Umami

TAS Score: S3/3 — D4/5 — A3 / T2 (D4 not D5: Umami Cloud launched in 2023 — commercial focus is growing alongside the self-hosted version. Watch for feature divergence.)

Brief Description

Simple, fast, privacy-focused web analytics. Single database (PostgreSQL or MySQL), minimal setup. No cookies, GDPR compliant. MIT licensed — the most permissive of the self-hosted analytics options.

Architectural Role

Applications layer. Lightest self-hosted analytics option — single container + single database. Good fit for small to medium sites where Plausible’s ClickHouse requirement is overkill.

Technical Autonomy

Philosophical Assessment (whose.world criteria)

Criterion	Status	Comments
Pause	✅	Clean stop, no permanent damage
Exit	✅	CSV export; direct database access
Recoverability	✅	Standard PostgreSQL/MySQL backup
Visibility	✅	MIT license, fully auditable
External Dependencies	✅	Runs fully offline

Configuration (Minimal)

services:
  umami-db:
    image: postgres:16
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: umami
      POSTGRES_USER: umami
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: changeme
    volumes:
      - umami_db:/var/lib/postgresql/data

  umami:
    image: ghcr.io/umami-software/umami:postgresql-latest
    depends_on: [umami-db]
    environment:
      DATABASE_URL: postgresql://umami:changeme@umami-db:5432/umami
      APP_SECRET: changeme_random_string
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"

volumes:
  umami_db:

Alternatives

Alternative	Autonomy	Notes
Plausible	A3 / T2	More features, heavier stack (ClickHouse required)
Google Analytics	A0 / T0	Cloud-only, full data collection

Trajectory

Direction: mixed

Umami launched Umami Cloud in 2023, shifting some development focus toward the commercial offering. MIT license ensures the self-hosted version remains fully open. Watch for features appearing in Cloud before making it to self-hosted, or self-hosted setup becoming more complex as Cloud features diverge.

Signal assessment:

Signal	Status	Evidence
License	✅	MIT since launch; no changes
Feature gating	➖	No gating yet; Cloud launched 2023 — trend to watch
Self-hosting	➖	Still well-supported; Cloud launch adds some uncertainty
Governance	⚠️	VC-backed (raised funding in 2022); commercial pressure increasing

Sources

Website: https://umami.is
Documentation: https://umami.is/docs/install
Repository: https://github.com/umami-software/umami
Docker image: ghcr.io/umami-software/umami
Community: https://github.com/umami-software/umami/discussions