Vibecode Simple Analytics
track this build5 steps, step by step0%Pageview analytics, events, dashboards, and exports are very buildable; paid value is hosted privacy posture, reports, reliability, and support.
You are building a lean indie version of Simple Analytics.
Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt.
===== README.md =====
# Simple Analytics indie build
## Goal
Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Simple Analytics workflow for one developer or a tiny team.
## Scope
Add JS tracker, record anonymous pageviews/events, aggregate by dimensions, and expose dashboard/API.
## Quick start
1. Install the documented dependencies.
2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`.
3. Run the development command chosen during implementation.
4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`.
## Honest limits
This build deliberately does not replace:
- managed hosting
- privacy/legal positioning
- bot filtering
- reports
- uptime
- support
If those capabilities are essential, use Umami instead of pretending the gap is solved.
===== AGENTS.md =====
# Agent instructions
- Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build.
- Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief.
- Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims.
- Keep secrets out of source control and logs.
- Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths.
- Run the project checks before declaring the build complete.
- Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs".
===== BUILD_PLAN.md =====
# Build plan
## Original build brief
Build me privacy-first web analytics to replace Simple Analytics, self-hosted for my own
sites. Requirements:
- A Node + Express service with better-sqlite3: one /collect endpoint and a dashboard at
/dash behind basic auth (password in .env).
- A tracker snippet under 1 KB of plain JS, no cookies: sends path, referrer, screen
width, and a daily-salted hash of IP + user agent for unique counting; the salt
rotates daily so nothing is traceable across days.
- Keep raw hits 30 days; a nightly node-cron job aggregates into daily rollups per site
(pageviews, uniques, top pages, top referrers, device split), keeps rollups forever,
deletes expired raw hits.
- Custom events via sa('signup') in the snippet, counted per day.
- Dashboard per site: a 30-day chart (hand-rolled SVG, no chart library), pages and
referrers tables, a date-range picker.
- Filter obvious bots by user-agent list; ignore my own visits via a localStorage opt-
out flag.
- CSV export per site and month from the dashboard.
- No cookies and no personal data stored, GDPR-sane by construction.
- Out of scope: funnels, session replay, and multi-user access. Uptime is on me; the
collect endpoint sits behind my existing reverse proxy.
- README: the snippet to paste and the Caddy or nginx route.
## Required capabilities
- server
- database
- tracker script
- domain/SSL
- backups
- optional email reports
## Delivery order
1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands.
2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow.
3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence.
4. Cover the critical path with automated tests.
5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step.
## Done when
- A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README.
- The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it.
- Tests cover the highest-risk behavior.
- Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden.
===== .env.example =====
# Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced.
# Never put real credentials in this file.
APP_ENV=development
# Add only values required by the selected implementation.You are building a lean indie version of Simple Analytics.
Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt.
===== README.md =====
# Simple Analytics indie build
## Goal
Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Simple Analytics workflow for one developer or a tiny team.
## Scope
Add JS tracker, record anonymous pageviews/events, aggregate by dimensions, and expose dashboard/API.
## Quick start
1. Install the documented dependencies.
2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`.
3. Run the development command chosen during implementation.
4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`.
## Honest limits
This build deliberately does not replace:
- managed hosting
- privacy/legal positioning
- bot filtering
- reports
- uptime
- support
If those capabilities are essential, use Umami instead of pretending the gap is solved.
===== AGENTS.md =====
# Agent instructions
- Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build.
- Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief.
- Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims.
- Keep secrets out of source control and logs.
- Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths.
- Run the project checks before declaring the build complete.
- Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs".
===== BUILD_PLAN.md =====
# Build plan
## Original build brief
Build me privacy-first web analytics to replace Simple Analytics, self-hosted for my own
sites. Requirements:
- A Node + Express service with better-sqlite3: one /collect endpoint and a dashboard at
/dash behind basic auth (password in .env).
- A tracker snippet under 1 KB of plain JS, no cookies: sends path, referrer, screen
width, and a daily-salted hash of IP + user agent for unique counting; the salt
rotates daily so nothing is traceable across days.
- Keep raw hits 30 days; a nightly node-cron job aggregates into daily rollups per site
(pageviews, uniques, top pages, top referrers, device split), keeps rollups forever,
deletes expired raw hits.
- Custom events via sa('signup') in the snippet, counted per day.
- Dashboard per site: a 30-day chart (hand-rolled SVG, no chart library), pages and
referrers tables, a date-range picker.
- Filter obvious bots by user-agent list; ignore my own visits via a localStorage opt-
out flag.
- CSV export per site and month from the dashboard.
- No cookies and no personal data stored, GDPR-sane by construction.
- Out of scope: funnels, session replay, and multi-user access. Uptime is on me; the
collect endpoint sits behind my existing reverse proxy.
- README: the snippet to paste and the Caddy or nginx route.
