirely.
Headcount runs as a single static binary with an embedded SQLite database. There is no application server, no cache layer, no background worker. One process handles HTTP requests and reads from and writes to the database file directly. This simplicity is the entire point — fewer moving parts means fewer things that can break at 2 AM.
Both Headcount and Plausible offer self-hosted options, but the operational requirements differ. Plausible CE requires Docker, Postgres, and Clickhouse Headcount is a single binary with embedded SQLite — no containers, no external databases, no orchestration. The practical difference: Headcount runs on a $5 VPS with no configuration. Self-hosting Plausible typically requires a more substantial infrastructure investment.
If you are currently using Plausible and considering Headcount, start by running both in parallel. Install Headcount on a test server, point your workflow at it for a week, and compare the experience. Headcount's data directory is isolated — running a trial costs nothing beyond the compute. If Headcount does not fit, delete the binary and the data directory. There is nothing else to clean up.
Single binary. Free to start. $1.99/mo for Pro.