For Plausible

Plausible on Edge,
analytics with no consent banner

Self-host the privacy-first analytics platform on a small VM with the tracking script on a global CDN. GDPR-friendly, cookie-free, and no per-pageview surprise bills.

Start your trial Read the deploy guide

# docker-compose.yml — Plausible CE

services:

plausible: { image: plausible/community-edition }

postgres: { image: postgres:16 }

clickhouse: { image: clickhouse/clickhouse-server }

# In your site <head>

<script defer

data-domain="example.com"

src="https://analytics.example.com/js/script.js"></script>

# Script served from Edge CDN, globally

200 OK • 1.2 KB • cache-hit

Why teams self-host Plausible

Real privacy, real data ownership, no per-pageview growth tax.

No cookies, no consent banners

Plausible doesn't use cookies or store any personal data. Self-hosted on Edge means visitor data never leaves your infrastructure.

Elixir + Postgres + ClickHouse

A small VM runs the whole stack. Scale ClickHouse to a dedicated VM via private networking when your traffic outgrows it.

Tracking script on the CDN

Serve `plausible.js` from the Edge CDN — global delivery, zero egress fees, faster than any third-party analytics script.

Your data, your queries

ClickHouse lives on your VM. Query it directly, export to BI tools, or feed it into your own data pipeline. No "premium tier" gating.

Email reports, your SMTP

Plug Plausible into your own SMTP (Postmark, Mailgun, AWS SES) for weekly reports. No platform email rate limits.

No per-pageview pricing

Plausible Cloud is ~$9 for 10k/month, scaling up. Self-hosted on Edge is one fixed monthly bill regardless of pageview volume.

Reference architecture

How Plausible maps to Edge

Plausible CE on a small VM, tracking script delivered by the global CDN.

Compute

Plausible (Elixir) + Postgres + ClickHouse on a VM

CDN

Serves `plausible.js` globally and caches the dashboard shell

Storage

Optional: ClickHouse backups via `clickhouse-backup` to a bucket

DNS

Anycast DNS for `analytics.example.com`

Indicative cost

~1M pageviews/month across sites

Plausible Cloud Business ~$59/mo

Fathom Pro ~$54/mo

Edge (1 small VM) ~$15/mo

Common questions

How does this compare to Plausible Cloud?

Same software, you control the host. Self-hosting on Edge gives you predictable bills (no per-pageview tier), data residency control, and the ability to query ClickHouse directly.

Will I need to ask for cookie consent?

No. Plausible is designed to comply with GDPR, CCPA and PECR without consent banners — it doesn't track individuals, store cookies, or collect personal data.

How does it scale?

Most sites are happy on a single VM. Heavy traffic? Move ClickHouse to a dedicated VM and put Plausible behind a load balancer. Standard Elixir/ClickHouse scaling, no platform-specific tricks.