Frustrated with GA4? Try These User-Friendly Analytics Alternatives - Martin Kura

Welcome to the world of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), where everything you once knew and loved about Universal Analytics (UA) is but a distant memory. The new data model, updated tracking codes, and revamped user interface may have left you feeling like a lost puppy, wondering where your old familiar features and reports have gone. Fear not, dear friend, for you are not alone! Many have tread this path before you and have come out on the other side with a newfound appreciation for the simplicity of UA.

Here’s what changed that might have stunned you

Are you tired of losing your favorite reports in Google Analytics with the transition from Universal Analytics to GA4? Well, you’re not alone. In GA4, finding reports like geo reports, exit pages, page navigation, and goals is like searching for a needle in a haystack. And if you finally find them, they might not be as user-friendly as before.

But wait, it gets worse! Reports like the goal conversion, e-commerce, demographic, multi-channel funnel, and site speed are completely gone in GA4. And don’t even get me started on custom variables.

So, if you’re feeling lost and frustrated, don’t worry. You’re not alone. But, unfortunately, Google doesn’t seem to care about our pain. So, it might be time to start exploring alternative analytics platforms that better suit your needs.

 

GA4 alternatives ranked by similarity with Universal Analytics

 

Martin’s Report

Familiarity: 80 %

This reporting tool connects to your GA4 account and gives you easy-to-follow reports that contain graphs and charts that look just like the ones you’re used to seeing in UA. And the best part? Bragging alert, Martin Kura, the creator of the tool, provides highlights and comments about what you can see in the report analytics-wise. These comments are automatic and based on another bragging alert Martin’s 14 years of experience in the industry. So if you want a more user-friendly alternative to the GA4 environment, Martin’s Report is the way to go. Plus, you don’t need to switch to a different tool, which saves you time and effort. All it takes is a few clicks to export the report in PDF, along with Martin’s comments. How cool is that?

Implementation: Easy

Method of implementation: Authorize GA4

Best for: Small businesses and marketing consultants

Pricing: First 3 reports free, then €5 per report per month

GDPR compliance: yes

 

Piwik PRO

Familiarity: 75 %

Piwik PRO is a privacy-focused web analytics platform that uses first-party cookies to track user behavior. This unique approach ensures that user data remains secure and compliant with data privacy regulations. Piwik PRO offers a range of advanced analytics capabilities, including customizable dashboards, segmentation, and funnel analysis tools. These features allow businesses to gain deep insights into their website traffic and user behavior, making it easier to optimize their online presence.

Implementation: Medium

Method of implementation: Self-hosted or cloud-based

Best for: Medium to large enterprises, data-sensitive organizations

Pricing: Business plan start at $419 per month

GDPR Compliance: Yes

 

Matomo

Familiarity: 65 %

If you’re looking for a privacy-focused web analytics tool that’s highly customizable, you’ll definitely want to check out Matomo. Unlike other analytics tools (speaking of the devil) that may compromise user privacy, Matomo puts data security and privacy first. With Matomo, you can self-host your data and avoid the need for visitor consent. The platform provides real-time analytics, event tracking, and funnel visualization to help you optimize your website’s performance. And if you’re the type who loves tinkering with settings and configurations, you’ll love the highly customizable features of Matomo.

Implementation: Medium

Method of implementation: Self-hosted or cloud-based

Best for: Small to large enterprises, privacy-conscious websites

Pricing: Self-hosted Free, Cloud start at €19 per month

GDPR Compliance: Yes

 

Clicky

Familiarity: 60 %

Clicky is a simple and straightforward web analytics platform that offers real-time analytics, which allows users to see visitor behavior as it happens on their website. With Clicky, businesses can track and analyze website traffic and visitor behavior in real-time, and make changes to their website on the fly. Clicky’s real-time analytics feature makes it a great choice for businesses that want to see visitor behavior as it happens and make changes to their website in real-time.

Implementation: Easy

Method of implementation: Tracking code installation

Best for: Small to medium-sized businesses, website owners

Pricing: From €9.99 per month

GDPR Compliance: Yes

 

Adobe Analytics

Familiarity: 50 %

I’m sure you’re familiar with Adobe Analytics, one of the most powerful web analytics platforms out there. Despite being more expensive and robust than other solutions, it’s an important player in the analytics field and offers some unique features. For example, robust predictive analytics capabilities that can help you forecast trends. Moreover, Adobe Analytics integrates with other Adobe products, like Adobe Target and Adobe Campaign, to provide a comprehensive view of your campaigns. Adobe Analytics is definitely worth considering if you’re looking for a tool that can help you take your data analysis to the next level.

Implementation: Hard

Method of implementation: Custom integration

Best for: Large enterprises, data-driven organizations

Pricing: Contact for quote, but generally from $100,000 per year

GDPR Compliance: Yes

 

Plausible

Familiarity: 70 %

Plausible is a lightweight, privacy-focused web analytics platform that provides you with all the essential metrics you need to make informed decisions about your website’s performance. Plausible doesn’t use cookies or collect any personally identifiable information. Plus, it is incredibly user-friendly and easy to set up. And if you’re a bit like me, you’ll appreciate Plausible’s customizable dashboard and advanced features, which allow you to dig deeper into your data and gain insights that can help you optimize your website for better performance.

Implementation: Easy

Method of implementation: Tracking code installation

Best for: Small to medium-sized businesses, privacy-conscious sites

Pricing: €9 EUR per month up to 10k page views

GDPR Compliance: Yes

 

Mixpanel

Familiarity: 50 %

A web analytics tool that goes beyond the basics and provides you with powerful insights into user behavior. Mixpanel is a user-centric analytics platform that allows you to track and analyze user behavior in real-time. Similarly to GA4, Mixpanel tracks user interactions with your website or app, giving you a better understanding of how users engage with your product. It also offers advanced analytics features like funnel analysis, cohort analysis, and retention analysis, which can help you identify bottlenecks in your user experience and make data-driven decisions.

Implementation: Medium

Method of implementation: Custom integration

Best for: Medium to large enterprises, data-driven organizations

Pricing: Free up to 20M events per month

GDPR Compliance: Yes

 

Features comparison

I’ve listed a few key features that were common in Universal Analytics, and compared the GA4 alternative tools to see if there was a match. I added one more, Expert comments, to see if any of the tools did offer some sort of human or semi-automated assessment of the data.

Here’re the features again:

• Channels overview
• Conversions
• Countries reports
• Regions report
• Pages performance
• Landing pages
• Devices overview
• PDF export
• Expert comments

And the results are in the table below.

 

Pricing

Conclusion

Well, after a grueling search, I found a few alternatives to GA4 that are somewhat similar to Universal Analytics. Apparently, the majority of them are far more user-friendly than GA4, which isn’t saying much, to be honest. But hey, some of them even have extra features like expert commentary or PDF export, so that’s something, I guess. If you’re feeling adventurous, I recommend giving them a go to see what suits you and your business. Or, if you’re short on time, just pick a couple and sign up for a free trial. Easy peasy.