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You don’t need to pay to know how many people read your blog, where they come from and which posts work. Free WordPress analytics plugins cover that well. The real decision is which kind of analytics you want:

1. Google Analytics 4 connectors, which send data to Google and show reports in WordPress
2. Self-hosted, privacy-friendly plugins, which store simple stats in your own database, often without cookies

Many bloggers use one of each: GA4 for deep analysis, a simple local plugin for a quick daily glance.

Best Free WordPress Analytics Plugins Compared

Plugin	Type	Free version	Paid from	Cookie banner needed?
Site Kit by Google	GA4 + Search Console connector	Fully free	n/a	Yes (GA4 uses cookies)
MonsterInsights Lite	GA4 connector with WP dashboard	Yes	Pro from $99.50/yr	Yes
Independent Analytics	Self-hosted	Yes	Pro from $49/yr	Usually no (cookieless)
Burst Statistics	Self-hosted, cookieless	Yes	Pro $99/yr	Usually no
Jetpack Stats	Cloud (WordPress.com)	Yes	Paid tiers by views	Depends on setup
Matomo (WP plugin)	Self-hosted full analytics	Free	Cloud from $23/mo; premium add-ons	Configurable
Koko Analytics	Self-hosted, minimal	Yes	Pro available	No

Site Kit by Google: Best free GA4 + Search Console in one

Google’s own plugin connects Analytics, Search Console, AdSense and PageSpeed Insights, and shows key numbers in your dashboard.

Everything is free. Connecting Search Console also helps you get new posts indexed faster.

Pros

• Official
• Free
• Adds GA4 tag without code
• Shows Search Console clicks per post

Cons

• Reports are a summary
• Deep analysis still happens in GA4

• Best for: bloggers who want search data and traffic in one place

MonsterInsights Lite: Best GA4 dashboard inside WordPress

MonsterInsights is the most popular GA4 plugin. Lite connects GA4 and shows an overview report.

Pro (from $99.50/yr) adds outbound/affiliate link tracking, eCommerce reports, form tracking and custom dimensions.

Pros

• Easy setup
• Readable reports
• Strong Pro features for affiliate sites

Cons

• Many useful reports are Pro-only
• Upgrade prompts in the dashboard

• Best for: affiliate marketers who will eventually want link click tracking (watch my Best Black Friday deals page for discounts)

Independent Analytics: Best simple self-hosted analytics

Independent Analytics stores stats in your WordPress database, needs zero configuration, and works without cookies. Reports show views, visitors, referrers, top pages and campaigns.

Pro (from $49/yr) adds things like form tracking and user journeys.

Pros

• No Google account
• Clean UI
• Privacy-friendly

Cons

• Adds database load on very busy sites
• Less depth than GA4

• Best for: bloggers who want a quick, honest view of traffic

Burst Statistics: Best cookieless analytics with goals

Burst is built by the team behind Complianz and focuses on privacy. Data stays in your database, tracking can be cookieless, and the free version includes goals.

Pro ($99/yr) adds geographic data and more.

Pros

• Privacy-first
• Goals in free version

Cons

• Smaller feature set than Matomo

• Best for: EU sites that want to avoid consent banners for analytics

Jetpack Stats: Best for WordPress.com-style simplicity

Jetpack Stats shows views, top posts and referrers in a familiar WordPress.com layout.

Jetpack’s support docs describe a free tier for any site, with paid plans priced by monthly views that add UTM tracking, device data and city-level location.

Pros

• Zero setup if you already use Jetpack
• Data processed off your server

Cons

• Requires Jetpack and a WordPress.com connection
• Terms have changed over time, so recheck

• Best for: existing Jetpack users

Matomo: Best full Google Analytics alternative

Matomo is open-source analytics you can run inside WordPress (Matomo for WordPress) or in the cloud.

Funnels, goals, segments, heatmaps (paid add-ons): it can replace GA4 for many sites while keeping data on your own server.

Pros

• Powerful
• You own the data

Cons

• Heavy on busy sites when self-hosted
• More to learn

• Best for: privacy-focused sites that still want deep analytics

Koko Analytics: Best ultra-light stats

Koko Analytics is a tiny plugin that records pageviews, visitors and referrers without cookies and with minimal performance cost.

Pros

• Very light
• Privacy-friendly
• No external service

Cons

• Basic reports only

• Best for: minimalist blogs that just want to know what’s being read

Which one should you choose?

• Want the full picture for free: Site Kit (GA4 + Search Console)
• Run affiliate links and want click tracking later: MonsterInsights
• Want simple stats without Google or cookies: Independent Analytics, Burst or Koko
• Want a full self-hosted GA alternative: Matomo
• Already on Jetpack: Jetpack Stats

Don’t Double-track

Installing two GA4 plugins (or a GA4 plugin plus a manual tag in your theme) counts every pageview twice.

Use one GA4 method. Adding one local stats plugin alongside it is fine, since those count separately.

Speed and privacy tips

• Load the GA4 tag once, and consider delaying it with your caching plugin; test that tracking still fires. See improve WordPress speed.
• Exclude logged-in admins from tracking so your own visits don’t skew stats.
• Update your privacy policy with the analytics tool you use.

Once you have data, use it. My guide on how to increase blog traffic shows what to do with it.

FAQs related to free WordPress analytics plugins

Conclusion

That’s all about the list of the best free WordPress analytics plugins.

Start with Site Kit, so your GA4 and Search Console data are connected from day one. Add Independent Analytics or Burst if you want a quick daily glance without opening Google Analytics.

Keep it to two tools at most, exclude your own visits, and spend the saved time acting on what the numbers show. The must-have WordPress plugins list covers the rest of a lean setup.