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For analytics on a statically generated site like Hugo without Google Analytics, consider these privacy-focused tools:

Matomo (Piwik)

Self-hosted, open-source web analytics. Track pageviews, referrers, and user behavior while keeping data on your server. Offers granular controls and GDPR compliance. Open Web Analytics (OWA)

Lightweight, JavaScript-based tool with a minimalist UI. Focuses on core metrics (visits, bounce rates) and avoids intrusive tracking. Countly

Agentless analytics with real-time dashboards. Works via JavaScript or server logs. Supports GDPR and cross-platform tracking (web, mobile). Fathom

Commercial, privacy-first service. No cookies, no cross-site tracking. Visualizes traffic trends and user behavior with clean, GDPR-compliant reporting. Ghost Analytics

Built for JAMstack sites. Integrates with Hugo via JavaScript snippet. Emphasizes speed, privacy, and actionable insights (e.g., traffic sources). Server-side alternatives:

Parse server logs with tools like Webalizer or AWStats for basic metrics (hits, IPs) without client-side code. Pro tips:

Use a lightweight counter like Butterfly.js if you just want visitor counts. Avoid services that require JavaScript or third-party cookies. Choose based on your technical comfort (self-hosting vs. SaaS), privacy priorities, and desired granularity. For a site with minimal traffic, even a simple log parser could suffice!