StatCounter has offered free, straightforward website analytics for over two decades. Orbit takes a similar "just show me the numbers" philosophy but is built around cookieless tracking and viewing multiple sites together.
| Feature | Orbit | StatCounter |
|---|---|---|
| Cookies required | No cookies | Yes, by default |
| Multi-site combined view | Yes, via Boards | No, per-site only |
| Session recording | Included | Not available |
| Dashboard design | Modern, single-screen | Traditional, table-heavy reports |
StatCounter is a reliable, no-frills free option if you're comfortable with cookies and traditional report tables. Orbit modernizes the same basic promise with a cookieless script and a dashboard built for scanning at a glance.
Yes, StatCounter offers a free tier with basic reporting, alongside paid plans for higher traffic volumes and longer log retention.
Yes, by default StatCounter uses cookies to track return visits, though it offers some GDPR-related configuration options. Orbit never uses cookies.
You can add multiple sites to one StatCounter account, viewed individually. Orbit's Boards feature combines stats from multiple sites into one view.