Jul 4, 2024
12 mins read
Ever since Google announced GA4, everyone’s been talking about alternatives.
Before you get overwhelmed, let’s see why you must jump ship from GA4.
But wait a minute!
This blog will be your guide, helping you decide:
Can you really stick with GA4?
Yes, you can stick with GA4 if you are ready to compromise on:
If not, then you deserve some good GA4 alternatives!
We’ll explore the top options besides GA4, which marketers, agencies, and brands simply love.
Finding your perfect match!
Not all GA4 alternatives are the same. We’ll help you pick the one that best fits your business and budget.
Setting sail with your new tool!
Don’t worry; you don’t need a tech degree! We’ll give you easy steps to get your chosen tool up and running.
While Google Analytics 4 is a famous tool, it might not fit every business perfectly.
If data privacy is a major concern, real-time insights are crucial for your decisions, you require extensive customization, or you’re a new user-facing a complex interface, exploring GA4 alternatives will surely help.
Additionally, as your business scales, the free tier of GA4 may not suffice, leading to cost considerations.
Several major shortcomings related to GA4 data and privacy are listed below:
Google Analytics’ super-complicated interface and setup process can be a significant barrier for new users, especially those without technical expertise. This complexity can lead to delays in implementation and potentially inaccurate data collection due to misconfigurations.
Google Analytics’ reliance on cookies for tracking means data loss whenever users have ad blockers enabled. This can significantly skew your understanding of user behavior, as a portion of your website traffic might go unreported.
Ad blockers can create blind spots in your website traffic data. Since they prevent tracking cookies from being stored, a segment of your audience might appear invisible, impacting your ability to measure campaign effectiveness and user engagement accurately.
GA4 retains user-level data for up to 14 months, which may not be sufficient for businesses that require longer retention periods for specific purposes, such as auditing or compliance with regulatory requirements.
GA4 offers regional data storage selection, letting businesses choose between the United States or Europe for data residency. This caters to compliance with regulations like GDPR in the EU. However, it might be limiting for businesses needing:
In addition to the privacy-related and complicated interface issues, the customization flexibility in GA4 is also very limited. Businesses with unique needs, like capturing specific user interactions or tailoring reports for niche goals, may find GA4’s default options insufficient.
GA4’s built-in IP anonymization masks user locations, but stricter privacy needs might not be met. Businesses requiring more robust methods (like data pseudonymization) or complying with regulations demanding stronger protections may find GA4’s anonymization features limited.
GA4’s consent management tackles GDPR, but stricter regulations or complex needs might be a challenge. Businesses with compliance needs to GDPR or requiring granular user consent options (like specific data use checkboxes) may find GA4’s features limited.
GA4 tracks across domains while isolating data, boosting privacy. However, for advanced isolation or stricter regulations, it might fall short. Businesses needing watertight separation (e.g., per-user data) or complying with regulations demanding stronger isolation may require additional solutions.
GA4 uses event tracking for website/app interactions. But, for personalized needs, it might fall short. Businesses requiring custom event parameters or tracking niche user actions beyond GA4’s defaults may need extra tools.
Google Analytics uses machine learning models to fill data gaps, which can potentially introduce inaccuracy in the actual data. This approach is used to estimate missing data and provide a more comprehensive view of user behavior, but it also introduces a margin of error.
GA4 streamlines user data deletion & retention, but advanced control might be lacking. Businesses needing permanent deletion options (beyond anonymization) or complying with regulations demanding user data erasure on request may find GA4’s features limited.
Unlike previous versions of Analytics, GA4 relies heavily on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) for data storage and processing. This raises concerns for some users about the level of control they have over their data and where it’s located.
Google Analytics offers no direct customer support. If you encounter issues or require assistance with specific features, you’ll need to rely on online resources or the user community for help.
In short, you won’t get help right away like you get with premium analytics providers.
These shortcomings reflect the limitations and potential challenges that businesses may face when using GA4 for their data and privacy needs.
As per the limitation of GA4 we learned above, now we know that GA4 is simply not enough. We need some other simple and powerful analytics solutions.
Consider GA4 alternatives if:
Exploring GA4 alternatives might be the best action if any of these points resonate.
In the next section, we’ll explore the exciting world of GA4 alternatives, helping you find the perfect match for your business!
Here’s a glimpse into some compelling, powerful GA4 alternatives:
This is just a starting point! Each tool offers unique features and caters to different needs.
Let’s learn more about these website/product analytics tools.
Usermaven, a rising star in the world of website & product analytics, offers complete solutions to the problems posed by GA4. In simpler terms, Usermaven is all about privacy, friendliness, ease of use, auto-captured events, accurate stats, funnels, visual customer journeys, and smart segmentation to understand user behavior and optimize conversion paths.
Here’s why Usermaven is the perfect fit for your business, especially when compared to GA’s feature set.
If you are a marketer, you don’t have to rely on any developer anymore. Usermaven’s auto-event tracking feature eliminates the need for manual code edits to capture common user interactions like clicks, form submissions, video plays, etc., saving you time and effort.
