Google Analytics alternative

10 powerful Google Analytics alternatives (GA4 alternatives)

Nov 12, 2024

12 mins read

10 powerful Google Analytics alternatives (GA4 alternatives)

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.

Is GA4 right for you? Consider GA4 alternatives if…

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:

limitations of GA4

1. Complex UI and setup

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.

3. Inaccuracy due to ad blockers

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.

4. Data retention period 

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.

5. Data storage locations

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:

  • Granular control: GA4 doesn’t offer storage beyond the US or Europe.
  • Specific regional regulations: Compliance beyond GDPR may require additional solutions.

6. Limited customization options

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.

7. Data anonymization

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.

9. Data isolation

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.

10. Data-delay challenge

GA4’s 24-72 hour data delays hinder real-time decision-making, affecting campaign optimization and user experience. Usermaven offers a solution with true real-time analytics, enabling immediate insights and agile responses.

11. Auto-filling data gaps

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 issues

12. User deletion and retention

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.

GA4 user deletion and retention

13. Limited control over data

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.

14. Lack of support

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.

GA4 not enough? Looking for simple yet powerful alternatives?

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:

  • Privacy is a top priority, and GA4’s limitations don’t suit your needs.
  • You are a marketer and want full customization options for campaign optimization.
  • Real-time, accurate, and complete data is essential for your business.
  • You do not have time to learn the complicated layout and setup of GA4.
  • The free tier of GA4 won’t be enough as your business grows.

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!

Try Usermaven - one of the best GA4 alternatives

10 GA4 alternatives

Here’s a glimpse into some compelling, powerful GA4 alternatives:

  • Usermaven (Overall best)
  • Heap (High price)
  • Matomo (Outdated UI)
  • Clicky (Good for basic analytics)
  • Piwik Pro (High price)
  • Fathom Analytics (No user-journey or attribution)
  • Mixpanel (Not privacy-friendly)
  • Plausible (Good for basic analytics)
  • Simple Analytics (No user-journey or attribution)
  • Pirsch ( No attribution, no AI)

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.

1. Usermaven (Your best GA4 alternative)

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.

Usermaven’s features:

Now, let’s explore features that not only surpass GA4 but also make Usermaven the ideal alternative for advanced, user-friendly analytics.

Auto event tracking

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.

event tracking in Usermaven

Effortless setup

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: 

  • Quick launch & action
  • No developer dependence          
Usermaven is easy to setup

Simple and modern UI

Usermaven goes beyond effortless setup with a user-friendly interface designed for simplicity and ease of use. Here’s what makes it stand out:

  • Intuitive navigation
  • AI-powered insights
Usermaven is user-friendly and easy to use

Visualize your customer journey

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:

  • Drop-off points
  • Areas for improvement
  • User navigation patterns
User journey analysis in Usermaven

Detailed funnel analysis

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.

funnel analysis in Usermaven

Target the right audience with segments

Move beyond basic demographics. Usermaven empowers you to create hyper-targeted user segments based on a vast array of data points, including:

  • User behavior
  • In-app interactions
  • Custom data points

Ad blockers bypassing

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.

Privacy-friendly tracking with a cookieless option

In today’s privacy-centric world, Usermaven prioritizes user trust. It offers a cookieless tracking option, ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations (like GDPR) and building trust with your user base.

Usermaven is privacy friendly

Tracking in-app user behavior (best for SaaS companies)

Usermaven effortlessly tracks user interactions, providing insights into engagement, retention, feature adoption, and onboarding. Unlike Google Analytics, it requires no manual code edits.

Multi-touch Attribution

Multi-touch attribution in Usermaven

Usermaven offers seven attribution models—First Touch, Last Touch, Linear, U Shaped, Time Decay, First Touch Non-Direct, and Last Touch Non-Direct—making it easy to track every touchpoint along the customer journey and understand each channel’s role in conversions. Conversion goals track key actions like sign-ups and purchases, helping you identify high-impact channels and optimize for better ROI.

