HitKeep vs Rybbit: Single Binary vs ClickHouse Stack

Rybbit is an open-source privacy-first analytics platform with session replay, funnels, and user journeys. It uses ClickHouse for storage and deploys via Docker Compose.

HitKeep takes a different approach: one binary, zero dependencies. No ClickHouse, no Docker orchestration, no multi-service stack.

The real comparison is about what you want to carry operationally and whether you need session replay.

Quick-Scan Feature Matrix

Feature	HitKeep	Rybbit
Self-hosted	Single binary (~80 MB)	Docker Compose + ClickHouse
Managed cloud	EU (Frankfurt) / US (Virginia)	EU (Germany)
External dependencies	None (embedded DuckDB + NSQ)	ClickHouse + Caddy
Minimum RAM	~45–64 MB	2 GB+ (ClickHouse alone)
Minimum cost to self-host	~$6/month VPS	$20+/month
Cookie-less analytics	Yes	Yes
Session replay	No	Yes (Standard+)
Error tracking	No	Yes
Web Vitals	No	Yes (Standard+)
User journeys	No	Yes (Standard+)
Goals / custom events	Yes	Yes
Funnels	Yes	Yes
Ecommerce analytics	Yes (GA4 event model)	Custom events
Landing + exit pages	Yes	Yes
Period-over-period comparison	Yes	Limited
UTM reporting	Yes	Yes
Scheduled email reports	Yes	Not documented
Shareable dashboards	Yes	Not documented
Team collaboration / RBAC	Yes	Yes (plan-dependent)
WebAuthn passkeys + TOTP MFA	Yes	Not documented
Recovery codes for MFA	Yes	Not documented
Data takeout (JSON, CSV, Parquet)	Yes	Raw data access
Dashboard languages	5 (EN, DE, ES, FR, IT)	English
Clustering / HA	HashiCorp Memberlist	Not documented
License	MIT	AGPL 3.0
Bot filtering	Basic	Advanced built-in

Quick Answer

HitKeep is the better choice if you want:

self-hosting without managing ClickHouse or Docker Compose
managed cloud with explicit EU or US region choice
built-in email reports, share links, and role-based permissions
the same product in OSS and cloud without feature gating
MIT licensing without copyleft obligations

Rybbit is stronger if you want:

session replay to watch individual user sessions
built-in error tracking and Web Vitals monitoring
user journey visualizations showing full navigation paths
a product analytics platform rather than aggregate web analytics

HitKeep funnel analytics showing multi-step conversion performance and drop-off

Where HitKeep Is Better

1. Dramatically simpler self-hosting

Rybbit requires Docker Compose with ClickHouse, Caddy, and the Rybbit application as separate services. That is a real multi-service stack:

ClickHouse needs 2 GB+ of RAM on its own
you are managing container orchestration, not just running a binary
backups require coordinating across services

HitKeep keeps the runtime minimal:

one Go binary using ~45–64 MB of RAM
embedded DuckDB with batch appender for high-throughput ingest
embedded NSQ for internal messaging
a single database file to back up

A $6/month VPS is sufficient. If your requirement is “privacy analytics without turning it into a platform project”, HitKeep is a better fit.

2. No ClickHouse to manage

ClickHouse is a powerful columnar database — but it is also a real operational commitment:

memory tuning
disk management and compaction
version upgrades
monitoring and alerting

HitKeep embeds DuckDB directly. You get columnar OLAP performance (~120 MB per million pageviews) without running a separate database process.

3. Cleaner cloud and self-hosted story

HitKeep runs as:

self-hosted OSS (single binary)
managed cloud in EU Frankfurt
managed cloud in US Virginia

Same product, same features, no edition confusion. Rybbit’s cloud is EU-only and the self-hosted version uses AGPL 3.0 licensing.

4. Stronger collaboration and reporting

HitKeep includes out of the box:

These features are not documented in Rybbit’s current offering or are gated behind higher-tier plans.

