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Web Analytics & Privacy

Matomo Analytics — privacy-compliant web analytics for Swiss companies

Web analytics without privacy trade-offs. Matomo runs on your own servers, transfers no data to the US, and is the leading open-source alternative to Google Analytics — FADP and GDPR compliant.

Since the new Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and European rulings against Google Analytics, many companies face the question: How do we measure website usage without violating data protection law?

Matomo provides a clear answer: 100% data ownership, no sharing with third parties, cookieless tracking without consent requirements — as an open-source solution that runs free on your own servers.

digitario supports Swiss companies with setup, migration from Google Analytics, and building a privacy-compliant analytics practice. Not as a theoretical recommendation — but from daily, hands-on experience with Matomo.

View comparison

Why Matomo?

Web analytics that treats privacy as a feature, not a burden.

Google Analytics is the default — but increasingly problematic for Swiss companies. The new FADP, the GDPR and the Schrems II ruling are changing the rules.

Google Analytics transfers usage data to servers in the United States. European data protection authorities in France, Austria and Italy have already ruled this unlawful. In Switzerland, the new FADP (effective September 2023) tightens information duties further.

Matomo solves this fundamentally: the software runs on your own servers, all data remains under complete company control. No US transfers, no data sharing with third parties, no compromise on analytics functionality.

This is not a theoretical assessment — digitario.ch uses Matomo as its sole analytics tool. Our own instance (stats.digitario.ch) runs on a German server, configured cookieless, with IP anonymisation and full FADP/GDPR protection.

Common starting points

The collaboration is most valuable where analytics questions create real pressure to act.

Matomo vs. Google Analytics 4 — honest comparison

Where Matomo excels and where GA4 has strengths. Transparent, no sales rhetoric.

Privacy & Compliance

Data ownership

Matomo (on-premise)

100% on your servers

Google Analytics 4

Google servers (US)

FADP compliant without consent

Matomo (on-premise)

Yes — cookieless possible

Google Analytics 4

No — consent mandatory

GDPR compliance

Matomo (on-premise)

CNIL certified

Google Analytics 4

Legally contested (FR/AT/IT)

IP anonymisation

Matomo (on-premise)

Enabled by default

Google Analytics 4

Configurable

No US data transfer

Matomo (on-premise)

On-premise = no transfer

Google Analytics 4

Data sent to US
Features

Real-time analytics

Matomo (on-premise)

Fully live

Google Analytics 4

Limited

Heatmaps & session recording

Matomo (on-premise)

Built-in (plugin)

Google Analytics 4

Third-party required

E-commerce tracking

Matomo (on-premise)

Yes

Google Analytics 4

Yes + Google Shopping

Conversion modelling (ML)

Matomo (on-premise)

Not available

Google Analytics 4

Strong — ML-based

Google Ads integration

Matomo (on-premise)

Not direct

Google Analytics 4

Natively integrated

Tag manager

Matomo (on-premise)

Matomo Tag Manager

Google Analytics 4

Google Tag Manager

Cross-platform (app + web)

Matomo (on-premise)

Limited

Google Analytics 4

Strong

Unsampled data

Matomo (on-premise)

Always 100%

Google Analytics 4

Sampling at high traffic
Cost

Base version

Matomo (on-premise)

Free (on-premise)

Google Analytics 4

Free

Enterprise

Matomo (on-premise)

Cloud from EUR 19/mo

Google Analytics 4

GA360: from ~$150k/year

Heatmaps / session replay

Matomo (on-premise)

Included or affordable

Google Analytics 4

Third-party ($$$)
Operations

Hosting effort

Matomo (on-premise)

Self-hosting required

Google Analytics 4

No hosting needed

Setup complexity

Matomo (on-premise)

Higher — consulting recommended

Google Analytics 4

Simpler

Vendor dependency

Matomo (on-premise)

None (open source)

Google Analytics 4

Google ecosystem

Fazit

◆Privacy advantage: For Swiss companies without Google Ads dependency, Matomo is the clearly better choice — privacy-compliant, cost-effective and with full data ownership.

