Google Analytics 4 Pricing Explained: Free vs Paid Options

Google Analytics 4 offers a range of pricing options to suit different business needs.

The free version of Google Analytics 4 is available, but it has some limitations. It's perfect for small businesses or individuals who just need to track basic website metrics.

Google Analytics 4's free plan includes features like data export and basic audience analysis. However, it doesn't include advanced features like machine learning and predictive analytics.

To access more advanced features, you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan, which starts at $150 per month. This plan includes features like machine learning and predictive analytics, as well as enhanced audience analysis.

Google Analytics 4, or GA4, is the latest release of the analytics platform from Google. It's a major change from its predecessor, Universal Analytics, which is due to stop collecting data in July 2023.

GA4 allows you to track your users across your websites and apps, giving you a complete picture of how they're interacting with your online products. This includes the pages they visit, their interactions, and details about the users themselves if they've opted to share this information.

The switch to GA4 is mandatory, so it's essential to get started now.

Google Analytics 4 is the latest release of the analytics platform, replacing its predecessor Universal Analytics. It's mandatory to switch to GA4, so it's essential to get started now.

The new platform offers numerous benefits over Universal Analytics, including improved data collection and analysis. One of the key changes is that GA4 tracks users across websites and apps, allowing you to see how they're interacting with your online products.

This means you'll have a more comprehensive view of your users' behavior and can make data-driven decisions to improve your online presence. GA4 also collects information on user interactions, such as taps, scrolls, and purchases.

The switch to GA4 is not optional, as Universal Analytics will stop collecting data in July 2023, except for Google Analytics 360 customers, who will have until July 2024.

One of the major changes in Google Analytics 4 is the lack of views in the $views/$ functionality, which was present in Universal Analytics.

This means that you'll need to create additional rules to isolate internal traffic, such as isolating internal or developer traffic.

The BigQuery integration can be used to achieve the same functionality that was previously available within Google Analytics.

You'll need to be prepared to learn how to use BigQuery or export your data to other tools with less limited reporting options.

Google Analytics 4 offers a wide range of benefits for businesses, making it an attractive option for those looking to upgrade from Universal Analytics.

One of the most significant advantages of GA4 is its ability to provide a more comprehensive overview of customers' experiences using websites and apps, thanks to its new features.

Combined web and app tracking is another significant benefit, allowing businesses to track users across platforms in a single property, rather than having to blend and attribute data from separate properties.

GA4 also offers advanced segmentation features, letting businesses create user segments based on customized criteria, such as marketing channels, geographic location, or device type, for in-depth analysis of visitor behavior.

Additionally, GA4 provides a free version with comprehensive analytics capabilities, including data collection and reporting, key events, integration with Google products, and audience segmentation.

Here are some key features of the free version of GA4:

Overall, GA4 offers a robust set of features and benefits that make it an attractive option for businesses looking to upgrade from Universal Analytics.

Google Analytics 4 is designed to help you track your customers' journeys with more accuracy and precision.

With GA4, you can follow users through their full customer journey as a cohort, from acquisition to monetization and retention. This allows you to see when and how your users discover you, and where they may be dropping out of the process.

The shift to data collection without third-party cookies is largely driven by user privacy concerns and legislation like GDPR and CCPA. These laws cover how information should be collected from users and how it can be used.

Google Analytics 4 implements a modern means of tracking users across devices and sessions using machine learning, completely removing third-party cookies for cross-device and cross-site user tracking. This helps you stay compliant with the law by keeping your visitor data from being shared across other domains.

$GA4 lifecycle reports/$ will help you understand these customer journeys in full, so you can pinpoint the vital stages where customers decided to engage, or not engage.

Google Analytics 4 has made significant changes to its attribution models. By default, it uses a data-driven attribution method that distributes credit for each conversion event based on machine learning algorithms.

This is a departure from the "last-click" attribution model used in Universal Analytics. The new method gives more nuanced credit to each touchpoint in the customer journey.

To view attribution data in GA4, you'll need to change the attribution model at the property level. This will recalculate all conversions, so be prepared for a data refresh.

No longer can you easily switch between different attribution models like first-click, last-click, or mixed models. The new system is more complex but also more accurate.

PostHog offers a free plan that's great for startups, and it's completely free for the first 1 million analytics events. You can export up to 1 million events per day without incurring any costs.

Larger businesses with high data collection needs will eventually need to pay for PostHog, but it's still a more transparent pricing model compared to Google Analytics. The cost is based on usage, and you're charged progressively less per event the more you use.

