Website analytics provider Statcounter just launched several new features including a date-range comparison, the ability to organize websites into user-defined groups, and finally, the platform now also includes hourly stats of traffic trends.

Statcounter, a free service aimed at websites with up to 250,000 pageloads per month, has been around the analytics market since 1999. Somehow it has managed to carve out and maintain a niche despite many, many vendors entering the now highly competitive analytics space.

“Our goal remains to offer the most user friendly website traffic analysis to all our members ranging from companies, organizations and webmasters to bloggers and individuals,” commented Aodhan Cullen, CEO, StatCounter. “The changes have been made in response to feedback and suggestions received.”

StatCounter is far from the only free website analytics provider. While many, almost instinctually, gravitate towards Google Analytics, there are quite a few others worthy of serious consideration. Some solutions which have continued to impress me over the year include Reinvigorate, Clicky, Woopra, Piwik, Mochi Bot, ClickTale, Visistat, and GoingUp. 

What website analytics system do you use? Let us know by sharing a comment below.