Signal Ledger | Privacy analytics baseline

Research date: 1 November 2026. Public-source sample, not commissioned by or affiliated with any named vendor. This is an initial snapshot, not a verified change report: no earlier observation has been collected.

Decision this brief supports

For a small analytics vendor: which sales comparisons deserve verification before publishing a competitive comparison page?

Three observations

Fathom: one feature set, traffic-based pricing. Its pricing page currently displays a $15/month entry tier for up to 100,000 monthly pageviews, 50 sites, and a seven-day trial requiring a card. The page states that all plans include the same analytics features. Primary source.

Sales implication (analysis): Compare the total cost across the buyer's sites and traffic volume, rather than comparing a single-site headline price. Verify annual billing and any high-volume terms separately.

Simple Analytics: separate self-serve and assisted enterprise journeys. The retrieved pricing page displays £20/month at 100,000 pageviews, includes one user, and displays an additional £20/month per extra user. It also presents an assisted enterprise proof of concept and custom pricing. This observation is in GBP; it must not be treated as a USD price. The self-serve trial and enterprise proof of concept have different durations. Primary source.

Sales implication (analysis): A fair comparison should specify currency, seat count, and whether it compares self-serve or assisted enterprise service. Refresh the checkout currency before quoting a buyer.

Plausible: positioning extends beyond a simple dashboard. Its homepage emphasizes ease of use and EU hosting, while also describing automatic scroll-depth tracking, traffic from AI tools, Search Console integration, and funnels/user journeys. These are vendor descriptions, not independently tested capabilities. Primary source.

Sales implication (analysis): Avoid a stale comparison that characterizes Plausible as only a basic traffic counter. Verify feature availability by plan before writing sales copy.

Recommended next action

Build a comparison worksheet for a specific buyer scenario: 100,000 monthly pageviews, five sites, and two users. Record currency, monthly versus annual commitment, feature scope, and trial conditions for each vendor. Do not declare a cheapest vendor until equivalent plans and checkout currencies are verified.

Coverage and limits

Three public pages were readable during this research session. No customer interviews, product trials, historical captures, or checkout transactions were performed. Prices can vary by locale and billing mode. No increase, decrease, release date, conversion effect, or competitor intention is asserted. The next report needs a second dated observation before identifying a change.

Watchlist for the next observation

- Fathom: entry price, 100k traffic allowance, site limit, trial/card conditions.

- Simple Analytics: display currency, seat surcharge, trial versus proof-of-concept scope.

- Plausible: feature wording and plan-level availability through its linked pricing page.