Umami v3: Google Analytics Alternative with New Tracking Features

The developers of the privacy-compliant web analytics software Umami have released version 3.0. The major release offers a fundamentally revised user interface, new analysis functions such as segments and cohorts, as well as additional tracking options via links and pixels. However, existing users need to note an important change: the open-source software now exclusively supports PostgreSQL as a database, and MySQL support has been completely removed.

Umami positions itself as a cookie-free alternative to Google Analytics and is primarily aimed at companies that want to perform GDPR-compliant web analytics. Since version 2.0, the software, licensed under MIT, has offered advanced geographical evaluations and team functions.

The new navigation bar allows faster access to all monitored websites. Users can switch directly between different projects via an embedded drop-down menu. All reports are now outsourced to separate pages, which should improve clarity. A central innovation concerns the filter system: Umami v3 stores all applied filters directly in the URL as query parameters. Users can thus share filtered views with third parties via a link without having to manually rebuild the filter settings. In addition, the revised filter form allows multiple filters to be added and edited simultaneously.

Segments and cohort analysis for User Groups

With segments, users can save and reuse predefined filter combinations. A segment like “Windows users from Germany” can then be applied to any evaluation with one click. In addition, Umami v3 introduces cohorts—a function known from competing web analytics software. A cohort groups users based on a specific period and a common event. An example would be “Registrations in November 2025.” Over time, it is then possible to analyze how the behavior of this group develops, for example, in retention analyzes. Both segments and cohorts can be used as filter parameters.

New in Umami v3 are two additional tracking elements: links and pixels. Links function as short URLs with redirection—similar to Bit.ly. They are suitable for measuring clicks on external resources or download numbers without having to install tracking code on the target page. Pixels are invisible images that can be embedded in emails or on external websites. Typical use cases include measuring newsletter open rates or traffic analyzes on platforms where JavaScript trackers cannot be installed. Both elements have their statistics pages, analogous to website evaluations.

In addition, administrators receive a new central admin page through which they can manage all users, websites, and teams in the system. The Boards feature, which allows individual dashboards to be compiled, did not make it into version 3.0. The developers are still working on it and plan to release it in a future release.

PostgreSQL Becomes Mandatory—Migration Necessary

The most significant breaking change concerns database support: Umami v3 works exclusively with PostgreSQL. Existing users with MySQL databases must migrate their data, for which the developers provide a migration guide. All information about the new release can be found in the Umami Blog. In addition to the free version for self-hosting, Umami offers its software as a cloud service.

In the market for free Google Analytics alternatives, Umami positions itself alongside projects such as Plausible and Rybbit. While Plausible focuses on extreme slimness and Rybbit emphasizes geographical visualizations, Umami with version 3 increasingly focuses on professional analysis features such as cohort analysis and flexible segmentation.

(fo)