## Required capabilities
- server
- database
- tracker script
- domain/SSL
- backups
- optional email reports
## Delivery order
1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands.
2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow.
3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence.
4. Cover the critical path with automated tests.
5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step.
## Done when
- A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README.
- The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it.
- Tests cover the highest-risk behavior.
- Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden.
===== .env.example =====
# Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced.
# Never put real credentials in this file.
APP_ENV=development
# Add only values required by the selected implementation.You are building a production product version of Simple Analytics.
Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt.
===== PRODUCT.md =====
# Simple Analytics product brief
## Problem
Pageview analytics, events, dashboards, and exports are very buildable; paid value is hosted privacy posture, reports, reliability, and support.
## Product outcome
Add JS tracker, record anonymous pageviews/events, aggregate by dimensions, and expose dashboard/API.
## Target user
A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo.
## Required capabilities
- server
- database
- tracker script
- domain/SSL
- backups
- optional email reports
## Explicit non-goals for v1
- managed hosting
- privacy/legal positioning
- bot filtering
- reports
- uptime
- support
## Success criteria
- The primary workflow is measurable end to end.
- Setup is reproducible in a clean environment.
- Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented.
- Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees.
===== ARCHITECTURE.md =====
# Architecture
## Starting brief
Build me privacy-first web analytics to replace Simple Analytics, self-hosted for my own
sites. Requirements:
- A Node + Express service with better-sqlite3: one /collect endpoint and a dashboard at
/dash behind basic auth (password in .env).
- A tracker snippet under 1 KB of plain JS, no cookies: sends path, referrer, screen
width, and a daily-salted hash of IP + user agent for unique counting; the salt
rotates daily so nothing is traceable across days.
- Keep raw hits 30 days; a nightly node-cron job aggregates into daily rollups per site
(pageviews, uniques, top pages, top referrers, device split), keeps rollups forever,
deletes expired raw hits.
- Custom events via sa('signup') in the snippet, counted per day.
- Dashboard per site: a 30-day chart (hand-rolled SVG, no chart library), pages and
referrers tables, a date-range picker.
- Filter obvious bots by user-agent list; ignore my own visits via a localStorage opt-
out flag.
- CSV export per site and month from the dashboard.
- No cookies and no personal data stored, GDPR-sane by construction.
- Out of scope: funnels, session replay, and multi-user access. Uptime is on me; the
collect endpoint sits behind my existing reverse proxy.
- README: the snippet to paste and the Caddy or nginx route.
## Boundaries
Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors.
## Production baseline
- Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible.
- Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives.
- Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions.
- Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts.
- Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists.
- Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test.
## Decision records
For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it.
===== AGENTS.md =====
# Agent instructions
- Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code.
- Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable.
- Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present.
- Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass.
- Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests.
- Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes.
- Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data.
- Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone.
===== MILESTONES.md =====
# Delivery milestones
## M0 — Decisions and scaffold
- Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target.
- Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks.
## M1 — Core workflow
- Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests.
- Keep integrations behind interfaces.
## M2 — Trust layer
- Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards.
- Test abuse cases and destructive operations.
## M3 — Operability
- Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration.
## M4 — Release gate
- Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise.
- Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations.
===== OPERATIONS.md =====
# Operations
## Before release
- Validate configuration and secrets at startup.
- Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them.
- Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership.
- Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations.
## Incident checklist
1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data.
2. Record the timeline and affected scope.
3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials.
4. Restore from a verified source when needed.
5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test.
## Launch constraint
Do not market omitted Simple Analytics capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.# Simple Analytics indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Simple Analytics workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Add JS tracker, record anonymous pageviews/events, aggregate by dimensions, and expose dashboard/API. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - managed hosting - privacy/legal positioning - bot filtering - reports - uptime - support If those capabilities are essential, use Umami instead of pretending the gap is solved.
# Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs".
# Build plan
## Original build brief
Build me privacy-first web analytics to replace Simple Analytics, self-hosted for my own
sites. Requirements:
- A Node + Express service with better-sqlite3: one /collect endpoint and a dashboard at
/dash behind basic auth (password in .env).
- A tracker snippet under 1 KB of plain JS, no cookies: sends path, referrer, screen
width, and a daily-salted hash of IP + user agent for unique counting; the salt
rotates daily so nothing is traceable across days.
- Keep raw hits 30 days; a nightly node-cron job aggregates into daily rollups per site
(pageviews, uniques, top pages, top referrers, device split), keeps rollups forever,
deletes expired raw hits.
- Custom events via sa('signup') in the snippet, counted per day.
- Dashboard per site: a 30-day chart (hand-rolled SVG, no chart library), pages and
referrers tables, a date-range picker.
- Filter obvious bots by user-agent list; ignore my own visits via a localStorage opt-
out flag.
- CSV export per site and month from the dashboard.
