Tidemark

Open source alternative to Fathom Analytics, Cloudflare Web Analytics and Simple Analytics

3 stars
MIT
Active this week
Last commit today

Last verified Nov 7, 2026

Track website visitors without cookies on PHP shared hosting, Docker, or Tidemark Cloud. MIT-licensed with a Plausible-compatible script.

Visit website GitHub3 Deploy on Hostinger

Read the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs, the quick start and the FAQ

who it's for

Who Tidemark is for#

Developers on PHP shared hosting needing private analytics

Tidemark's zip installer works on any cPanel or Plesk account with PHP 8.3+. No VPS, Docker, or SSH is needed. Install takes under two minutes, and the in-app updater handles future versions without manual file management.

Skip if:

You already run a VPS or container environment. Tools like Umami, Plausible (self-hosted), or Matomo offer larger communities and more plugins when infrastructure is not a constraint.

Plausible self-hosters reducing infrastructure overhead

Tidemark's tracking script follows Plausible's conventions, so migrating often requires only changing the script URL. Historical data imports from a Plausible CSV export. The result is a Plausible-familiar interface on hardware that is cheaper or simpler to run.

Skip if:

You need advanced Plausible features like revenue tracking, custom dimensions, or Slack alerts. Tidemark's self-hosted version covers the core analytics set; those features require Tidemark Cloud Pro.

GDPR-aware site owners avoiding cookie consent banners

No cookies and no stored IP addresses mean Tidemark collects no personal data under most privacy frameworks. Visitor ids are salted hashes that rotate every day, so there is no cross-session tracking to disclose. For site owners with significant EU visitor share, this design removes the typical technical trigger for a consent notice.

Skip if:

Your jurisdiction requires a consent notice for reasons beyond cookies. Check with qualified counsel for your specific situation.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Most privacy-first analytics tools assume you have Docker and a VPS you can SSH into. Plausible and Umami both recommend container deployments with a Postgres database, which rules out the majority of PHP shared hosting plans on cPanel or Plesk. The practical choice for a shared hosting user has been either Google Analytics with its cookie requirements and consent banners, or a paid hosted service like Fathom or Simple Analytics at $9 to $14 a month per site.

The result is that privacy-conscious developers on ordinary hosting either skip analytics or pay indefinitely for a managed service. Neither works well for a solo developer or small team on a tight budget who already pays for PHP hosting and needs to know where their visitors come from and what they read.

how Tidemark solves it

How it solves it#

PHP Shared Hosting Install

Upload the bundled release zip, point the domain's document root at `public/`, and visit `/install`. The installer checks PHP requirements, connects the database, runs migrations, and creates the admin account in one pass. PHP 8.3+, SQLite support, and a cron job are all it takes. Works on any cPanel or Plesk host with no SSH, Node, or Composer required.

Cookie-Free Visitor Identification

Every visitor id is a salted hash of the site domain, IP address, and user agent. The salt changes every day, raw IPs and user agents are never written to the database, and no cookies are set. A visitor cannot be followed across days. No personal data is collected, so no consent banner is required by default.

Plausible-Compatible Script and Events API

The tracking snippet uses the same `data-domain` attribute and `window.plausible()` call as Plausible. Migrating often requires only swapping the script URL. The Events API accepts the same POST format, so existing event instrumentation continues to work. Historical data can be imported from a Plausible CSV export as daily totals.

Single-Page Dashboard with Full Filtering

Visitors, pageviews, bounce rate, and visit duration appear above reports for sources, pages, locations, devices, and goals, all on one scrollable screen. Click any row to filter the entire dashboard by that value, or use the filter bar with is/is not/contains operators and wildcards. Period comparisons go back to the previous period or year over year.

Stats API and CSV Export

A Bearer-token Stats API follows Plausible's v1 structure: realtime visitors, aggregate metrics, timeseries, and breakdown by any property. CSV export covers every visit and event. Filters use the same syntax as the dashboard: `filters=visit:country==DE;event:page==/blog/*`. API keys are created in Account settings.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Runs on Shared PHP Hosting Without a VPSUnlike Plausible, Umami, or Matomo, Tidemark's zip installer deploys to any cPanel or Plesk account that runs PHP 8.3+. No Docker, no SSH, no Postgres server required. SQLite is the default database and needs no setup. This covers the majority of PHP hosting plans that privacy-focused developers already use.
MIT License with No Network-Use RestrictionsMIT means you can run Tidemark internally, in a client project, or on a server for commercial purposes without open-sourcing modifications or paying licensing fees. There is no AGPL network-use clause, no commercial-use restriction, and no mandatory attribution for end users once deployed.
Plausible History Import Lowers Migration CostExisting Plausible users can import their historical stats from a Plausible CSV export, so no gap in analytics history appears on a migration. The script API matches, reducing the switch to a URL change in most setups. Both features lower the switching cost compared to other analytics tools that require re-instrumenting every page.
Scroll Depth and Active Time MeasurementThe optional `engagement` script variant records the furthest page depth a visitor reached (0, 25, 50, 75, or 100 percent) and their active time bracket, without capturing visitor position, element, or any text. These properties work inside standard goal and funnel reports, turning 'did users read it?' into a filterable dashboard query.