With custom channel mapping, you can organize traffic sources based on specific criteria, enabling a more personalized view of your data. Usermaven’s flexible date picker lets you analyze attribution data over specific timeframes, while a customizable lookback window of 30 to 180 days supports both short-term and long-term campaign insights.

By simplifying the tracking of metrics like traffic, sign-ups, and conversions, Usermaven provides a clear picture of marketing effectiveness. With multi-touch attribution, understanding the ROI of paid campaigns is easier than ever, empowering you to make data-driven decisions based on precise, actionable insights.

AI-powered analytics

Usermaven integrates advanced AI features across the platform, including:

  • Maven AI: An AI assistant designed to assist with a range of analytics tasks and queries.
  • AI-driven funnel insights: Automatically detects drop-off points and provides suggestions for improvement.
  • AI funnel suggestions: Let AI suggest which funnels you should create and which steps to include.
  • Attribution insights: Leverages AI to analyze and optimize attribution models.
  • Customer journey analysis: AI-powered user path mapping for enhanced understanding.
AI features

Live chat support

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.

Pricing

Usermaven offers a 30-day free trial with full access to all features. Their paid plans include:

  • Pro: $14 per month, includes unlimited websites, workspaces, users, 2 years of data history, and basic website analytics features.
  • Premium: $49 per month, includes everything in Pro plus advanced analytics features and CRM functionalities.
  • Enterprise: Contact sales for pricing, including on-premise and private cloud hosting. 

Usermaven vs. Google Analytics: A feature face-off

Here are some features of Usermaven that Google Analytics lacks or is limited in:

  • Privacy focus: Usermaven is GDPR and CCPA-compliant, meaning it prioritizes user privacy. It doesn’t rely on third-party cookies for tracking and doesn’t sell user data. Google Analytics, on the other hand, has faced criticism for its data practices.
  • Ease of use: Usermaven is designed to be user-friendly, even for those without a technical background. Google Analytics can have a steeper learning curve for beginners.

In addition to these core differences, here are some specific features where Usermaven might be a better fit:

  • Automatic data capture: Usermaven offers automatic event tracking out of the box, reducing the need for manual setup compared to Google Analytics.
  • Complete data ownership: With Usermaven, you have complete control over your website data. Usermaven doesn’t use your data for advertising or share it with third parties. Google Analytics, on the other hand, might use the data for advertising purposes.
  • Complete analytics solution: Go beyond basic tracking with Usermaven’s powerful analytics suite. Understand user behavior, optimize marketing and product strategies, and improve sign-ups/conversions with Usermaven’s all-in-one analytics.

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:

  • Agencies, marketers, and brands need the absolute best analytics tool.
  • Startup/small businesses seeking user insights & easy analytics.
  • Privacy-conscious businesses requiring cookie-less tracking.
  • Marketing teams looking for accurate attribution and acquisition insights.
  • SaaS companies looking to understand product adoption, feature usage, onboarding, and engagement insights.
  • Agencies looking to manage their clients’ analytics in a hassle-free way.

2. Heap

Heap - one of the GA4 alternatives

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:

  • Visualizes user journeys and identifies drop-off points within conversion funnels.
  • Provides user path recording.
  • Segments user behavior based on specific criteria like demographics, device type, or previous actions.

Pricing:

  • Free plan with limited features
  • Expensive paid plans with more features, priced based on monthly website/app sessions
  • Contact Heap for a quote

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:

  • Product teams: Optimize user flows and identify areas for improvement.
  • Marketing teams: Understand user journeys and personalize marketing campaigns.
  • E-commerce businesses: Analyze purchase behavior and optimize checkout processes.

Consideration

However, Heap lacks AI features, has no attribution, and has a higher cost, which 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.

If Heap does not fit your requirements, consider: The best Heap alternative.

Usermaven is best Heap alternative

3. Matomo

Matomo - GA4 alternative

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:

  • Tracks visits, views, demographics, and devices for websites.
  • Visualizes clicks and scrolls for engagement insights.
  • Measures campaign effectiveness with form submissions and purchases.
  • Analyzes purchases and cart abandonment in e-commerce.
  • Divides data for precise audience understanding through segmentation.

