---
title: "Google Analytics Alternative for WordPress | HitKeep"
description: "Replace Google Analytics on WordPress with the first-party HitKeep plugin, cookie-free pageviews, automatic events, goals, funnels, and UTM reporting."
canonical: "https://hitkeep.com/use-cases/google-analytics-alternative-wordpress/"
---

# Google Analytics Alternative for WordPress

HitKeep can replace Google Analytics for WordPress sites that need pageviews, automatic events, goals, funnels, UTM and source reporting, Web Vitals, and privacy-conscious tracking. Keep GA4 if you depend on Google Ads attribution, BigQuery export, predictive audiences, app analytics, or GA4 Explorations.

The WordPress path is simple: install the first-party HitKeep Analytics plugin, choose EU Cloud, US Cloud, or your self-hosted HitKeep URL, then use the HitKeep dashboard outside WordPress for traffic, events, conversions, campaigns, and performance reports.

WordPress.org plugin

Install HitKeep Analytics from the public WordPress plugin directory: [https://wordpress.org/plugins/hitkeep/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/hitkeep/).

## When HitKeep fits

Use HitKeep as a Google Analytics alternative for WordPress when you want:

- WordPress analytics without editing a theme template
- pageviews, referrers, landing pages, exit pages, devices, countries, cities, providers, ASNs, browsers, and languages
- automatic events for outbound links, file downloads, and form submissions
- optional redirect and affiliate link events when WordPress resolves the final outbound target
- [goals](https://hitkeep.com/guides/analytics/goals/) and [funnels](https://hitkeep.com/guides/analytics/funnels/) for conversion paths
- [UTM campaign reporting](https://hitkeep.com/guides/tracking/utm-parameters/) and optional [Google Search Console aggregate import](https://hitkeep.com/guides/integrations/google-search-console/)
- opt-in [Web Vitals analytics](https://hitkeep.com/guides/analytics/web-vitals/) for LCP, INP, CLS, FCP, and TTFB
- managed EU or US cloud, or a self-hosted analytics backend you control

Choose GA4 instead, or run both tools, when Google Ads attribution, app streams, BigQuery export, predictive audiences, or deep exploration reports are still required.

## Install the WordPress plugin

Install the plugin through the normal WordPress admin flow:

1. Open **Plugins -> Add New Plugin**.
2. Search for **HitKeep Analytics**.
3. Install and activate the plugin.
4. Open **Settings -> HitKeep**.

![WordPress plugin list showing HitKeep Analytics installed and active](https://hitkeep.com/_astro/wordpress-plugin-listing.zzRZbbMB_1oTLwT.webp)

HitKeep installs through the normal WordPress plugin workflow, so site owners do not need to edit a theme file or add a tag manager.

In **Settings -> HitKeep**, choose where WordPress should send analytics:

- **EU Cloud:** `https://cloud.hitkeep.eu`
- **US Cloud:** `https://cloud.hitkeep.com`
- **Self-hosted or custom domain:** your public HitKeep URL

Do not paste `/hk.js`. The plugin appends the tracker path automatically.

![HitKeep WordPress settings with cloud mode cards, privacy defaults, tracking toggles, redirect tracking, and snippet preview](https://hitkeep.com/_astro/wordpress-plugin-settings.Ca85dNG3_ZqVQiy.webp)

The WordPress settings screen keeps the HitKeep instance, privacy defaults, automatic event toggles, Web Vitals toggle, optional redirect tracking, and generated snippet preview in one place.

## What the plugin tracks

The plugin loads the normal HitKeep browser tracker for public WordPress pages:

```
WordPress page -> hk.js -> HitKeep /ingest and /ingest/event -> DuckDB
```

| Tracking surface | WordPress behavior |
| --- | --- |
| Pageviews | Tracked by default for public visitors |
| SPA route changes | Tracked by default |
| Outbound links | Tracked as outbound_click by default |
| File downloads | Tracked as file_download by default |
| Form submissions | Tracked as form_submit by default |
| Web Vitals | Off by default, enabled from Settings -> HitKeep |
| Redirect links | Off by default, enabled with a server-side API client token |
| Logged-in WordPress users | Not tracked by default |

The plugin does not create WordPress analytics tables, set analytics cookies, or send traffic to a third-party analytics CDN. HitKeep remains the analytics backend. For short-link and affiliate redirects, use the [WordPress integration guide](https://hitkeep.com/guides/integrations/wordpress/#redirect-and-affiliate-links/) to create a site-scoped API client token and enable redirect tracking safely.

## Verify tracking

After saving the WordPress settings, open the site in HitKeep and confirm that recent visits arrive. The tracking verifier and site tracking views are the fastest way to check whether the WordPress domain, tracker URL, and ingest path are correct.

![HitKeep tracking verifier showing site tracking status and recent tracker checks](https://hitkeep.com/_astro/feature-site-tracking.CZgMSKQI_3avJR.webp)

The tracking verifier helps confirm that WordPress is loading `hk.js` and that HitKeep can receive browser events for the site.

## What you see in the dashboard

The main dashboard gives a compact WordPress traffic report: visitors, pageviews, sources, pages, countries, cities, providers, ASNs, goals, and trends.

![HitKeep dashboard overview showing traffic KPIs, top pages, referrers, countries, cities, providers, ASNs, and goals](https://hitkeep.com/_astro/dashboard-overview.C-D6Gj-G_1FmtsR.webp)

The overview dashboard answers the weekly WordPress questions first: which pages got traffic, where visitors came from, which city or network segments stand out, and whether visitors reached goals.

