5.5 KB minified.
2.4 KB gzipped.
A tracker so small your visitors won't notice it loaded. Lowest LCP overhead of 8 WordPress analytics plugins we benchmarked. sendBeacon transport. The inline core stub (~0.9 KB gzipped) captures the pageview before the async tracker loads.
k6 + Chromium • single-run synthetic test • no page caching • results are directional, not production-guaranteed
LCP Overhead Under Load (lower is better)
Synthetic Stress Test Results
We activated each plugin in isolation on the same WooCommerce site and measured Core Web Vitals with real Chromium browsers while 50 concurrent HTTP users stressed the server. No page caching. Numbers are LCP/TTFB/FCP overhead vs a no-analytics baseline in one single run. These are directional findings, not production guarantees — see the limitations section below.
| Plugin | LCP Δ | TTFB Δ | FCP Δ | Impact | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Statnive | +260ms | +290ms | +256ms | 6.7 | Self-hosted |
| #2 Independent Analytics | +566ms | +568ms | +574ms | 14.2 | Self-hosted |
| #3 Jetpack | +776ms | +785ms | +784ms | 19.5 | Remote (WP.com) |
| #4 MonsterInsights (GA4) | +964ms | +963ms | +964ms | 24.1 | Remote (Google) |
| #5 WP Slimstat | +1030ms | +1005ms | +1010ms | 25.4 | Self-hosted |
| #6 WP Statistics | +1424ms | +1446ms | +1432ms | 35.9 | Self-hosted |
| #7 Koko Analytics | +2278ms | +2229ms | +2238ms | 56.3 | Self-hosted |
| #8 Burst Statistics | +3592ms | +3572ms | +3576ms | 89.6 | Self-hosted |
Baseline (no analytics) under load: TTFB 2927ms, FCP 3030ms, LCP 3038ms. Test: 10 Chromium browser VUs + 50 HTTP protocol VUs per plugin, ~150 samples per config, single run on a developer machine (Local by Flywheel, macOS). Impact score is a composite (0 = no impact, 100 = maximum). These numbers are from one synthetic stress test and do not represent production conditions — see the methodology and limitations section below.
What This Test Does and Doesn't Show
A trustworthy benchmark discloses its limits. Here is exactly what our numbers mean — and what they don't.
What it shows
Directional differences in how each plugin's architecture handles the full WordPress PHP path under concurrent load, without page caching. Useful for understanding which plugins keep the critical rendering path clear and which add per-request server work.
What it doesn't show
Real production performance. Most WordPress sites use a page cache (W3TC, WP Rocket, Cloudflare), which bypasses PHP entirely for cached pages. With caching, the gap between most plugins shrinks dramatically.
Single run, single machine
Results are from one ~50-minute run on a MacBook via Local by Flywheel. We did not run multiple iterations to measure variance, nor did we test on a dedicated production server. A second run could shift positions.
Order effects not controlled
Plugins were tested in a fixed order. Server state (MySQL connection pool, PHP memory, OPcache) drifts during a long run, which can penalize plugins tested later. A proper benchmark would randomize order across multiple runs.
Self-test bias
We built the test framework, and we built Statnive. We believe we were fair, but independent verification would be more trustworthy than anything we publish ourselves. The framework is open source — please run it on your own site and publish what you find.
Why we publish anyway
Even with these caveats, the architectural patterns matter. Inline core trackers, async loading, Beacon API transport, and concurrent-safe REST endpoints are documented best practices. The specific numbers will vary; the direction is consistent with how each architecture is designed.
How We Built a Fast Tracker
Three architectural decisions keep Statnive's performance impact low — backed by published research from Google, WordPress Core, and web.dev.
Inline Core
~1.7 KB raw / 0.9 KB gzipped
A tiny inline bootstrap captures the pageview immediately. No external script needed for the critical hit.
Async Loading
Non-blocking
The full tracker loads with async strategy via WordPress 6.3+ script API. Never blocks rendering.
Idle Callback
Zero INP
Engagement tracking and event listeners defer to requestIdleCallback. Your visitors' interactions come first.
Slow Analytics Cost You Money
SEO Rankings
Google uses Core Web Vitals as a ranking signal. A slow analytics script pushes your LCP beyond the 2.5s "good" threshold, hurting your position in search results.
Conversion Rate
Every additional second of load time reduces conversions by up to 7%. A 300ms analytics overhead on every page compounds across your entire funnel.
Privacy Bonus
Self-hosted analytics means zero external network requests to third-party servers. Faster loads and GDPR compliance in one architecture decision.
How We Tested
Full transparency. Every number on this page comes from reproducible automated tests.
Tool
k6 with browser module (real Chromium, not simulated HTTP)
Load
10 browser VUs measuring vitals + 50 HTTP VUs generating realistic server pressure
Isolation
Each plugin activated alone via WordPress REST API. All others deactivated.
Pages
Homepage, blog post, WooCommerce shop + product pages
Samples
~150 page loads per plugin configuration with cache priming before baseline
Metrics
TTFB, FCP, LCP, CLS, INP collected via PerformanceObserver API
Start tracking without slowing down
Install Statnive in under a minute. Free forever on WordPress.org.