Pricing:

  • Matomo offers cloud-hosted and on-premise pricing options.
  • On-premise pricing requires you to download and set up your own server.

Is Matomo right for you?

Matomo is a powerful option for businesses seeking:

  • Data ownership & privacy: Full control over your data with self-hosting.
  • Cost-effectiveness: Free option for self-hosting or flexible cloud pricing based on needs.
  • Open-source customization: Developers can extend Matomo’s functionality further.

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.

If Matomo falls short, consider the best alternative.

Usermaven is the best Matomo alternative.

4. Clicky

Clicky

Clicky is a user-friendly option with real-time analytics, heatmaps, and session recordings to visualize user behavior in detail.

Features:

  • Monitors website activity in real-time, showing visitors, pages, and sources.
  • Visualizes user navigation patterns with heatmaps.
  • Replays individual user sessions to identify usability issues.
  • Analyzes user journeys and optimizes conversion pathways.
  • Tracks social media campaign performance and traffic generation.

Pricing:

  • Clicky offers both free and paid plans. 
  • The free plan allows you to track one website with up to 3,000 daily page views. 
  • Paid plans offer unlimited daily page views and allow you to track more websites.
  •  There are four paid tiers: Pro, Pro Plus, Pro Platinum, and Custom.

Is Clicky right for you?

Clicky is a great choice for businesses that value:

  • Easy-to-use interface: User-friendly interface makes understanding website data simple.
  • Real-time insights: Monitor website activity as it happens and react quickly to trends.
  • Visualizations: Heatmaps and session recordings provide clear insights into user behavior.

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.

5. Piwik Pro

Piwik Pro

Piwik Pro offers advanced features like customer journey mapping, attribution modeling, and data privacy compliance tools.

Features:

  • Includes all Matomo features: website tracking, heatmaps, conversion tracking, and custom reports.
  • Combines customer data from various sources for a complete audience view.
  • Manages website tags centrally for easier setup and accurate data.
  • Ensures user privacy compliance with customizable consent banners.
  • Creates advanced reports and segments data for deeper insights.
  • Integrates with other marketing tools for seamless data flow.

Pricing:

Piwik Pro offers two main pricing plans: Core and Enterprise.

  • Core plan: Free, includes 500,000 monthly actions, 3 modules, and 14 months of data retention.
  • Enterprise plan: Custom pricing, higher limits, more features, and HIPAA compliance.

Is Piwik PRO right for you?

Piwik PRO is ideal for businesses that require:

  • Advanced features: Extensive feature set beyond basic website tracking for in-depth analysis.
  • Data privacy & control: Full ownership and control over your data with self-hosting or GDPR-compliant cloud options.
  • Enterprise-grade security: Robust security features for handling sensitive customer data.

Considerations:
However,  potentially higher costs compared to basic analytics tools might be a barrier for smaller businesses. It lacks AI-powered analytics and auto-event tracking. So, consider your budget and specific feature needs before making a decision.

If Piwik PRO is not what you are looking for, consider the best Piwik PRO alternative.

Usermaven is the best Piwik Pro alternative.

6. Fathom Analytics

Fathom Analytics

This privacy-focused tool is simple to set up and prioritizes user privacy. It offers basic website analytics without cookies or trackers.

Features:

  • Gets you started quickly with minimal setup needed.
  • Tracks website visits, page views, user demographics, and devices.
  • Understands user journeys, identifies popular content, and spots areas for improvement.
  • Monitors key actions like form submissions and button clicks.
  • Provides real-time updates on website activity.
  • Ensures user privacy compliance with no storage of cookies or personally identifiable information.

Pricing:

  • Fathom Analytics offers tiered pricing based on the number of data points (pageviews and events) that you use each month. 
  • The lowest tier starts at $15 per month for up to 100,000 data points. There is no free tier, but Fathom Analytics does offer a 30-day free trial.

Is Fathom right for you?