→GA4 strengths: ML-based conversion modelling, native Google Ads integration and cross-platform tracking (app + web) remain genuine advantages for marketing-driven companies.

→Combination possible: Matomo as the primary analytics tool for privacy-compliant measurement, GA4 optionally and limited for advertising data — with separate consent.

* Hinweis: As of March 2026. Features and pricing are subject to change. For authoritative information: consult matomo.org and analytics.google.com.

Services

What digitario delivers around Matomo.

Setup & configuration

Install and configure Matomo on-premise or cloud: tracking code, goals, dashboards, IP anonymisation, cookie consent integration. FADP/GDPR compliant from day one.

Migration from Google Analytics

Transfer tracking structure from GA4 or Universal Analytics, import historical data (where possible), reconfigure goals and events, validate data quality.

Training & enablement

Team workshops on dashboards, reports and KPIs. So your internal team can use Matomo independently — without ongoing external dependency.

Practice over theory

Why Matomo consulting from digitario?

Not a generic agency recommendation — real experience from daily, hands-on usage.

digitario runs its own Matomo instance (stats.digitario.ch) and uses it as its sole analytics tool. The privacy policy, cookie banner and consent logic on this website were built to FADP and GDPR standards — with the same expertise that flows into client projects.

Common questions

Questions about Matomo — honestly answered.

Do I still need a cookie banner with Matomo?+

Only if you want to set Matomo cookies. With the cookieless configuration (standard at digitario), no cookies are set and no consent is needed. Page views are still captured — anonymously and FADP/GDPR compliant. A banner is only needed if you want to recognise returning visitors via cookies.

How much does Matomo cost?+

Matomo on-premise is free (open source). You only need a server — an affordable web hosting plan is enough for most SMEs. Matomo Cloud starts at EUR 19 per month. Professional setup costs are separate and one-time.

Can I import data from Google Analytics?+

Yes — Matomo can import historical data from Universal Analytics. GA4 data is harder to migrate as Google does not offer a simple export format. In practice, we recommend: save GA4 data as PDF/CSV and make a clean start with Matomo.

How long does a migration from GA4 to Matomo take?+

A straightforward setup takes 1–2 days. A full migration with goal configuration, event tracking and team onboarding: typically 1–3 weeks, depending on the complexity of the existing analytics setup.

Is Matomo truly GDPR and FADP compliant?+

Yes — with correct configuration. The French data protection authority CNIL has officially approved Matomo as a consent-exempt analytics solution. With on-premise hosting, data never leaves your server. That is the strongest privacy position possible with web analytics.

Where is my data stored with Matomo?+

You decide. With on-premise: on your own server, in Switzerland, Germany or wherever you choose. With Matomo Cloud: on EU servers. In no case does data go to Google, Meta or other third parties.

What is the difference between Matomo on-premise and cloud?+

On-premise: you run Matomo on your own server — maximum control, free, but hosting effort required. Cloud: Matomo hosts for you on EU servers — simpler, but monthly costs. For companies with existing web hosting, on-premise is usually the better choice.

Can Matomo do heatmaps and session recordings?+

Yes. As a premium plugin (on-premise: from EUR 229/year) or included in the cloud version. With Google Analytics you need a third-party tool like Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity — with additional privacy overhead.

What does Google Analytics do better than Matomo?+

GA4 is stronger in ML-based conversion modelling, native Google Ads integration and cross-platform tracking (app + web). If Google Ads is a core marketing channel, GA4 can complement Matomo — with separate consent.

Does digitario also offer Matomo hosting?+

No — digitario focuses on setup, migration and consulting. For managed hosting we recommend specialised providers such as Ops One (Swiss servers) or Friendly Analytics. This gives you the best combination of consulting and operations.

Next step

Discuss your analytics situation?

Whether Matomo is the right fit depends on your context. In a brief conversation, we clarify which analytics solution suits your company — pragmatic and without sales pressure.

Related topics

More services from digitario.