Trade-offs

-Very New Project with Low Community ActivityThe GitHub repository was created on 2026-10-20 and has 3 stars and 1 open issue at the time of this writing. The feature set is complete but the community, plugin ecosystem, and long-term maintenance track record are unproven. Teams that need a large contributor base or guaranteed long-term support should evaluate whether the project's maturity fits their risk tolerance.
-Shared Hosting Requires a Cron JobQueue ingestion and data retention both depend on Laravel's scheduler, which requires a one-minute cron job (`php artisan schedule:run`). On hosts without cron access, ingest falls back to synchronous in-request writes, which can delay page response time under heavy traffic. Setting up the cron job in cPanel is a one-step process, but it must not be missed on queue-mode installs.

versus alternatives

Tidemark vs alternatives#

Tidemark vs Fathom Analytics

Fathom Analytics is a fully managed service starting at $14 a month for 100,000 monthly pageviews. It requires no setup. Add a script, sign up, and the dashboard appears. Tidemark's self-hosted tier covers the same cookie-free, single-page analytics model for the cost of a PHP host, under an MIT license with no monthly fees. The tradeoff is operational responsibility. Fathom handles uptime, backups, and updates; Tidemark self-hosted puts that on you, though the in-app updater reduces the maintenance burden.

Fathom is the right choice for teams with no server to spare and a budget for monthly SaaS fees, or who need a proven long-term track record and direct support. Tidemark wins for site owners on PHP shared hosting who cannot or will not pay recurring fees, who want full data ownership, or who need a Plausible-compatible API.

Tidemark vs Cloudflare Web Analytics

Cloudflare Web Analytics is free, requires no server, and sets no cookies. It collects pageview data at the network edge. The main limitation is data portability. Cloudflare provides no CSV export, no Stats API, no custom goals, and no way to move your data off Cloudflare. It is a read-only view of Cloudflare's collection.

Tidemark owns your data. You can export every visit and event as CSV, query the Stats API with any filter, and move your database to a different host at any time. For site owners whose analytics needs exceed a simple traffic count, Tidemark's exportability and goal tracking are concrete advantages over Cloudflare's free-but-locked offering.

Tidemark vs Simple Analytics

Simple Analytics is a privacy-first hosted service with per-site pricing. Plans start around $9 a month for smaller sites. Like Fathom, it is fully managed with no self-hosted option.

Tidemark's self-hosted tier is the key distinction. Once deployed, there is no per-month cost, the source is fully accessible, and the Plausible-compatible API means your existing event instrumentation continues to work. Simple Analytics wins on simplicity and low setup friction; Tidemark wins for site owners who want to self-host, avoid subscription costs, and run on existing PHP hosting.

install · quick start

Quick start#

bash

To deploy with Docker Compose, use the docker-compose.yml from the repository and the pre-built image at ghcr.io.

```bash
git clone https://github.com/tidemark-analytics/tidemark
docker compose up -d
```

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages: JavaScriptPHPPython

frequently asked

FAQ#

Can I install Tidemark on shared PHP hosting without SSH access?

Yes. Download the latest release zip from GitHub Releases, upload and unzip it on your host, point the domain's document root at the public/ folder, and visit /install. The installer checks PHP requirements, connects the database, runs migrations, and creates your admin account in one pass. Requirements are PHP 8.3+, one of SQLite/MySQL/MariaDB/PostgreSQL, and a cron job for the scheduler. No SSH, Node, Composer on the host, or Docker is needed.

Does Tidemark need a cookie consent banner?

Tidemark sets no cookies and stores no IP addresses or other personal data about visitors. Visitor ids are a salted daily hash that changes every day, making cross-session tracking technically impossible. Whether you need a consent notice depends on your jurisdiction, the rest of your site, and your legal counsel. Tidemark itself does not trigger the typical cookie-law conditions.

How do I migrate from Plausible to Tidemark?

The tracking script uses the same data-domain attribute convention as Plausible's, so updating the src URL in your site's <head> tag is usually enough. For custom events, window.plausible() calls work without any code changes. To preserve historical data, export your stats from Plausible's Settings > Imports & exports as a zip file, then upload it in your Tidemark site's settings. It imports as daily totals.

What databases does Tidemark support?

SQLite (zero-config, good for personal sites and low-traffic installs), MySQL, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL. You choose during the web installer. SQLite is the default for shared hosting because it requires no separate database server. For higher-traffic deployments, MySQL or PostgreSQL with a dedicated analytics database connection (TIDEMARK_ANALYTICS_DB) is the documented path.

Is the self-hosted version free, and what does Tidemark Cloud cost?

The self-hosted version is MIT-licensed and completely free: no seat limit, no event cap, and no expiration on how long you can use it. Tidemark Cloud is the managed option. The free Cloud tier gives you 1 site, 10,000 events a month, and 6 months of history. The Pro plan is $7 a month when billed annually ($70 a year) for unlimited sites, 250,000 events a month, and 5 years of history.

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