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AWStats
SAWStats is a
short for Advanced
Web Statistics.
It's a powerful
tool that
generates advanced
web (also ftp or
mail) server
statistics,
graphically. This
log analyzer works
as a CGI or from
command line and
shows you all
possible
information your
log contains, in
few graphical web
pages. It uses a
partial
information file
to be able to
process large log
files, often and
quickly. It can
analyze log files
from IIS (W3C log
format), Apache
log files (NCSA
combined/XLF/ELF
log format or
common/CLF log
format), WebStar
and most of all
web, proxy, wap,
streaming servers
(and ftp servers
or mail logs).

Summary
Take a look at the
comparison table
for an idea on
differences
between most
famous statistics
tools (AWStats,
Analog, Webalizer,...).
As AWStats works
from the command
line but also as a
CGI, it can work
with major web
hosting provider
that allows CGI
and log access.

Days of the Week
Features
A full log
analysis enables
AWStats to
show you the
following
information:
* Number of
visits, and number
of unique
visitors,
* Visits duration
and last visits,
* Authenticated
users, and last
authenticated
visits,
* Days of week and
rush hours (pages,
hits, KB for each
hour and day of
week),
*
Domains/countries
of hosts visitors
(pages, hits, KB,
269
domains/countries
detected),
* Hosts list, last
visits and
unresolved IP
addresses list,
* Most viewed,
entry and exit
pages,
* Files type,
* Web compression
statistics (for
mod_gzip or
mod_deflate),
* OS used (pages,
hits, KB for each
OS, 35 OS
detected),
* Browsers used
(pages, hits, KB
for each browser,
each version, 97
browsers: Web, Wap,
Media
browsers...),
* Visits of robots
(319 robots
detected),
* Worms attacks (5
worm's families),
* Search engines,
keyphrases and
keywords used to
find your site
(The 115 most
famous search
engines are
detected like
yahoo, google,
altavista,
etc...),
* HTTP errors
(Page Not Found
with last
referrer, ...),
* Other
personalized
reports based on
url, url
parameters,
referer field for
miscellanous/marketing
purpose,
* Number of times
your site is
"added to
favourites
bookmarks".
* Screen size
(need to add some
HTML tags in index
page).
* Ratio of
Browsers with
support of: Java,
Flash, RealG2
reader, Quicktime
reader, WMA
reader, PDF reader
(need to add some
HTML tags in index
page).
* Cluster report
for load balanced
servers ratio.

Monthly History
AWStats
also supports the
following
features:
* Can analyze a
lot of log
formats: Apache
NCSA combined log
files (XLF/ELF) or
common (CLF), IIS
log files (W3C),
WebStar native log
files and other
web, proxy, wap or
streaming servers
log files (but
also ftp or mail
log files). See
AWStats F.A.Q. for
examples.
* Works from
command line and
from a browser as
a CGI (with
dynamic filters
capabilities for
some charts),
* Update of
statistics can be
made from a web
browser and not
only from your
scheduler,
* Unlimited log
file size, support
split log files
(load balancing
system),
* Support 'not
correctly sorted'
log files even for
entry and exit
pages,
* Reverse DNS
lookup before or
during analysis,
support DNS cache
files,
* Country
detection from IP
location (geoip)
or domain name.
* WhoIS links,
* A lot of
options/filters
and plugins can be
used,
* Multi-named web
sites supported
(virtual servers,
great for
web-hosting
providers),
* Cross Site
Scripting Attacks
protection,
* Several
languages. See
AWStats F.A.Q. for
full list.
* No need of rare
perl libraries.
All basic perl
interpreters can
make AWStats
working,
* Dynamic reports
as CGI output.
* Static reports
in one or framed
HTML or XML pages
or experimental
PDF export,
* Look and colors
can match your
site design, can
use CSS,
* Help and
tooltips on HTML
reported pages,
* Easy to use
(Just one
configuration file
to edit),
* Absolutely free
(even for web
hosting
providers), with
sources (GNU
General Public
License),
* Available on all
platforms,
* AWStats has a
XML Portable
Application
Description.

