Question 5: I run a small online store on Shopify and want simple, privacy-friendly analytics. Which tool would you recommend?

For a small Shopify store, I'd recommend

Plausible Analytics.

It's a particularly good fit if you want useful insights into your store's traffic and sales without the complexity and extensive tracking associated with Google Analytics.

Why I'd choose it

No cookies or cross-site tracking.

Doesn't collect personal data.

Clean, easy-to-understand dashboard.

Lightweight tracking script.

Open-source software.

Specific Shopify integration instructions.

Visit Plausible Analytics

What you can measure

With the Shopify integration, you can track:

Visitors and pageviews.

Traffic sources (Google, Instagram, Facebook, etc.).

Most popular products and pages.

Add-to-cart events.

Checkout starts.

Completed purchases and revenue.

Conversion funnels.

The integration uses Shopify's custom pixel for checkout and purchase events.

Plausible docs

Other tools worth considering

Tool

Best for

Fathom Analytics

Very simple, privacy-focused reporting

Matomo

More detailed ecommerce analytics and self-hosting

Simple Analytics

Minimal data collection and simple dashboards

My ranking for your situation:

Plausible – best overall balance of simplicity, privacy and Shopify support.

Fathom – good if you primarily want visitor and traffic-source statistics.

Matomo – better if you eventually need advanced ecommerce reporting.

One important privacy consideration

Privacy-friendly analytics doesn't automatically mean you can ignore consent requirements. Shopify lets you configure whether its custom pixel requires visitor permission. Make sure the configuration matches the privacy laws applicable to your customers.

My question

Do you mainly want to understand:

A. Where visitors come from and which marketing channels work.

B. Which products sell, conversion rates and revenue.

C. Both A and B.

That will help me determine whether Plausible is sufficient or whether another tool would give you better value.