Usermaven shines with its effortless setup process, making it a breeze to get started compared to Google Analytics’ complex configurations. This translates to several benefits:
Usermaven goes beyond effortless setup with a user-friendly interface designed for simplicity and ease of use. Here’s what makes it stand out:
Forget piecing together fragmented visitors’ data. Usermaven paints a clear picture of a user’s entire journey across your website or app. This intuitive visualization tool lets you pinpoint:
Usermaven empowers you with in-depth funnel analysis, providing a granular view of user journeys. This allows you to pinpoint drop-off points within your conversion funnel, identify areas for improvement, and optimize the user experience for maximum conversions.
Move beyond basic demographics. Usermaven empowers you to create hyper-targeted user segments based on a vast array of data points, including:
Usermaven ensures your website analytics are on point by offering pixel-white labeling with a custom domain so that no ad-blocker can hide valuable traffic stats and user data from you.
In today’s privacy-centric world, Usermaven prioritizes user trust. It offers a cookie-less tracking option, ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations (like GDPR) and building trust with your user base.
Usermaven effortlessly tracks user interactions, providing insights into engagement, retention, feature adoption, and onboarding. Unlike Google Analytics, it requires no manual code edits.
Have you ever felt like you’re shooting in the dark with your marketing efforts?
Understanding the true impact of your marketing activities (specifically: paid campaigns) just got a whole lot easier with Usermaven’s accurate multi-touch attribution. Track every touchpoint on your customer journey and gain clear insights into how each channel contributes to conversions, enabling you to make data-driven decisions that matter.
Usermaven offers seven types of attribution models: Linear, First Touch, Last Touch, Position Decay, Time Decay (new), First Touch Non-Direct (new), and Last Touch Non-Direct (new).
Mostly marketers and agencies struggle to find the true ROI of their marketing efforts. Usermaven simplifies this process by allowing you to track different metrics, such as traffic, sign-ups, conversions, etc., using various attribution models. This provides a clear picture of which channels are truly influencing results.
Additionally, Usermaven offers the creation of custom channels. These channels allow you to organize your incoming traffic in a way that best suits your needs, making it far easier to filter reports and analyze the resulting data.
Usermaven has AI powerhouse named Maven AI. This is your true data analytics companion, which helps you make right, quick decisions. Ask anything to Maven AI about your website and product analytics and it’d reveal even the hidden patterns for you. Google Analytics, on the other hand, requires extensive data analysis expertise to uncover meaningful insights from its vast amount of data.
Usermaven offers live chat support to assist users with any questions or issues they may encounter. This feature ensures that help is readily available, enhancing the overall user experience by providing timely and personalized assistance.
Usermaven provides live demos, email support, in-app chat, and a comprehensive knowledge base to help you maximize your use of Usermaven.
Usermaven offers a 30-day free trial with full access to all features. Their paid plans include:
Usermaven vs. Google Analytics: A feature face-off
Here are some features of Usermaven that Google Analytics lacks or is limited in:
In addition to these core differences, here are some specific features where Usermaven might be a better fit:
Usermaven can be a good GA4 alternative if you prioritize user privacy or need a more user-friendly analytics platform.
Who should consider Usermaven?
It’s perfect for:
Heap prides itself on being user-centric. It automatically captures all user interactions, eliminating the need for manual event tracking setup and providing deep insights into user actions.
Features:
Pricing:
Is Heap right for you?
Heap is a powerful tool for businesses that want to gain a deeper understanding of user behavior. It’s ideal for:
Consideration
However, the cost might be a barrier for smaller businesses or businesses with massive amounts of traffic/data. Consider your budget and analytics needs when making your decision.
Matomo prioritizes user privacy and gives you complete control over where your data is stored and how it’s used, making it ideal for businesses with strict privacy regulations.
Features:
Pricing:
Is Matomo right for you?
Matomo is a powerful option for businesses seeking:
Considerations:
Outdated UI and complex to use, self-hosting requires technical expertise and server management resources. Consider your technical expertise and budget when making your decision.
Clicky is a user-friendly option with real-time analytics, heatmaps, and session recordings to visualize user behavior in detail.
Features:
Pricing:
Is Clicky right for you?
Clicky is a great choice for businesses that value:
Considerations:
Clicky is good for basic-level analytics but does not provide any advanced features. Consider your budget and the specific features you need when making your decision.
Piwik Pro offers advanced features like customer journey mapping, attribution modeling, and data privacy compliance tools.
Features:
Pricing:
Piwik Pro offers two main pricing plans: Core and Enterprise.
Is Piwik PRO right for you?
Piwik PRO is ideal for businesses that require:
Considerations:
However, potentially higher costs compared to basic analytics tools might be a barrier for smaller businesses. Consider your budget and specific feature needs before making a decision.
This privacy-focused tool is simple to set up and prioritizes user privacy. It offers basic website analytics without cookies or trackers.
Features:
Pricing:
Is Fathom right for you?
