Friendly Analytics
Managed Matomo from Switzerland, with tag manager, heatmaps and A/B testing on Swiss servers
Quick Overview
| Company | Friendly GmbH |
|---|---|
| Category | Web Analytics |
| Headquarters | Hergiswil, Switzerland |
| EU Presence | Switzerland (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| Data Location | Switzerland, at Infomaniak, Netstream and Hosttech (EU on request, or on-premise) |
| Open Source | No |
| Compliance | ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 (as stated on friendly.ch, in the context of its hosting partners) |
| Pricing | Essential CHF 59/month / Professional CHF 129/month / Enterprise from CHF 999/month; 17% off yearly; prices excl. VAT |
| Free Option | No free trial; 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Replaces | Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, Hotjar |
Detailed Review
Friendly Analytics is managed Matomo, sold by Friendly GmbH from Hergiswil in Nidwalden, registered in the Swiss business register under UID CHE-145.851.644. It is the fullest analytics suite in this category after Piwik PRO: tag manager, heatmaps, A/B testing and unlimited users, with Matomo's reporting depth underneath, but operated by the vendor rather than by you. It should not be confused with Friendly Captcha GmbH in Wörthsee, which is a different company.
The hosting is the reason to consider it. The privacy policy places the data in Switzerland with providers headquartered in Switzerland, and the analytics page names them: Infomaniak, Netstream and Hosttech. EU hosting or an on-premise install is available on request. The American sub-processors that appear in the privacy policy — Notion, Cloudflare, Stripe, Google Workspace, Zapier and Helpscout — cover help pages, billing and support rather than the analytics data itself.
The caveats are about proof and price. Switzerland sits outside the EEA and relies on an adequacy decision.
The ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 claim on friendly.ch is made in the context of the hosting partners, so it cannot be read as an independent audit of Friendly itself.
Friendly's own layer on top of Matomo is not published, so it is not listed here as open source, and the founding year appears neither on the site nor in the UID register. Pricing is public and steep: CHF 59 a month for Essential, CHF 129 for Professional and from CHF 999 for Enterprise, excluding VAT, with 17% off annual billing, no free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee instead.
What Friendly Analytics does well
- Matomo's depth — tag manager, heatmaps, A/B testing — without running it yourself
- Analytics data hosted in Switzerland at Infomaniak, Netstream and Hosttech
- EU hosting or an on-premise install available on request
- US sub-processors limited to help pages, billing and support
- Prices published: CHF 59, CHF 129 and from CHF 999 a month
Where Friendly Analytics falls short
- Switzerland is outside the EEA and rests on an adequacy decision
- The ISO 27001 and 9001 claim is stated in the context of its hosting partners, not clearly of Friendly itself
- Friendly's own layer over Matomo is not published, so it is not open source here
- No free trial, only a 30-day money-back guarantee
- The most expensive entry in this category, starting at CHF 59 a month
Standout feature. Swiss data on providers that are themselves Swiss-headquartered — vendor, hosting company and hardware in one jurisdiction.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Matomo's depth — tag manager, heatmaps, A/B testing — without running it yourself
- Analytics data hosted in Switzerland at Infomaniak, Netstream and Hosttech
- EU hosting or an on-premise install available on request
- US sub-processors limited to help pages, billing and support
- Prices published: CHF 59, CHF 129 and from CHF 999 a month
Cons
- Switzerland is outside the EEA and rests on an adequacy decision
- The ISO 27001 and 9001 claim is stated in the context of its hosting partners, not clearly of Friendly itself
- Friendly's own layer over Matomo is not published, so it is not open source here
- No free trial, only a 30-day money-back guarantee
- The most expensive entry in this category, starting at CHF 59 a month
Alternatives to Friendly Analytics
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Friendly Analytics?
Friendly Analytics is managed Matomo, sold by Friendly GmbH from Hergiswil in Nidwalden, registered in the Swiss business register under UID CHE-145.851.644. It is the fullest analytics suite in this category after Piwik PRO: tag manager, heatmaps, A/B testing and unlimited users, with Matomo's reporting depth underneath, but operated by the vendor rather than by you. It should not be confused with Friendly Captcha GmbH in Wörthsee, which is a different company.
Where is Friendly Analytics based?
Friendly Analytics operates from Hergiswil, Switzerland, which places it under Switzerland (adequacy decision, outside the EEA). Compliance: ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 (as stated on friendly.ch, in the context of its hosting partners).
What does Friendly Analytics cost?
Essential CHF 59/month / Professional CHF 129/month / Enterprise from CHF 999/month; 17% off yearly; prices excl. VAT. No free trial; 30-day money-back guarantee.
Who is Friendly Analytics best for?
Swiss organisations that want Matomo run for them on Swiss hardware. Swiss data on providers that are themselves Swiss-headquartered — vendor, hosting company and hardware in one jurisdiction.
What are the drawbacks of Friendly Analytics?
Switzerland is outside the EEA and rests on an adequacy decision. The ISO 27001 and 9001 claim is stated in the context of its hosting partners, not clearly of Friendly itself. Friendly's own layer over Matomo is not published, so it is not open source here. No free trial, only a 30-day money-back guarantee. The most expensive entry in this category, starting at CHF 59 a month.
Is Friendly Analytics a good alternative to Google Analytics 4?
Friendly Analytics is built as a European alternative to Google Analytics 4: Managed Matomo from Switzerland, with tag manager, heatmaps and A/B testing on Swiss servers. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does Friendly Analytics compare to other Web Analytics tools?
Friendly Analytics is one of several European Web Analytics tools we cover. It is most often compared with Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, Hotjar.