Skip the setup.
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Pirsch is a lightweight, privacy-first analytics tool from Germany. But like other privacy tools, custom events require code. Happenstance tracks everything automatically.
Happenstance
Zero-config
- 1 Add one script tag to your site
- 2 Done. Every interaction tracked automatically.
Pirsch
Traditional setup
- 1 Create a Pirsch account
- 2 Add the Pirsch script tag
- 3 Page views tracked automatically
- 4 For custom events, use the API or pirsch() calls
- 5 Define each event and its properties manually
Pirsch is a German-made, privacy-first analytics tool that's gaining traction in Europe. It's GDPR-compliant by design, lightweight, and offers a clean dashboard. But like most privacy-first tools, Pirsch primarily tracks page views. Custom event tracking requires manual API calls or JavaScript instrumentation. Happenstance provides the same privacy standards with much deeper automatic tracking.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Happenstance | Pirsch |
|---|---|---|
| Zero-config setup | ||
| Automatic event discovery | ||
| Page view tracking | ||
| Click tracking | Automatic | Manual |
| Form tracking | ||
| Error tracking | ||
| Goal tracking | ||
| Funnel analysis | ||
| Privacy-friendly | ||
| No cookies | ||
| EU-based | ||
| Server-side API | ||
| Free tier | 10k events/mo | 10k page views/mo |
Why teams switch
Teams appreciate Pirsch's EU hosting and privacy commitment but find themselves writing tracking code for every interaction they want to measure. Happenstance discovers clicks, form submissions, and errors automatically — no instrumentation needed — while maintaining the same privacy-first approach.
How to migrate from Pirsch
- 1 Add the Happenstance script tag alongside Pirsch.
- 2 Compare: notice how Happenstance captures clicks and forms automatically.
- 3 Recreate your Pirsch goals in Happenstance.
- 4 Remove the Pirsch script when you're satisfied.
- 5 Keep the same EU-friendly privacy standards with deeper insights.
Who should use what
Choose Happenstance if...
You want GDPR-compliant analytics that automatically track every interaction. No manual event code, no server-side integration needed.
Choose Pirsch if...
You need a server-side tracking API, prefer a German-hosted solution, or only need page-level analytics.
Integration Code
Happenstance (complete setup)
<script src="https://happenstance.click/v1/track.js"></script>Pirsch (just initialization)
<!-- Pirsch script (page views) -->
<script defer src="https://api.pirsch.io/pirsch.js"
id="pirschjs"
data-code="YOUR_CODE">
</script>
<!-- Custom events require code: -->
pirsch('Signup', {
meta: {plan: 'pro'}
});Pirsch is a solid choice for EU-based teams who want simple, GDPR-compliant page view analytics with a server-side API. Happenstance is for teams who want deeper product analytics — automatic interaction tracking — with the same privacy standards.
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