AddonPulse vs. Umami
Compare the key features of AddonPulse and Umami.
Why choose AddonPulse over Umami?
 AddonPulse | Umami | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Focus | ||
| Dedicated Chrome Extension SDK | ||
| Cross-platform tracking (Web + Extension) | ||
| Manifest V3 compliant | ||
| Offline event queuing | ||
| Core Analytics Features | ||
| Simple dashboard | ||
| Real-time data | ||
| Source & UTM tracking | ||
| Custom events | With attributes | With properties |
| Conversion goals | ||
| Advanced Features | ||
| Cross-platform Funnels | ||
| User journeys (Sankey) | ||
| Unified User profiles | ||
| Sessions tracking | ||
| Real-time globe view | ||
| Privacy | ||
| Extension Store privacy compliant | ||
| Cookie-free tracking | ||
| GDPR/CCPA compliant | ||
| No personal data collection | ||
| Performance & Technical | ||
| Client script size | < 10KB | < 2KB |
| Managed Cloud Architecture | Limited Cloud (Focuses on self-hosting) | |
| API access | ||
| Bot filtering | ||
| Data & Infrastructure | ||
| Data retention | 3-5+ years | Limited (Cloud) |
| Team collaboration | ||
| Organization support | ||
| Self-hosting option | ||
| Pricing & Support | ||
| Entry cloud price | $9/mo | $9/mo |
Understanding the Key Differences
Built for Extensions vs Built for Web
Umami has earned massive respect as one of the lightest web analytics scripts available. For a simple blog or portfolio, it is fantastic. However, if you are building a Chrome Extension, a simple web script isn't enough. Extensions have complex, ephemeral architectures. AddonPulse is built from the ground up for extension developers, providing a Manifest V3-compliant SDK that safely splits logic between your background Service Workers and your UI scripts.
The Offline Reality
Web analytics scripts assume the user is always online. Browser extensions cannot make that assumption. Users take their laptops on flights, networks drop, and Chrome aggressively suspends background scripts to save memory. If you inject Umami into an extension, you will permanently lose event data when the network fails. AddonPulse's SDK features an IndexedDB-powered offline queue. We securely cache user events locally and automatically flush them to our servers the moment the user regains connectivity.
Connecting the Cross-Platform Funnel
Umami tells you who visited your landing page. But once a user clicks "Install Extension", Umami's job is done and your tracking goes dark. AddonPulse is designed to unify this entire journey. We link your marketing site traffic directly to your in-extension usage. With our cross-platform funnels and unified user profiles, you can see exactly which marketing campaigns (UTMs) are driving active, long-term extension users.
Privacy and Store Compliance
Chrome Web Store reviewers are notoriously strict about tracking. If a generic web script sends full URLs and unnecessary DOM telemetry from your extension, you risk getting flagged or removed from the store. AddonPulse's Extension SDK is built strictly for compliance. It deliberately strips out sensitive data and pathnames before the payload leaves the browser. Plus, our web tracking uses zero cookies, meaning you stay completely GDPR compliant without annoying consent banners on your landing page.
Managed SaaS vs Self-Hosting
Umami shines as a self-hosted solution—it's free if you manage the servers, databases, security patches, and uptime yourself. But as a software developer, your time is better spent building your extension, not maintaining an analytics infrastructure. AddonPulse is a fully managed SaaS powered by ClickHouse. We handle all the scaling and maintenance, and we offer a generous free trial for 30 days of 10,000 events so you can launch and test your MVP without paying a dime.