Automatic WordPress interactions appear in **Events**. Use it to inspect outbound links, downloads, forms, and custom events you add later.

![HitKeep event analytics showing event totals, breakdowns, and audience context](https://hitkeep.com/_astro/analytics-events.CRjIOP7j_ZfXvWO.webp)

Events turn WordPress interactions such as outbound clicks, downloads, and form submissions into reports without extra plugin code.

Use **Goals** for important WordPress outcomes such as a thank-you page, pricing visit, form submission, or signup event.

![HitKeep goals dashboard showing conversion KPIs and goal trends](https://hitkeep.com/_astro/analytics-goals.C2tKB0q7_1z7GRi.webp)

Goals let a WordPress owner measure real outcomes instead of stopping at pageviews.

Use **Funnels** when the site has a multi-step journey, such as landing page -> pricing page -> contact form -> thank-you page.

![HitKeep funnels dashboard showing step completion and drop-off rates](https://hitkeep.com/_astro/analytics-funnels.42JpCKzH_ZW4LPn.webp)

Funnels show where visitors leave a WordPress conversion path.

Campaign links with UTM parameters appear in the **UTM** report. Use this for newsletters, paid links, partner links, and social posts.

![HitKeep UTM analytics showing campaign traffic by source, medium, campaign, content, and term](https://hitkeep.com/_astro/analytics-utm.CTQD_liS_1iQX8v.webp)

UTM reporting keeps campaign source, medium, campaign, content, and term visible without adding a separate campaign plugin.

If you connect Google Search Console, HitKeep imports finalized aggregate rows for queries, pages, countries, and devices. It does not connect individual search queries to individual WordPress sessions.

![HitKeep Search Console dashboard showing clicks, impressions, CTR, position, queries, pages, countries, and devices](https://hitkeep.com/_astro/analytics-search-console.CSc92Uud_1y11Bk.webp)

Search Console imports add organic search context beside HitKeep traffic reports while staying authenticated-only.

When Web Vitals are enabled, HitKeep reports p75 LCP, INP, CLS, FCP, and TTFB by page.

![HitKeep Web Vitals dashboard showing p75 metrics, rating distribution, trends, and page breakdowns](https://hitkeep.com/_astro/analytics-web-vitals.sOa6lsyi_ZO3dtx.webp)

Web Vitals help WordPress owners find slow templates, heavy landing pages, or plugin changes that affect page experience.

## Privacy defaults

HitKeep starts with conservative WordPress defaults:

| Concern | HitKeep WordPress default |
| --- | --- |
| Analytics cookies | Not set by hk.js |
| Do Not Track | Respected by default |
| Logged-in WordPress users | Not tracked by default |
| Form field values | Not captured |
| Link text | Not captured |
| Query strings and hashes | Stripped from automatic event URLs |
| Web Vitals | Off until enabled |

Cookie-free does not automatically mean consent-free in every jurisdiction. Review [PECR and ePrivacy](https://hitkeep.com/compliance/pecr-eprivacy/) before deciding when to load the tracker.

## Migrate from GA4

Run HitKeep beside GA4 for 2-4 weeks before removing the GA4 tag.

Use that period to check:

- whether WordPress page, source, and campaign reports match expected traffic patterns
- whether [automatic events](https://hitkeep.com/guides/tracking/automatic-events/) cover the interactions you used GA4 events for
- whether [goals](https://hitkeep.com/guides/analytics/goals/) and [funnels](https://hitkeep.com/guides/analytics/funnels/) answer the conversion questions the site owner needs
- whether [share links](https://hitkeep.com/guides/sharing/dashboard-links/) and [email reports](https://hitkeep.com/guides/notifications/email-reports/) cover stakeholder reporting
- whether [open exports and takeout](https://hitkeep.com/guides/data/takeout/) give you the portability you wanted from leaving GA4

Remove the GA4 tag only when the people who use the reports agree that HitKeep covers the WordPress site’s weekly decisions.

Managed option

## Replace GA4 on one WordPress site first.

Use HitKeep Cloud when you want managed hosting with a region choice on signup. Self-host when infrastructure control matters more than operational speed.

[Start free in HitKeep Cloud](https://cloud.hitkeep.eu/signup?utm_source=hitkeep_docs&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=cloud_signup&utm_content=content_cta&plan=free&billing=monthly)[Self-host instead](https://hitkeep.com/guides/installation/)

## Related

- [WordPress Integration](https://hitkeep.com/guides/integrations/wordpress/)
- [WordPress Privacy Analytics](https://hitkeep.com/use-cases/wordpress-analytics/)
- [HitKeep vs Google Analytics](https://hitkeep.com/vs/google-analytics/)
- [Self-Hosted GA4 Alternative](https://hitkeep.com/use-cases/self-hosted-ga4-alternative/)
- [Privacy-First Web Analytics](https://hitkeep.com/use-cases/privacy-first-web-analytics/)
- [Automatic Events](https://hitkeep.com/guides/tracking/automatic-events/)
- [Tracker Architecture](https://hitkeep.com/guides/tracking/tracker-architecture/)
- [Goals](https://hitkeep.com/guides/analytics/goals/)
- [Funnels](https://hitkeep.com/guides/analytics/funnels/)
- [UTM Parameters](https://hitkeep.com/guides/tracking/utm-parameters/)
- [Web Vitals Analytics](https://hitkeep.com/guides/analytics/web-vitals/)
- [Google Search Console](https://hitkeep.com/guides/integrations/google-search-console/)
- [PECR and ePrivacy](https://hitkeep.com/compliance/pecr-eprivacy/)