Google Analytics is powerful, but it’s not the right fit for everyone. Maybe you’re overwhelmed by GA4’s complexity, concerned about privacy compliance, or just tired of digging through endless reports to find the metrics that actually matter.
I’ve tested dozens of analytics platforms, and the truth is that Google Analytics alternatives have come a long way. Some are simpler to use, others prioritize privacy, and many offer features that Google doesn’t provide at all.
Before I share my list of the best alternatives, I want to show you something that might solve your problem without leaving Google Analytics entirely.
In This Article:
WordPress Users: How to Simplify Google Analytics
If your site is built on WordPress, we have a way for you to make using Google Analytics 4 a whole lot easier: MonsterInsights.
MonsterInsights is the best Google Analytics plugin for WordPress. It allows you to easily connect your WordPress site with Google Analytics so you can view all the data that matters most right in your WordPress dashboard.
Plus, with the click of a button, you can set up sophisticated tracking features such as event tracking, eCommerce tracking, media tracking, form tracking, custom dimension tracking, outbound link tracking, and more.
MonsterInsights connects Google Analytics 4 with WordPress, and our reports remain just as easy to navigate and use as ever. And with so much extra tracking you can set up with a couple of clicks, using Google Analytics 4 is actually simple when you have MonsterInsights installed.
Get started with MonsterInsights now!
8 Top Alternatives to Google Analytics
1. HubSpot
BEST FOR: Companies with sales teams who need integrated CRM, marketing, and analytics in one platform
KEY METRICS TRACKED: Visitor sessions, lead conversions, email engagement, landing page performance, sales pipeline data, deal stages, contact interactions
PRICING: Free CRM and basic tools available; Marketing Hub starts at $20/month
FREE PLAN / TRIAL: Free plan available with basic features
HubSpot is a set of marketing, sales, customer service and CRM tools for your website that help you monitor your traffic, keep track of your contacts, and stay engaged with your audience. Their analytics focus more on individual users and can tell you how visitors are using your site.
HubSpot starts with its free CRM and basic tools (including analytics), and you can add on or upgrade from there. They group their tools into Hubs, such as the Marketing Hub or Sales Hub.
With the Marketing Hub, for instance, you’ll get additional analytics reports/dashboards, email marketing, live chat, landing pages, and more.
HubSpot would be best for companies with sales teams, and companies looking for a one-stop-shop solution for marketing and sales tools. HubSpot would not be good for a site where you’re not tracking specific users.
MY TAKE
What sets Hubsport apart is how it connects your analytics to actual revenue. Instead of just seeing pageviews, you can trace a visitor’s journey from first click to closed deal. This makes it invaluable if you’re running a business where you need to track individual leads through your sales funnel. The downside is that you’re committing to HubSpot’s ecosystem – it works best when you use multiple Hubs together.
PROS
- All-in-one solution eliminates the need for multiple disconnected tools
- CRM integration connects website analytics directly to sales data
- User-focused analytics show individual customer journeys
- Free tier is genuinely useful for small businesses getting started
- Marketing automation features work seamlessly with analytics
CONS
- Can get expensive quickly as you add features and contacts
- Steeper learning curve than simpler analytics tools
- Best value requires committing to multiple Hubs
- Overkill if you just need basic website analytics
- Not ideal for content sites without a sales process
2. Matomo
BEST FOR: Privacy-conscious businesses needing GDPR compliance with full-featured analytics
KEY METRICS TRACKED: Pageviews, sessions, bounce rate, conversions, eCommerce transactions, goal completions, heatmap clicks, A/B test results
PRICING: Cloud hosting starts at $23/month; self-hosted version is free
FREE PLAN / TRIAL: Free self-hosted version available; cloud version has free trial
Matomo is a Google Analytics alternative that’s focused on privacy protection and data ownership, in order to make sure you’re GDPR compliant. With 100% data ownership, you get the power to protect your users’ privacy. You know where your data is stored and what’s happening to it, without external influence.
Matomo is a pretty full-featured alternative to Google Analytics. It has many of the same reports, plus heatmaps and A/B testing.
Matomo’s pricing model is based on how many visits your site gets per month, and also how you choose to host Matomo. If you’re looking for a simple setup, the monthly price starts at $23. If you’re familiar with hosting and you want to host Matomo yourself, you can download it for free.
Matomo is best for someone looking for a tool that’s similar to Google Analytics, but easier to navigate.
MY TAKE
I recommend Matomo to clients who are serious about data privacy but don’t want to sacrifice functionality. You get 100% data ownership – meaning your analytics data lives on your servers, not Google’s. The interface feels familiar if you’ve used Google Analytics, which makes the transition easier. The self-hosted option is free, but you’ll need technical skills to set it up. For most people, the cloud-hosted version at $23/month is worth it for the simplicity.
