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SlimStat Analytics

By VeronaLabs

Analytics & Reporting / Traffic & Visitor Analytics

SlimStat Analytics Review - In-Depth Analysis

SlimStat Analytics is a powerful web analytics plugin for WordPress. It tracks user behavior, monitors events, and provides real-time access logs. With customizable reports and GDPR compliance, it is a reliable choice for website analytics.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.94/10

User Rating

4.8/5 (based on 817+ reviews)

Active Installations

70,000+

Update Frequency

Outstanding It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

7.5 / 10 (High Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

SlimStat Analytics is a leading web analytics plugin designed for WordPress. It enables you to track returning customers and registered users while monitoring Javascript events and detecting intrusions. Thousands of WordPress sites currently utilize this plugin to enhance their analytics capabilities.

The plugin features a real-time access log that measures server latency, tracks page events, and helps you keep an eye on your bounce rate among other metrics. You can also display reports using shortcodes in widgets or directly within your posts and pages.

Customization is key with SlimStat, allowing you to tailor reports across various categories such as Real-time, Overview, Audience, Site Analysis, and Traffic Sources. Additionally, it is fully compliant with the GDPR European law, ensuring that your website adheres to privacy regulations.

Other notable features include the ability to filter users from statistics collection based on various criteria, export reports to Excel, and utilize geolocation to identify visitors by city and country. The Pro version offers enhanced functionalities such as network analytics, email reports, and a heatmap feature to visualize user interaction.

To get started, ensure your environment meets the plugin's requirements, including WordPress version 5.6 or higher, PHP 7.4 or above, and sufficient database space. Remember, uninstalling SlimStat Analytics will permanently delete all stats from your database, so consider setting up a backup.

Comparing to Alternatives

SlimStat Analytics is a popular WordPress analytics plugin with several alternatives offering similar features. Here are some top alternatives to consider.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Lightweight and fast on site performance as noted by users.
Detailed analytics including bounce rate tracking not found in some alternatives.
Responsive and helpful support team praised by multiple users.
Free to use with no paid version required.
Good filter options and ad-block bypass functionality.

Weaknesses

Recent updates have caused site slowdowns and 503 errors for some users.
Some users report frequent cron jobs causing server load.
Security history includes multiple high-risk vulnerabilities, though fixed in recent versions.
No clearly promoted pro version with additional features.

User Sentiment Analysis

With a high overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 817 reviews, most users are satisfied with SlimStat Analytics. Positive reviews highlight support quality and plugin features, while negative reviews focus on recent update issues and performance concerns.

Positive highlights

'Great Support' - strandpuller praised the exceptional and persistent support team.
'These Folks are Fantastic!' - sperorisk appreciated the diligent and tireless support resolving update issues.
'Nice data and super lightweight on site.' - craig.keefner noted the plugin's efficiency and useful clickthru data.
'Very excellent' - Senri Miura found it easy to use with many functions.
'fantastic plugin, fast and good filter options' - alamea.

Common complaints

Recent updates caused site slowdowns and 503 errors.
Latest update described as the worst experience by a user.
Plugin became chargeable overnight leading to uninstallation by a user.
Some users feel the plugin quality declined with AI-related changes.

Weaknesses

Performance issues after updates causing site delays and errors.
Cron jobs persisting after plugin removal causing server load.
No paid version to access premium features.
Security vulnerabilities in past versions, though fixed, may concern cautious users.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a free, lightweight analytics plugin with detailed visitor tracking and responsive support will find SlimStat Analytics suitable.

Not ideal for

Those requiring guaranteed high security with minimal vulnerability history or needing a premium version with advanced features may want to consider alternatives.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version offers comprehensive analytics features including bounce rate tracking, ad-block bypass, and detailed visitor data without any cost.

Final Verdict

SlimStat Analytics is a robust and feature-rich free analytics plugin with a strong user base and excellent support. It offers detailed insights and is lightweight, making it a good choice for many WordPress users.

However, recent updates have caused performance issues for some, and the plugin has a history of security vulnerabilities that have been addressed in recent versions. Users prioritizing security or premium features might consider alternative plugins.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free SlimStat Analytics plugin.

Analytics

Geolocation

Reports

Statistics

Tracking

Screenshots

FAQ

In your own WordPress database, full stop. Core tracking makes no external calls, so your numbers never go to Google, to us, or to any third-party cloud.