Fathom Analytics is a great choice for businesses that value:
Considerations:
However, Fathom’s feature set is more basic; it provides no journey analysis, basic reports, and no attribution. Before making your decision, consider your privacy concerns, budget, and specific analytics needs.
A powerful tool for product analytics, Mixpanel excels at tracking user behavior within apps and websites. It helps product teams understand user flows and identify areas for improvement.
Features:
Pricing:
Is Mixpanel right for you?
Mixpanel is a valuable tool for businesses that:
Considerations:
However, the free plan has limitations, and paid plans can be expensive for smaller businesses. Also, it does not provide privacy-friendly analytics. Consider your budget and the specific analytics needs of your product team before making a decision.
Another privacy-focused option, Plausible, is lightweight and GDPR compliant. It offers basic website analytics with a focus on clean design and ease of use.
Features:
Pricing:
Is Plausible right for you?
Plausible is a great choice for businesses that value:
Considerations:
One thing to consider before choosing Plausible is that its feature set is more basic than that of some competitors. It provides no user-journey mapping, reporting, or attribution analysis.
This option lives up to its name. Simple Analytics provides basic website traffic data with a focus on simplicity and privacy.
Features:
Pricing:
Is Simple Analytics right for you?
Simple Analytics is ideal for:
Considerations:
Self-hosting requires technical expertise and server management resources. It provides no user-journey mapping, reporting, or attribution analysis. Consider your technical skills, budget, and specific analytics needs before deciding if Simple Analytics is the right fit.
Here’s the comparison table of Google Analytics and GA4 alternatives.
Features | Usermaven | GA4 | Heap | Matomo | Clicky | Piwik Pro | Fathom | Mixpanel | Plausible | Simple Analytics |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Easy setup & interface | ✔️ Quick setup & easy navigation | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
User journey | ✔️ Clear visualizations of user journeys | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
Segments | ✔️ Precise user segmentation | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
Cookie-less tracking | ✔️ Privacy-focused tracking | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Feature adoption | ✔️ Automatic feature adoption capture | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
AI-insights | ✔️ AI-driven actionable insights | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
Real-time tracking | ✔️ Real-time tracking capabilities | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Multi-touch Attribution | ✔️ Advanced models | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
Ad-blocker bypass | ✔️ with pixel white-labelling | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
Usermaven stands out from other GA4 alternatives for several reasons, particularly when compared to Google Analytics (GA4):
Ease of use: Usermaven boasts an effortless setup and intuitive interface, making it ideal for users of all technical backgrounds. This is in contrast to GA, which can be complex to navigate and require some coding knowledge to set up effectively.
Privacy-conscious tracking: Usermaven prioritizes user privacy and offers cookie-less tracking options to comply with data regulations like GDPR and CCPA. GA relies on cookies, which can be blocked by ad blockers and raise privacy concerns.
Data accuracy: Usermaven uses white-labeled tracking pixels to bypass ad blockers, resulting in close to 100% accurate data. GA’s data accuracy can be compromised by ad blockers and user configuration errors.
Here’s a breakdown of Usermaven’s strengths compared to GA and other options:
Overall, Usermaven is a strong choice for users seeking a user-friendly, privacy-conscious analytics solution with accurate data and good core features.
To compare Google Analytics and Usermaven from a layman’s perspective, let’s delve into their demo accounts and explore the differences and challenges a beginner faces.
As shown in the screenshot, while analyzing the engagement report, it was unclear whether users or companies reported the engagement of daily vs. weekly active users.
As shown in the screenshot, the graph makes it unclear how to determine the actual retention rate. Although it shows a difference between your selected time period, a beginner-level data analyst may not be able to grasp this concept through the graph.
Time for a review!
Oops, that was rough.
As shown in the image, Usermaven’s dashboard clearly shows visitors, pageviews, events, etc., with visually appealing bar graphs and different colors for returning and new visitors. Moreover, everything is so easily accessible that you can click on pageviews, showing how many pageviews have increased or decreased within the selected time period.
The image shows the engagement rate within the selected time period and also provides a complete ratio of daily active, weekly active, and monthly active users.
Hear what people have to say!
Made up your mind to try Usermaven?
Let’s implement it, then!
You just need to follow these simple steps, and Usermaven will be up and running in no time.
Warranty: You will find Usermaven to be the best among all GA4 alternatives.
Now you know about that one analytics tool that has everything – Usermaven.
This blog gave you the lowdown on Google Analytics and some best GA4 alternatives. You can decide if GA4 works for you or pick a different tool that fits your needs.
Either way, you’re now ready to understand your website visitors better and make smart decisions to grow your business!
1. What is Google Analytics pricing or Google Analytics premium costs?
Google Analytics has a free and premium version called Google Analytics 360. The free version is sufficient for most businesses. Google Analytics 360 costs $50,000 per year or more.
2. Does Google sell your data?
Google doesn’t directly sell your data but uses the data collected through Google Analytics to power its advertising products.
3. Which is the best Google Analytics alternative?
There are many GA4 alternatives. These tools typically focus on privacy. For the best of all, you can try Usermaven, a privacy-friendly, no-code Google Analytics alternative.
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