What it is

Aptabase is an open-source, privacy-first analytics project for mobile, desktop, and web apps. It is written in TypeScript and released under the AGPL-3.0 license. The project describes itself as an alternative to Firebase and Google Analytics for teams that need usage insights without detailed personal identifiers.

It solves the problem of app analytics that can collect more data than necessary and create privacy compliance pressure. Aptabase focuses on minimal usage data, sessions, and a simple dashboard for essential metrics. Its stated goal is to help developers understand app dynamics while complying with GDPR, CCPA, and PECR regulations.

Key capabilities

• It provides analytics for mobile, desktop, and web apps, with topics that include Android, iOS, Electron, Flutter, React Native, Swift, Tauri, NativeScript, and .NET MAUI.
• It offers SDKs for Swift, Android Kotlin, React Native, Flutter, Tauri, NativeScript, .NET MAUI, Electron, web apps, Unreal Engine, and Unity Engine.
• It uses a privacy-first model that avoids unique identifiers and emphasizes sessions and minimal usage data.
• It includes a built-in dashboard for essential metrics, so users can view app usage without building a separate reporting interface.
• It is open source, with server code and SDKs available for inspection and contribution.
• It provides a managed cloud option and a self-hosted option.

Who uses it and how

• Mobile developers use it to add analytics to Android and iOS apps through Kotlin, Swift, React Native, Flutter, NativeScript, or .NET MAUI SDKs.
• Developers use it with Electron, Tauri, Unreal Engine, or Unity Engine integrations to track sessions and essential metrics.
• Web developers use it through the JavaScript SDK for web apps.
• Teams that need privacy compliance use it to collect session-focused data instead of identifier-based tracking.
• Self-hosting teams use it to run the server on their own infrastructure, while accepting maintenance and update responsibility.

Getting started

Users can start with the managed cloud service at aptabase.com, or self-host Aptabase on their own servers using the self-hosting guide. SDK setup uses the platform-specific SDKs listed in the README, such as Swift, Kotlin, React Native, Flutter, Electron, Tauri, and JavaScript.

When to use it — and when not to

Aptabase is appropriate when an open-source alternative to Firebase or Google Analytics is needed for mobile, desktop, or web apps, and when privacy-first session analytics matters more than user-level tracking. Self-hosters must operate the server and handle maintenance and updates, while AGPL-3.0 requires sharing changes to the server code. The repository metadata shows 0 contributors and 59 open issues, so early-stage maintenance risk should be considered.