Plausible Analytics

Plausible is a paid, privacy first alternative to Google Analytics, built to give simple traffic numbers, top pages, and referral sources without tracking individuals across the web or requiring a cookie consent banner in most jurisdictions.

Podcasters who run their own website for show notes or a blog often prefer it for the lighter weight and the fact that it doesn't hand visitor data to Google. The dashboard is also genuinely easier to read at a glance.

Like any web analytics tool, it only sees your website. It cannot tell you anything about downloads or plays that happen inside Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app, that data lives with your host.

The paid model, no free tier, is a fair trade for a lot of people given there's no ad supported version wanting your data instead of your money.