6 ALTERNITIVES
TO GA4
The compulsory shift to Google Analytics 4 has not been a smooth journey for marketers.
Some advertisers have found it so challenging to use that they have opted out of the tool, a decision to transition to a competing platform, an action that would have been unimaginable until recently.
So, which alternatives to GA4 are genuinely attracting marketers?
In the following, we examine the rising analytics platforms that are gaining a steady following among erstwhile Google Analytics enthusiasts.
Clicky
Web developer Ian Nuttall shared why he favours Clicky over GA4:
"I've transitioned to Clicky and it perfectly meets my needs. GA4 is disappointing."
"Given Google's tendency to abruptly discontinue services, I prefer to reduce my dependency on them. Clicky is excellent, allowing me to monitor all my sites at a glance."
"I manage two GSC accounts and have now moved to Clicky since GA4 falls short."
"However, I'm not concerned about Google 'discovering all my sites' – they likely already know."
Pricing: Clicky offers a complimentary version and four premium options.
We've witnessed a multitude of marketers extolling Clicky as a superb substitute for GA4. Those who have made the switch so far have expressed significant appreciation for the platform's user-friendly real-time functionality, as well as features like heat mapping, backlink analysis, and mobile device compatibility.
Plausible
Technology specialist Mark Phillips revealed why he has chosen to use Plausible over GA4:
"A few months back, I terminated my Plausible subscription not because of any dissatisfaction, but simply because I didn't require the statistical data anymore. "However, after starting a project for a client this week and experiencing the cumbersome nature of GA4, I was compelled to renew my subscription. "The user experience of Plausible is simply delightful!" Pricing: Packages begin at $9
Plausible has gained traction as a viable GA4 substitute due to its user-friendliness, adherence to the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and its affordability. It efficiently records essential metrics like pageviews, session length, and referrer information. The only downside is that its capabilities are somewhat basic.
Simple Analytics
Alex Bass, a data scientist at Dynata, shared why he transitioned from GA4 to Simple Analytics:
"Google Analytics has evolved and become more complex, to the disappointment of many (now referred to as Google Analytics 4)."
"Recently, government restrictions have been placed on Google Analytics due to privacy concerns. While I'm not an expert in all aspects of data privacy, I simply desired a straightforward analytics platform that could ethically monitor traffic on this current website."
"Simple Analytics was effortless to set up and provided exactly what I needed in a clean, easy-to-use dashboard that functioned immediately."
"There are options to customise specific goals or events that are particularly important, plus they offer a weekly email summary of visitor statistics."
Pricing: Packages start at $11 per month.
Simple Analytics positions itself as a "privacy-oriented alternative to Google Analytics," making it a favoured option for marketers within the EU. Over 600 businesses and organisations, including Michelin, Hyundai, and the UK government, are all customers. It's a top pick for marketers who wish to access audience data while safeguarding the privacy of their website visitors.
Fathom
Ross Stevens, a freelance SEO consultant, shed light on why he regards Fathom as a commendable substitute for GA4:
"It seems to me that SEO professionals are transitioning to GA4 mainly due to its convenience and the Google brand behind it, not necessarily because it's superior!"
"They're not putting in the effort to evaluate the alternatives and persuade clients that there are more effective options available. "On my end, I'm establishing GA4 as a secondary measure, while Fathom is my primary analytics/reporting tool."
"If you plan on using GA4 as your primary tool, you'll need to configure a few screens in Looker Studio, but even so, certain metrics are currently unavailable."
Pricing: Packages start at $14.
Fathom is gaining traction as a user-friendly and privacy-centric analytics tool. Despite its lack of advanced data offered by GA4, the platform serves as an excellent choice for marketers seeking a minimalist website analytics solution.
Matomo
Lee Foot, an eCommerce SEO specialist, shared his experience transitioning from GA4 to Matomo:
"We've signed up for Matomo for quick, routine checks."
"We're retaining GA4 for Google Ads and API-related tasks, but not much beyond that."
"So far, it appears to be really good, with a familiar interface, and we've just successfully imported all our historical data."
Pricing: Free when hosted on your own servers.
Matomo offers real-time data, a personalised dashboard, and comprehensive reports, making it an appealing choice for marketers who appreciated the features of Universal Analytics. On this platform, users enjoy full autonomy over their data. Additionally, it comes with a range of privacy enhancements for improved security.
SEM Rush
A marketer, who chose to keep their identity undisclosed, shared:
"GA4 appears to be a premature product, hastily introduced to the market." "We're likely to transition to Semrush, and focus on first-party data collected from our customers rather than struggling with GA4." Pricing: Packages begin at $195.95 per month.
Semrush has consistently been favoured by marketing professionals, but recently, it's being adopted as their primary data analytics tool over Google Analytics. Beyond monitoring metrics like keyword performance, content deficiencies, and backlink profiles, this platform can also be utilised to examine the traffic patterns, keywords, and other aspects of your competitors.
Should you find yourself grappling with the complexities of GA4, the idea of switching to a different platform may be gradually taking root in your mind.
Indeed, the digital world offers a wide range of analytics tools – but the pressing question is, how do you discern which one is the right fit for you? An effective approach is to delve into the experiences and insights of your industry peers.
They've been in your shoes, having already ventured into the terrain of GA4 alternatives, and their candid feedback can serve as a valuable guide for your decision-making process.
By leveraging their first-hand experiences, you can gain a clearer understanding of which platforms could potentially meet your specific requirements.