Fathom Analytics is a great choice for businesses that value:

  • Privacy compliance: GDPR-friendly solution with no cookies or PII collection.
  • Ease of use: Simple setup and straightforward interface for quick insights.
  • Affordable pricing: Paid plans offer good value for basic analytics needs.

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.

Try best Fathom analytics alternative: Usermaven

Usermaven is the best Fathom Analytics alternative.

7. Mixpanel

Mixpanel

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:

  • Visualizes user journeys through conversion funnels, identifying drop-off points and optimizing pathways.
  • Analyzes user behavior based on demographics, actions, or device type for precise audience insights.
  • Engages users with targeted in-app notifications based on behavior.
  • Tracks user activity over time and identifies patterns in churn.
  • Connects with other marketing and data tools for unified data management.

Pricing:

  • Mixpanel offers a free plan with up to 20 million monthly events, including analytics essentials and templates. 
  • Paid plans with advanced features like unlimited reports and data pipelines are priced based on monthly events.

Is Mixpanel right for you?

Mixpanel is a valuable tool for businesses that:

  • Focus on product teams: Provides deep insights into user behavior within products and apps.
  • Need advanced features: Offers funnels and user segmentation for in-depth analysis.
  • Prioritize user engagement: Helps optimize products for better user adoption and retention.

Considerations:
However, the free plan has limitations, and paid plans are 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.

Choose the best Mixpanel alternative.

The best Mixpanel alternative

8. Plausible

Plausible Analytics

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:

  • Gets you started quickly with minimal setup required.
  • Ensures user privacy compliance by not storing cookies or personally identifiable information.
  • Tracks website visits, page views, user demographics, and devices.
  • Understands user journeys, identifies popular content, and spots areas for improvement.
  • Monitors key actions like form submissions and button clicks.
  • Provides real-time updates on website activity.

Pricing:

  • Plausible offers a free 30-day trial. 
  • They have three paid plans: Growth ($9/month), Business ($19/month), and Enterprise (Custom pricing). 
  • All plans include email/Slack reports, Google Analytics import, goals, and custom events.

Is Plausible right for you?

Plausible is a great choice for businesses that value:

  • Privacy compliance: GDPR-friendly solution with no cookies or PII collection.
  • Ease of use: Simple setup and straightforward interface for quick insights.
  • Lightweight tracking: Minimal impact on website loading speed.

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. 

If Plausible does not fit your needs, consider the best Plausible alternative.

Best Plausible alternative.

9. Simple Analytics

Simple Analytics

This option lives up to its name. Simple Analytics provides basic website traffic data with a focus on simplicity and privacy.

Features:

  • Offers quick and easy installation with minimal configuration needed.
  • Ensures user privacy compliance by not storing cookies or personally identifiable information.
  • Tracks website visits, page views, user demographics, and devices.
  • Understands user journeys, identifies popular content, and spots areas for improvement.                                                              
  • Allows full access to the source code for customization and self-hosting as it’s open-source.

Pricing:

  • Simple Analytics offers a free plan with limitations.
  • Paid plans are based on the number of page views and events your website receives. The more data you use, the more you will be charged.
  • They also offer monthly and yearly payment options.

Is Simple Analytics right for you?

Simple Analytics is ideal for:

  • Privacy-conscious users: Ensures user privacy with no cookies or PII collection.
  • Technically savvy individuals: Appeals to those comfortable with self-hosting and potentially customizing the code.
  • Low-budget websites: Completely free option for basic website analytics needs.

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.

If Simple Analytics is way simple and basic for you, consider the best Simple Analytics alternative.

Best simple analytics alternative

10. Pirsch

Pirsch

Pirsch offers a privacy-focused, lightweight analytics solution for websites and applications, designed to be straightforward and effective.

Features:

  • Provides fast and easy installation with minimal configuration.
  • Prioritizes user privacy with a cookie-free, GDPR-compliant approach.
  • Tracks essential metrics like website visits, page views, referrers, and device types.
  • Includes real-time analytics for immediate insights into visitor activity.
  • Can be self-hosted, allowing for greater control over data and customization.