- No cookies and no personal data stored, GDPR-sane by construction.
- Out of scope: funnels, session replay, and multi-user access. Uptime is on me; the
collect endpoint sits behind my existing reverse proxy.
- README: the snippet to paste and the Caddy or nginx route.
## Required capabilities
- server
- database
- tracker script
- domain/SSL
- backups
- optional email reports
## Delivery order
1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands.
2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow.
3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence.
4. Cover the critical path with automated tests.
5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step.
## Done when
- A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README.
- The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it.
- Tests cover the highest-risk behavior.
- Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden.# Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
# Simple Analytics product brief ## Problem Pageview analytics, events, dashboards, and exports are very buildable; paid value is hosted privacy posture, reports, reliability, and support. ## Product outcome Add JS tracker, record anonymous pageviews/events, aggregate by dimensions, and expose dashboard/API. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - server - database - tracker script - domain/SSL - backups - optional email reports ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - managed hosting - privacy/legal positioning - bot filtering - reports - uptime - support ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees.
# Architecture
## Starting brief
Build me privacy-first web analytics to replace Simple Analytics, self-hosted for my own
sites. Requirements:
- A Node + Express service with better-sqlite3: one /collect endpoint and a dashboard at
/dash behind basic auth (password in .env).
- A tracker snippet under 1 KB of plain JS, no cookies: sends path, referrer, screen
width, and a daily-salted hash of IP + user agent for unique counting; the salt
rotates daily so nothing is traceable across days.
- Keep raw hits 30 days; a nightly node-cron job aggregates into daily rollups per site
(pageviews, uniques, top pages, top referrers, device split), keeps rollups forever,
deletes expired raw hits.
- Custom events via sa('signup') in the snippet, counted per day.
- Dashboard per site: a 30-day chart (hand-rolled SVG, no chart library), pages and
referrers tables, a date-range picker.
- Filter obvious bots by user-agent list; ignore my own visits via a localStorage opt-
out flag.
- CSV export per site and month from the dashboard.
- No cookies and no personal data stored, GDPR-sane by construction.
- Out of scope: funnels, session replay, and multi-user access. Uptime is on me; the
collect endpoint sits behind my existing reverse proxy.
- README: the snippet to paste and the Caddy or nginx route.
## Boundaries
Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors.
## Production baseline
- Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible.
- Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives.
- Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions.
- Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts.
- Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists.
- Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test.
## Decision records
For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it.# Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone.
# Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations.
# Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Simple Analytics capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
$ choose a build depth, inspect the files, then open the complete pack in your agent · this prompt is generated from the build plan · improve it via PR
They pay for low-maintenance analytics they can put in a privacy policy with confidence.
xmanaged hosting
xprivacy/legal positioning
xbot filtering
xreports
xuptime
xsupport
Don't feel like building it? These folks already made it free.
all 3 free alternatives to Simple Analytics →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Simple Analytics pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| free | $0/workspace | $0/workspace | 1 user, 5 websites, 30 days of history and unlimited pageviews under fair use; badge required. |
| simple (100k monthly data points) | $20/workspace | $16.67/workspace | 100,000 monthly pageviews/data points and 1 included user; website count is not numerically capped on the plan card. |
| enterprise | custom | — | Custom traffic, users and service terms; numeric limits and price not public. |
free tier1 user, 5 websites, 30-day data history and unlimited pageviews under fair use; a Simple Analytics badge is required.
billingmonthly + annual (2 months free); self-serve bill automatically follows measured traffic
hidden costsPaid pricing rises automatically with traffic: monthly plans use the current month then a 3-month average; annual plans can auto-increase after a 1-week warning. Each extra user costs $20/month. Bitcoin payment is annual-only and adds 10%; bank-transfer invoices of at least $500 add 10%.
verified 2026-08-11 · source ↗
Is Simple Analytics free?
Free for one user and 5 websites with 30 days of history; paid keeps data longer. Paid is Starter at $20/mo (checked 2026-08-07).
Vibecode Simple Analytics
Yes. A competent AI coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor) can build a usable personal Simple Analytics replacement in one session with the prompt on this page. It runs on your own machine or server with no subscription.
How much does Simple Analytics cost?
Simple Analytics costs about $20/month (Starter, checked 2026-08-07), which is $240 per year. That's what you save by replacing it with one prompt.
What do I lose by replacing Simple Analytics?
Honestly: managed hosting; privacy/legal positioning; bot filtering; reports; uptime; support. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Simple Analytics?
Yes: Umami (Privacy analytics without cookies, personal profiles or a monthly invoice.) Plausible Community Edition (A nearly identical promise, delivered from a Compose file you own.) GoatCounter (The spartan version: useful traffic numbers and very little else to argue about.) All 3 curated free alternatives are at vibecodeit.com/simple-analytics/alternatives. The prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.