> Part of the walkerOS documentation. Project overview and full index: <https://www.walkeros.io/llms.txt>

# walkerOS vs. Stape

[Stape](https://stape.io/) is a server-side tracking platform focused on hosting server-side Google Tag Manager (sGTM). It simplifies sGTM infrastructure with managed hosting and power-ups.

## Quick comparison[​](#quick-comparison "Direct link to Quick comparison")

| Feature            | Stape                  | walkerOS                      |
| ------------------ | ---------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| Open-source        | No                     | Yes                           |
| Pricing            | From $20/month         | Free (paid support available) |
| Self-hosted option | No (managed only)      | Yes                           |
| Requires GTM       | Yes (sGTM-based)       | No (standalone)               |
| Vendor lock-in     | GTM + Stape            | None                          |
| Data ownership     | Stape servers          | Your infrastructure           |
| Ad blocker bypass  | Yes (Custom Loader)    | Yes (first-party setup)       |
| Cookie extension   | Yes (Cookie Keeper)    | Yes (configurable)            |
| Setup complexity   | Medium (GTM knowledge) | Medium (code-first)           |

## Who should use what?[​](#who-should-use-what "Direct link to Who should use what?")

### Choose Stape if[​](#choose-stape-if "Direct link to Choose Stape if")

* You're already using Google Tag Manager and want server-side
* You prefer managed hosting over self-hosting
* You want plug-and-play integrations for Shopify, WordPress, etc.
* You need their specific power-ups (Cookie Keeper, Custom Loader)

### Choose walkerOS if[​](#choose-walkeros-if "Direct link to Choose walkerOS if")

* You want full control without depending on GTM
* You prefer open-source and no vendor lock-in
* You want to self-host on your own infrastructure
* You're building a code-first, version-controlled tracking setup
* You want to avoid GTM complexity entirely

## Key differences[​](#key-differences "Direct link to Key differences")

### Architecture[​](#architecture "Direct link to Architecture")

**Stape:** A hosting layer on top of server-side GTM. You still configure tracking in GTM's interface while Stape handles the infrastructure, so you need GTM knowledge (containers, tags, triggers, custom domains).

**walkerOS:** A standalone event collection system that doesn't need GTM. You define tracking in code, collect events through the source, process them with the collector, and send them to any destination.

### Cost[​](#cost "Direct link to Cost")

**Stape:** Starts at $20/month for basic sGTM hosting and scales with traffic. High-volume sites can reach $200+/month. For comparison, self-hosted sGTM on Google Cloud starts around $120/month.

**walkerOS:** The software is free and open-source, and you pay for your own infrastructure. Optional paid services include implementation support (setup fees) and SLAs for teams that want help getting started or need guaranteed support.

### GTM dependency[​](#gtm-dependency "Direct link to GTM dependency")

**Stape:** Requires Google Tag Manager. You configure tracking in GTM's interface, and Stape provides the server-side infrastructure. If GTM changes, your setup changes.

**walkerOS:** GTM-independent. walkerOS can send events to GTM via the [GTM destination](/preview/pr-720/docs/destinations/web/gtag/gtm.md), but it doesn't require GTM to function, and your tracking logic lives in your codebase.

### Flexibility[​](#flexibility "Direct link to Flexibility")

**Stape:** Focused on the Google ecosystem (GA4, Google Ads), plus Meta and TikTok gateways. Stape builds the power-ups.

**walkerOS:** You can build custom destinations for any API, data warehouse, or internal system, and you control how data is transformed and routed.

## Getting started[​](#getting-started "Direct link to Getting started")

The [quickstart guide](/preview/pr-720/docs.md) shows how to set up tracking without GTM.