Websites using Piwik PRO Core

Okay, let s break down Piwik PRO Core, covering its overview, revenue, alternatives, pricing, and customer care details.

Piwik PRO Core Overview

Piwik PRO Core is a privacy-focused web analytics platform designed for organizations that need strict data protection and regulatory compliance. It is a self-hosted or on-premises solution, meaning you have full control over your data and infrastructure. Here s a summary of its key aspects:

• Focus on Privacy: Piwik PRO Core is a direct response to growing concerns about data privacy. It aims to offer a powerful analytics platform without compromising user privacy, adhering to regulations like GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and others.
• Self-Hosted/On-Premises: Unlike many cloud-based analytics tools, Piwik PRO Core is typically installed on your own servers or infrastructure. This gives you granular control over your data and eliminates the need to trust a third-party processor.
• Customization and Flexibility: Its architecture allows for a high degree of customization. You can tailor the platform to meet your specific data collection, analysis, and reporting requirements.
• Comprehensive Analytics: Core features include website traffic tracking, user behavior analysis, custom events, conversion tracking, and audience segmentation. It is a full-fledged alternative to platforms like Google Analytics.
• Data Ownership: The core philosophy is that you own your data. You are not beholden to the analytics provider s data policies.
• Suitable for Enterprises and Sensitive Data: This solution is particularly attractive to large enterprises, government organizations, healthcare providers, and any entity handling highly sensitive user data.

Revenue

Piwik PRO itself is a commercial company that has several product offerings beyond the Core platform (including Piwik PRO Analytics Suite, which can be hosted in a cloud setting).

• Piwik PRO Core is offered under a different model: While the core software is open source and free to use, it is often paired with consulting, support, and other services from the company or its partners. Piwik PRO also offers a managed version of Piwik PRO Analytics Suite, which is not free.
• Revenue Drivers: Their revenue model is primarily based on:
  • Premium Support: Offering paid technical support, maintenance, and troubleshooting services for Piwik PRO Core installations.
  • Consulting: Providing implementation, customization, and training services to organizations using Piwik PRO Core.
  • Piwik PRO Analytics Suite Subscriptions: The paid version of the Piwik PRO suite includes more features and hosted options.
  • Partner Network: They have a network of partners who provide Piwik PRO services, creating a revenue stream through partnerships.

Alternatives to Piwik PRO Core

If you re considering self-hosted, privacy-focused analytics, here are some alternatives to Piwik PRO Core:

• Matomo (formerly Piwik): The original platform Piwik PRO is derived from, Matomo is a popular open-source alternative with similar functionalities. It offers a cloud-hosted option as well.
• Plausible Analytics: A lightweight, open-source, and privacy-friendly analytics tool with a focus on simplicity and ease of use. It has less features than Matomo or Piwik PRO Core.
• Simple Analytics: Another lightweight option that prioritizes privacy. It s a simpler alternative, often with fewer features, geared for those who just want basic analytics with minimal data collection.
• GoAccess: A real-time, command-line based log analyzer that can be used for website traffic analysis and is often favoured by developers.
• Umami: Open-source and privacy-focused, designed to be lightweight and easy to use. It s often chosen for its clean interface and focus on simplicity.

Pricing

• Piwik PRO Core is free to use under an open-source license. The base software is free to download and use.
• Associated Costs: However, keep in mind the hidden costs:
  • Infrastructure: You will need to factor in the costs of servers, storage, bandwidth, and potentially DevOps resources to host and maintain the installation.
  • Support/Consulting: Paid support from Piwik PRO or their partners can be a significant cost, especially for larger and more complex deployments.
  • Internal Resources: You ll need in-house technical staff to implement, maintain, and potentially customize your Piwik PRO Core installation.
• Piwik PRO Analytics Suite has a per-domain monthly subscription model. The costs vary based on the number of features, data volume and the type of cloud environment chosen.

Customer Care Details

• Support for Piwik PRO Core: For Core users, customer care is usually delivered in a tiered structure:
  • Community Support: Piwik PRO has an active community forum where users can ask questions and share solutions.
  • Paid Support: This usually comes as a service agreement, and you might get dedicated support from Piwik PRO engineers or certified partners.
• Support for Piwik PRO Analytics Suite: Paid subscriptions usually come with direct support channels, such as email, chat, or phone support, depending on the plan.
• Documentation: They maintain fairly extensive documentation, which can be a good first point of contact for self-help.
• Training: Piwik PRO offers training programs and onboarding services, which can be a useful resource for learning the platform effectively.

Key Takeaways

• Piwik PRO Core is a powerful, privacy-focused analytics platform that offers a high degree of control and customization.
• It is a good choice for organizations with stringent privacy regulations.
• While the software is open-source and free, there are significant associated costs for infrastructure, support, and possibly consulting.
• Consider the alternatives if you are looking for a cloud based solution or require very simple analytics tools.
• Piwik PRO has both community and paid options for customer support depending on the version you choose.

Before making a decision, carefully evaluate your organization s specific needs, budget, technical capabilities, and compliance requirements. Do you have the capacity to host and maintain your own infrastructure? Do you need the level of customization Piwik PRO Core offers? Compare alternatives before making a choice.