5. MIT vs AGPL licensing

HitKeep uses the MIT license — no copyleft obligations. You can embed, modify, and redistribute without sharing your changes.

Rybbit uses AGPL 3.0, which requires that any modifications to the software — including those running as a network service — must be made available as open source. This matters for organizations with legal policies around copyleft.

6. Better data portability

HitKeep supports data takeout in JSON, CSV, and Parquet (GDPR Article 20). Combined with retention policies and Parquet archiving, you have full control over your data lifecycle.

Where Rybbit Is Better

1. Session replay is a real differentiator

Rybbit’s session replay lets you watch individual user sessions to identify usability issues, broken flows, and confusion points.

HitKeep does not offer session replay. It focuses on aggregate analytics — pageviews, events, funnels, and conversions. If watching individual user sessions is a core requirement, Rybbit has a clear advantage.

2. Built-in error tracking

Rybbit includes error detection and reporting directly in the analytics platform. HitKeep does not track JavaScript errors — you would need a separate tool like Sentry for that.

3. Web Vitals monitoring

Rybbit monitors Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS) as part of its analytics. HitKeep does not collect performance metrics.

4. User journey visualizations

Rybbit can show complete navigation paths from landing to conversion. HitKeep has funnels (predefined step sequences), but not open-ended journey mapping.

5. Advanced bot filtering

Rybbit has built-in advanced bot detection and filtering. HitKeep provides basic bot filtering through IP exclusions and header validation.

6. Broader framework integrations

Rybbit documents 40+ framework integrations (Next.js, React, Vue, WordPress, Shopify). HitKeep provides a universal JavaScript snippet and a REST API for server-side tracking.

What HitKeep Does Not Replace

Be realistic before choosing:

session replay — HitKeep does not record user sessions
error tracking — you will need a separate tool
Web Vitals monitoring — not part of HitKeep’s scope
user journey mapping — HitKeep has funnels, not open-ended journeys

If session replay and error tracking are core requirements, Rybbit or a dedicated product analytics tool is the better choice.

When To Choose HitKeep Instead of Rybbit

Choose HitKeep when:

you want self-hosting without ClickHouse and Docker Compose
you want managed cloud with explicit EU or US region choice
you need aggregate analytics, goals, funnels, and ecommerce — not session-level recording
you care about MIT licensing
you want email reports, shareable dashboards, and RBAC out of the box
operational simplicity matters more than product analytics depth

When To Choose Rybbit Instead of HitKeep

Choose Rybbit when:

session replay is a core requirement
you need built-in error tracking and Web Vitals
user journey visualization matters
you are comfortable managing a Docker Compose + ClickHouse stack
AGPL licensing is acceptable for your organization

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HitKeep a good alternative to Rybbit?

Yes, if self-hosting simplicity is a priority. HitKeep deploys as a single binary with no external databases, while Rybbit requires Docker Compose and ClickHouse. HitKeep also offers managed cloud in EU or US regions with no feature gating between self-hosted and cloud.

Does Rybbit have session replay?

Yes. Rybbit includes session replay on its Standard plan and above. HitKeep does not offer session replay — it focuses on aggregate analytics, goals, funnels, and ecommerce tracking without recording individual user sessions.

HitKeep is designed to simplify GDPR compliance: cookie-less by default, self-hosted or EU-hosted cloud, no third-party data transfers. Compliance depends on your deployment and legal analysis. Read the Compliance Overview.

Does HitKeep work without cookies?

Yes. HitKeep uses cookie-less tracking by default. The current tracker uses sessionStorage for session continuity. This is not a cookie, but PECR / ePrivacy analysis still applies depending on jurisdiction.

Can I self-host Rybbit without ClickHouse?

No. Rybbit requires ClickHouse for analytics data storage, deployed via Docker Compose. HitKeep embeds DuckDB directly in its single binary, eliminating the need for any external database.