Matomo vs MonsterInsights
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Matomo v5.13.1 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.5/5 Visit Details | MonsterInsights v11.3.0 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.5/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 60,000+ | 2M+ |
| Last updated | September 15, 2026 | September 16, 2026 |
| Editions | Matomo Analytics · Matomo premium plugins ($) | Google Analytics for WordPress by MonsterInsights · MonsterInsights Pro ($) |
| Pros | Self-hosted analytics with full data ownership; Visitor opt-out shortcodes and block for GDPR needs; WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads and MemberPress order tracking | Adds Google Analytics tracking without code; Traffic overview and popular posts in wp-admin; Free core with a guided connect flow |
| Cons | Needs a Matomo server, self-hosted or Matomo Cloud; Heatmaps, session recordings and similar tools are paid premium plugins; Some features call third-party APIs such as Bing and AI providers when configured | Reports depend on connecting a Google account through the vendor service; Advanced reporting and ecommerce need the paid Pro version; Admin shows upsell notices for Pro |
| Mentioned in our posts | 1 | 3 |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Tracking code injected into the site, Analytics reports in the WordPress admin, Visitor opt-out shortcodes, Opt-out block for the block editor, Privacy badge shortcode, Multisite admin menu, Scheduled check for suggested plugins, Premium analytics add-ons such as heatmaps ($) | Google Analytics gtag tracking code on the front end, Traffic overview reports in the dashboard, Popular posts widget and list, Report summary emails, Connect flow to link a Google account via the vendor service, Server-side events through the GA4 Measurement Protocol, Detects the Pro version and shows upgrade notices ($) |
| Integrations | ||
| Analytics | — | Google Analytics |
| E-commerce | WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, MemberPress | — |
| Other | Anthropic, OpenAI, Bing | MonsterInsights connect service, MonsterInsights usage check-in |
| Requires WordPress | 4.8 | 5.6.0 |
| Requires PHP | 7.2.5 | 7.2 |
| Tested up to | 7.1.0 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | No | Only if you agree |
| External services | json.aspsms.com, www.bing.com, api.matomo.org | www.monsterinsights.com, www.google.com, analytics.google.com, plugin-cdn.monsterinsights.com, connect.monsterinsights.com, app.monsterinsights.com, miusage.com, cdn.get.mi-translations.com |
| Blocks | 1 | 4 |
| Shortcodes | 4 | 1 |