GoAccess

Self-Hosted

Real-time web log analyzer and interactive viewer

Overview

GoAccess is an open-source, real-time web log analyzer that processes logs from Apache, Nginx, CloudFront, and more. It generates terminal-based or HTML interactive reports with visitor stats, hits, bandwidth, referrers, user agents, and geolocation data. Deployable via Docker, package managers, or source code, it runs without a database, ensuring fast processing even for large logs. Ideal for self-hosted setups, it prioritizes privacy by keeping analytics data local, giving users full control over their web traffic insights.

Self-Hosting Resources

Find Official Image on Docker Hub View Source & Docs

Below is a reference structure for docker-compose.yml. ⚠️ Do NOT run blindly. Replace placeholders with official values.

docker-compose.template.yml TEMPLATE


version: '3'
services:
  goaccess:
    image: <OFFICIAL_IMAGE_NAME>:latest
    container_name: goaccess
    ports:
      - "8080:<APP_INTERNAL_PORT>"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    restart: unless-stopped

Key Features

Real-time log processing for multiple formats
Terminal and HTML interactive dashboards
No database required for operation
Geolocation tracking of visitors
Lightweight design for large log files

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is GoAccess hard to install?

No—GoAccess can be installed via package managers (apt, yum, brew), Docker, or source code. For Docker, a simple command like `docker run -p 7890:7890 -v /path/to/logs:/var/log/nginx allinurl/goaccess` sets it up quickly.

? Is it a good alternative to Google Analytics?

Yes for privacy-focused users—GoAccess processes logs locally, so no data leaves your server. It lacks Google Analytics' event tracking but excels at log-based insights like visitor counts, bandwidth usage, and referrers.

? Is it completely free?

Yes—GoAccess is open-source under the MIT License, so it’s free to use, modify, and distribute without any costs or subscriptions.

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Tool Info

Pricing Free/Open Source

Category Analytics

Platform Self-Hosted

Pros

⊕ Privacy-focused (no third-party data sharing)
⊕ Easy deployment via Docker or package managers
⊕ Fast processing with minimal resource usage
⊕ Supports popular web server log formats

Cons

⊖ Terminal interface has a learning curve for non-technical users
⊖ HTML reports need manual refresh unless auto-configured
⊖ Lacks event-based analytics compared to SaaS tools