To estimate your costs, PostHog recommends using their pricing calculator, which can give you a better idea of what you'll be paying. This can help you plan your budget and make informed decisions about your analytics tools.

Google Analytics 4 has some limitations when it comes to integrations, but there are alternatives that can help you import and export data more easily.

One of the biggest pain points with Google Analytics 4 is the restrictive data type and format you're allowed to import, which can be a hassle to work with.

If you're looking for a more flexible solution, consider using PostHog, which has a built-in data warehouse and real-time destinations that make it easy to import data from other sources.

PostHog also has a wide range of integrations with popular apps, including Stripe, Zapier, and Hubspot, which can help you streamline your data pipeline.

Here's a comparison of some of the most popular apps and their integrations with PostHog and Google Analytics 4:

PostHog is different from other analytics tools in several key ways. It's built on top of open-source technology, which means it's free to use and modify.

Unlike Mixpanel, which has a steep learning curve due to its complex interface, PostHog is designed to be user-friendly and easy to set up. This makes it a great choice for teams of all sizes and skill levels.

PostHog's feature set is also more comprehensive than that of Google Analytics, which can be limiting for teams that need more advanced analytics capabilities.

PostHog is a popular alternative to Mixpanel, offering a more open-source approach to product analytics. It's free to use, with no limits on data retention.

One of its key features is the ability to create custom dashboards, which can be tailored to specific user needs. This is made possible by PostHog's API-first approach.

PostHog also integrates seamlessly with other tools, such as Figma and Slack. This allows users to get a more holistic view of their product's performance.

Another benefit of PostHog is its ability to handle large volumes of data. In fact, it can handle up to 100,000 events per day, making it a great option for larger companies.

PostHog's open-source nature also means that users have complete control over their data. This is a big plus for companies that are concerned about data security and ownership.

PostHog has a wide range of features that make it a powerful alternative to Google Analytics. One of the key features is its ability to generate insights from data, which it calls "Insights". These insights can be used to visualize trends, funnels, retention, and more.

PostHog also has properties, which are additional details added to events, persons, and groups such as location, browser, and status. This allows for more detailed analysis of user behavior.

A collection of insights can be displayed together on a dashboard, making it easy to track multiple metrics at once. This is similar to Google Analytics' views, but with a more user-friendly interface.

PostHog also allows you to create a subset of your data using filters, which is similar to Google Analytics' segments. This can be useful for analyzing specific groups of users or behaviors.

Here's a quick comparison of PostHog's features to Google Analytics:

PostHog also uses a distinct ID to identify users, similar to Google Analytics' client ID. This allows for more accurate tracking of user behavior over time.

PostHog is a cost-effective alternative to traditional analytics tools. Google Analytics has a free tier, but larger enterprises may need to upgrade to GA360, which starts at $50,000 per year.

For most startups, Google Analytics' free tier is sufficient. However, if you're exporting more than 1 million events per day or querying data with more than 10 million events, you'll need to upgrade.

PostHog has a transparent pricing model based on usage. You can try out PostHog for free, and it's completely free for the first 1 million analytics events.

After reaching the free allowance, you'll be charged progressively less per event the more you use.

When it comes to integrating your data, you've got a few options. PostHog stands out with its built-in data warehouse and real-time destinations, making it easy to import data from other sources and send PostHog data to other tools.

One of the biggest advantages of PostHog is its ability to import data from popular apps like Stripe and Hubspot. You can also trigger Zaps with events, which is a great way to automate tasks. In contrast, Google Analytics requires manual CSV uploads or setting up an SFTP server.

Here's a comparison of some popular integrations:

Google Analytics does have some integrations, like Google Ads and Google Search Console, but PostHog offers more flexibility with its real-time destinations.

The free version of Google Analytics is a powerful tool, but it's essential to understand the limitations. It's suitable for small and mid-size businesses, but large-scale companies may need the premium version for more advanced features.

Google Analytics 360, the enterprise version, offers higher limits for data collection, reporting, retention, and exporting. This makes it ideal for large-scale companies with extensive data needs.

The free version of GA4 has more than enough for small and mid-size businesses, and it's free. Google refers to GA 360 as its enterprise version, so it's only necessary for large-scale companies.

GA 360 offers granular data that's more accurate, which is crucial for businesses that require precise insights. With the free version, you can still get a good understanding of your digital touch points, but it may not be as detailed.