How to Add Analytics to a Static Website (5 Methods)
A static website is fast, cheap, and secure — but without a backend, how do you track visitors? Here are five ways to add analytics to a static site, from zero-setup to fully custom.
Method 1: Hostupa's built-in analytics (zero setup)
If you host your site on Hostupa, analytics are built in. No code to add, no script to install.
What you get
- Page views — Total and unique
- Referrers — Where traffic comes from
- Device type — Mobile vs. desktop
- Country — Geographic distribution
- Timeline — Views over time
How it works
Every time someone visits your hosted project, Hostupa records the view server-side. You see the data in your dashboard under the project's Analytics tab.
Available on
- Free plan — Basic view count
- Starter ($3/mo) — Views, unique visitors, referrers, device type
- Solo ($9/mo) and above — All of the above plus country and timeline
Best for
People who want analytics without adding any code or scripts to their site.
Method 2: Google Analytics 4 (most comprehensive)
Google Analytics is the industry standard. The free tier is generous and covers most needs.
How to add it
1. Create a GA4 property at analytics.google.com
2. Get your measurement ID (starts with G-)
3. Add the GA4 tag to your HTML <head>:
`html
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-XXXXXXXXXX"></script>
<script>
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
gtag('js', new Date());
gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXXXXX');
</script>
`
4. Upload your HTML to Hostupa (or edit it with the code editor)
Best for
People who need detailed analytics, conversion tracking, and integration with Google Ads.
Method 3: Plausible (privacy-friendly)
Plausible is a lightweight, privacy-friendly analytics tool. No cookies, no GDPR consent banner needed.
How to add it
1. Sign up at plausible.io
2. Add your site
3. Add the script to your HTML <head>:
`html
<script defer data-domain="your-domain.com" src="https://plausible.io/js/script.js"></script>
`
Best for
People who want simple, privacy-compliant analytics without cookies.
Method 4: Fathom Analytics (simple and fast)
Fathom is another privacy-friendly option. It is paid but very simple.
How to add it
1. Sign up at usefathom.com 2. Add your site 3. Add the script to your HTML:
`html
<script src="https://cdn.usefathom.com/script.js" data-site="XXXXXXXX" defer></script>
`
Best for
People who want beautiful, simple analytics and do not mind paying for them.
Method 5: Umami (self-hosted, open source)
Umami is an open-source analytics tool you can self-host.
How to add it
1. Deploy Umami on your own server (or use their cloud version) 2. Add the tracking script to your HTML:
`html
<script async src="https://your-umami-instance.com/script.js" data-website-id="xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx"></script>
`
Best for
People who want full control over their analytics data and are comfortable with self-hosting.
Comparison
| Method | Cost | Setup | Privacy | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostupa built-in | From $0 | Zero | Server-side | Good |
| Google Analytics 4 | Free | Add script | Cookies required | Excellent |
| Plausible | $9/mo | Add script | No cookies | Good |
| Fathom | $14/mo | Add script | No cookies | Good |
| Umami | Free (self-hosted) | Add script + server | No cookies | Good |
Recommendation
If you host on Hostupa, start with the built-in analytics — it requires zero setup. Add Google Analytics if you need conversion tracking or Google Ads integration. Switch to Plausible or Fathom if privacy compliance is a priority.