Countly vs Amplitude
Considering a switch from Amplitude to a European alternative? Countly offers full GDPR compliance and EU-only data hosting without the legal uncertainties that come with US-based services. Here's how they compare on features, pricing, and data protection.
Quick Overview
Countly
EU- Headquarters
- London, GB
- Pricing
- Free
- Open Source
- Yes
Amplitude
USAmplitude is a digital analytics platform that helps companies understand user behavior, build better products, and optimize customer experiences through data-driven insights.
The Case for Countly
- Countly stores all data exclusively in EU, under European jurisdiction. Unlike Amplitude, which is subject to the US CLOUD Act and FISA Section 702, Countly cannot be compelled by foreign governments to hand over your data.
- Countly offers a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) that is fully aligned with GDPR Article 28. There is no legal ambiguity about data transfers or adequacy decisions — your data processor is European, and the law that governs it is European.
- As an open-source solution, Countly gives you full code transparency. You can verify that the software does what it claims, audit it for security vulnerabilities, and even self-host it for maximum control — something that is simply not possible with Amplitude.
- You can try Countly for free before committing. This makes it easy to evaluate whether it meets your needs alongside — or as a replacement for — Amplitude, without any financial risk.
Why Switch to Countly?
Concerns with Amplitude
- US CLOUD Act jurisdiction
- Extensive user behavior profiling and event tracking
- Personal data processed on US infrastructure
- Behavioral cohort data accessible to US authorities
Countly Compliance
GDPRISO 27001DPA
- Headquarters
- London, GB
- Data Centers
- EU
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Countly vs Amplitude — FAQ
Is Amplitude GDPR compliant?
Amplitude may offer GDPR compliance features and EU data residency options, but as a US-headquartered company, it remains subject to the US CLOUD Act and FISA Section 702. These laws can compel US companies to hand over data regardless of where it is stored. The EU-US Data Privacy Framework provides some safeguards, but its predecessors (Safe Harbor and Privacy Shield) were both invalidated by the European Court of Justice. Countly, as a European company, is not subject to these US laws at all.
How does Countly compare to Amplitude in features?
Countly offers Product analytics, User segmentation, Push notifications, Crash analytics, and 5 more features. While Amplitude's ecosystem may be larger due to its market position, Countly covers the core functionality that most teams need. The trade-off is typically between breadth of integrations (Amplitude) and data sovereignty with regulatory certainty (Countly).
Can I migrate from Amplitude to Countly?
Yes. Most European software providers, including Countly, offer migration tools or documentation to help you transition from US-based services. Under GDPR Article 20, you have the right to data portability — meaning Amplitude must provide your data in a machine-readable format. The migration process varies in complexity depending on your data volume and integrations, but for most teams it can be completed within a few days to a few weeks.