Days of the Month
Comparisons
|
Features/Softwares |
AWStats |
Analog |
Webalizer |
HitBox |
|
Version -
Date |
6.0 -
February
2004 |
5.32 -
April 2003 |
2.01-10
- April 2002 |
NA |
|
Language |
Perl |
C |
C |
Embedded
HTML tag |
|
Available on
all
platforms |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
NA |
|
Sources
available |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Price/Licence |
Free |
Free |
Free |
Free but
with adverts |
|
Works with
Apache
combined (XLF/ELF) |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
NA |
|
Works with
Apache
common (CLF)
log format |
Just some
features |
Just some
features |
Just some
features |
NA |
|
Works with
IIS (W3C)
log format |
Yes |
Yes |
Need a patch |
NA |
|
Works with
personalized
log format |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
NA |
|
Analyze
Web/Ftp/Mail
log files |
Yes/Yes/Yes |
Yes/No/No |
Yes/No/No |
NA/No/No |
|
Update of
statistics
from |
command line
(CLI) and/or
a browser
(CGI) |
command line
(CLI) and/or
a browser
(CGI) |
command line |
NA |
|
Internal
reverse DNS
lookup |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
NA |
|
DNS cache
file |
Static and
dynamic |
Static
or
dynamic |
Static
or
dynamic |
NA |
|
Process logs
spitted by
load
balancing
systems |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Report
number of
"human"
visits |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Report
unique
"human"
visitors |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Report
session
duration |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Not ordered
records
tolerance
and reorder
for visits |
Yes |
Visits not
supported |
No |
? |
|
Statistics
for visits
are based on |
Pages ***** |
Not
supported |
Pages ***** |
Pages ***** |
|
Statistics
for unique
visitors are
based on |
Pages ***** |
Not
supported |
Not
supported |
Pages ***** |
|
Report
countries |
From IP
location
or domain
name |
Domain name |
Domain name |
? |
|
Report hosts |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
WhoIs link
on hosts |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
|
Report
authenticated
users |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Report/Filter
robots (nb
detected) |
Yes/Yes
(310**) |
Yes / Yes
(8**) |
No/No |
No/No |
|
Report/Filter
worms (nb of
families
detected) |
Yes/Yes (5) |
No / No |
No/No |
No/No |
|
Report rush
hours |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Report days
of week |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Report most
often viewed
pages |
Yes
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Report entry
pages |
Yes
|
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Report exit
pages |
Yes
|
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Not ordered
records
tolerance
and reorder
for
entry/exit
pages |
Yes |
Entry/Exit
not
supported |
No |
? |
|
Detection of
CGI pages as
pages (and
not just
hits) |
Yes |
Only if prog
ends by a
defined
value |
Only if prog
ends by a
defined
value |
Yes |
|
Report pages
by directory |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Report pages
with last
access
time/average
size |
Yes/Yes |
Yes/No |
No/No |
No/No |
|
Dynamic
filter on
hosts/pages/referers
report |
Yes/Yes/Yes |
No/No/No |
No/No/No |
No/No/No |
|
Report web
compression
statistics (mod_gzip,mod_deflate) |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
|
Report file
types |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Report by
file size |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
|
Report OS (nb
detected) |
Yes (35) |
Yes
(29) |
No (0) |
? |
|
Report
browsers (nb
detected) |
Yes (97*) |
Yes
(9*) |
Yes
(4*) |
Yes
(<20*) |
|
Report
details of
browsers
versions |
Major and
minor
versions |
Major
versions
only |
Major an
minor
versions |
Major and
minor
versions |
|
Report
screen sizes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Report tech
supported by
browser for
Java/Flash/PDF |
Yes/Yes/Yes |
No/No/No |
No/No/No |
No/No/No |
|
Report audio
format
supported by
browser for
Real/QuickTime/Mediaplayer |
Yes/Yes/Yes |
No/No/No |
No/No/No |
No/No/No |
|
Report
search
engines used
(nb
detected) |
Yes (115***) |
Yes
(24) |
No (0) |
Yes
(<20 ***) |
|
Report
keywords/keyphrases
used on
search
engines (nb
detected) |
Yes/Yes
(109***) |
Yes/No
(29***) |
No/Yes
(14***) |
Yes/No
(<20***) |
|
Report
external
refering web
page
with/without
query |
Yes/Yes |
No/No |
No/Yes |
Yes/No |
|
Report HTTP
Errors |
Yes
|
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Report 404
Errors |
Nb + List
last date/referer
|
Nb only |
Nb only |
No |
|
Report 'Add
to favorites'
statistics |
Yes
|
No |
No |
No |
Other
personalized
reports for
miscellanous/marketing
purpose |
Yes
|
No |
No |
No |
|
Daily
statistics
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Monthly
statistics
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Yearly
statistics
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Benchmark
with no DNS
lookup in
lines/seconds
(full
features
enabled,
with XLF
format,
cygwin Perl
5.8, Athlon
1Ghz) |
5200**** |
39000**** |
12000**** |
NA
No program
to run |
Benchmark
with DNS
lookup in
lines/seconds
(full
features
enabled,
with XLF
format,
cygwin Perl
5.8, Athlon
1Ghz) |
80**** |
80**** |
80**** |
NA
No program
to run |
|
Reuse of
analyzed
data by
other tools |
Easy
(database=described
text files) |
Database not
saved |
Not easy
(database=undocumented
text file) |
Not possible |
|
Export
statistics
to PDF |
Experimental |
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