Pricing:

Pirsch offers a tiered pricing model based on the number of page views and events tracked. They also provide both monthly and annual billing options to fit different budgets.

Is Pirsch right for you?

Pirsch is ideal for:

  • Privacy-focused users: Ensures compliance with GDPR and privacy laws without using cookies.
  • Developers and technical users: Open-source and self-hostable, allowing full access to the source code.
  • Small to medium-sized websites: A lightweight solution that tracks essential metrics without the extra complexity.

Considerations:

Pirsch lacks advanced features like detailed user journey tracking, reporting, and attribution analysis. For those seeking basic, privacy-friendly analytics with minimal setup, Pirsch may be a great fit. However, more robust analytics needs might require an alternative solution.

Here is the best Pirsch alternative that you can consider:

Usermaven is the best Pirsch alternative

Feature comparison matrix

Here’s the comparison table of Google Analytics and GA4 alternatives.

FeaturesUsermavenGA4HeapMatomoClickyPiwik ProFathomMixpanelPlausibleSimple AnalyticsPirsch
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✔️

Why does Usermaven stand out from other GA4 alternatives?

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:

  • User-friendly: Usermaven vs. Heap, Matomo, Clicky, Piwik Pro (all can be complex)
  • Privacy-focused: Usermaven vs. GA (which relies on cookies)
  • Accurate data: Usermaven vs. GA (affected by ad blockers)
  • Lightweight script: Usermaven vs. Heap (which can impact loading speed)
  • Both web and product analytics: Usermaven has great features for both website owners and product-based companies
  • Affordable pricing: Usermaven offers affordable and transparent pricing plans compared to other tools and doesn’t become a burden at scale.

Overall, Usermaven is a strong choice for users seeking a user-friendly, privacy-conscious analytics solution with accurate data and good core features.

Usermaven vs. Google Analytics: Simplified analysis

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.

Google Analytics demo account experience:

Google Analytics demo account 

  • Upon accessing the Google Analytics demo account, a layman might find the interface overwhelming due to its complexity and the vast amount of data presented. 
GA4 demo account
  • Navigating through the various reports and features could be challenging for someone unfamiliar with data analytics tools. 

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

GA4 dashboard
  • Understanding the terminology and interpreting the data accurately might pose a difficulty, especially for beginners. 

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. 

GA4 retention
  • Migrating to GA4 can hide conversion data! Unlike Universal Analytics, GA4 requires you to mark events as conversions. 
GA4 retention

Time for a review!

GA4 review

Oops, that was rough.

Usermaven demo account experience:

Usermaven demo account

  • In contrast, exploring the Usermaven demo account as a beginner could be a more pleasant and straightforward experience. 
  • The user-friendly dashboard, intuitive features, and interactive reports provide a clear overview of website and product analytics without requiring extensive technical expertise. 

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. 

Usermaven dashboard
  • The simplicity of Usermaven’s interface makes it easy to grasp key metrics and insights, enabling users to make informed decisions without needing in-depth training. 

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.

Usermaven's product engagement
  • Additionally, the AI insights provided by Maven AI of Usermaven made it easier to understand the stats by just giving a prompt. 
Maven AI

Hear what people have to say!

Review about Usermaven

Made up your mind to try Usermaven?

Let’s implement it, then!

Quick implementation of Usermaven

You just need to follow these simple steps, and Usermaven will be up and running in no time.

  • Tracking code setup: Sign up, copy the code, paste it into your website header, and configure tracking.
  • Dashboards & reports: Customize dashboards by selecting metrics and events from the “Customize menu” tab.
  • Advanced insights: Leverage segmentation and other features from the “Contact hub” tab to gain deeper user behavior insights.
  • Marketing tool integration: Connect Usermaven with other tools via the “Integrations” tab for a holistic view.

Warranty: You will find Usermaven to be the best among all GA4 alternatives.

Ending note

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!

Website analytics tool for modern marketers & agencies

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FAQs

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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Simple & privacy-friendly analytics tool

Know what's happening at every touchpoint of your users’ journey with AI-powered analytics.

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