PROS
- 100% data ownership ensures complete privacy control
- GDPR compliant without cookie consent banners (when configured properly)
- Similar features to Google Analytics including heatmaps and A/B testing
- Self-hosted option is completely free
- No data sampling even on free plans
CONS
- Self-hosted version requires technical expertise to maintain
- Interface isn’t as polished as some modern alternatives
- Can be resource-intensive on your server
- Support is limited on the free self-hosted version
- Initial setup is more complex than plug-and-play alternatives
3. Heap
BEST FOR: Growing companies and startups that need insights without extensive setup time
KEY METRICS TRACKED: User events, session replays, conversion funnels, retention rates, user properties, behavioral paths, feature adoption
PRICING: Free up to 10,000 sessions/month; paid plans require contacting sales
FREE PLAN / TRIAL: Free plan for up to 10,000 sessions; trial available for higher tiers
Heap is an analytics platform that’s focused on helping users find and interpret their data in a meaningful way. So instead of just looking at numbers and wondering what to do with them, you’d get real insights from your data.
Heap also claims to be easier to set up than other analytics platforms (including Google Analytics). You’re able to track all your visitors and all events by just installing the tracking snippet.
Heap is free for up to 10,000 sessions per month. If you get more than that, you’ll need to sign up for a trial in order to get an estimate.
Heap is best for a larger company or start-up with a budget to spend on Analytics, but not a lot of time to spend setting it up and figuring out how to gather insights.
MY TAKE
What impressed me most about Heap is its automatic event tracking. Instead of manually setting up tracking for every button click and form submission, Heap captures everything automatically. Then you can retroactively analyze user behavior without having to predict what you’ll need to track. This is incredibly valuable when you’re trying to understand user behavior but aren’t sure what questions to ask yet. The free tier is generous enough for small sites to get real value.
PROS
- Automatic event tracking captures everything without manual setup
- Retroactive analysis lets you answer questions about past user behavior
- Visual event labeling makes setup easier for non-technical users
- Free tier provides substantial value for smaller sites
- Focuses on actionable insights rather than just raw data
CONS
- Pricing isn’t transparent – you have to contact sales for quotes above free tier
- Can be overwhelming with so much data captured automatically
- Free tier limit of 10,000 sessions fills up quickly for growing sites
- Less suitable for basic “just show me my traffic” needs
- Smaller community compared to more established tools
4. Mixpanel
BEST FOR: eCommerce companies and SaaS products needing product-focused analytics
KEY METRICS TRACKED: Product events, user actions, conversion funnels, retention cohorts, feature usage, revenue attribution, customer lifecycle stages
PRICING: Free plan available; paid plans start at $20/month
FREE PLAN / TRIAL: Free plan with limited events; paid plans have free trials
Mixpanel is a product-focused analytics solution, built specifically for eCommerce websites. With Mixpanel, you can go beneath the surface to learn which features are popular, who your power users are, and the behaviors tied to long-term retention.
You can also build funnels with a few clicks and easily analyze conversion rates.
With Mixpanel, interactive reports let you query your data with only a few clicks, then see visualizations in seconds. This makes it easy to answer questions about how your product is used, who sticks around, and much more.
Mixpanel does have a free version to get you started. Then, plans start at $20/month.
Mixpanel is best for pretty much any eCommerce company looking for product-focused analytics.
MY TAKE
I recommend Mixpanel specifically for product analytics on eCommerce sites. It excels at answering questions like “which features do my best customers use?” and “where do people drop off in my checkout flow?” The funnel visualization is exceptional – you can build complex funnels in minutes and immediately see where you’re losing people. If you’re running an online store or SaaS product, the insights you get from Mixpanel can be super helpful.
PROS
- Purpose-built for product and eCommerce analytics
- Excellent funnel analysis shows exactly where users drop off
- Cohort analysis reveals what keeps customers coming back
- Interactive reports make data exploration intuitive
- Free tier is usable for small businesses and side projects
CONS
- Focused on product analytics, less useful for content sites
- Can be complex to set up properly for first-time users
- Event-based pricing model can get expensive with high traffic
- Limited demographic data compared to marketing-focused tools
- Requires developer involvement for implementation in some cases
5. Woopra
BEST FOR: Larger teams needing enterprise-level customer journey analytics across marketing, sales, and support
KEY METRICS TRACKED: Customer journeys, user actions across touchpoints, retention metrics, funnel conversions, behavioral trends, real-time activity
PRICING: Free up to 500,000 actions/month; paid plans start at $999/month
FREE PLAN / TRIAL: Free plan available; contact sales for enterprise pricing
Woopra is a product analytics platform that’s built for product, marketing, sales, and support teams. It’s a very full-featured solution for anyone in need of product analytics.
Woopra is similar to HubSpot in that it has a lot of tools for teams outside of marketing. It’s focused on tracking the customer journey, analyzing trends, and retention.
Woopra is free for up to 500,000 actions per month, then will cost $999 per month. It’s best for larger teams that need a really comprehensive analytics solution.
MY TAKE
Woopra is enterprise software with enterprise pricing. I only recommend it for established companies with multiple teams (marketing, sales, support) that need to share customer data. The strength here is seeing the complete customer journey across all touchpoints – from first website visit through support tickets. But at $999/month minimum for paid plans, you need to be getting serious value from these insights. The free tier is surprisingly generous if your traffic qualifies.
PROS
- Comprehensive customer journey tracking across all departments
- Built for collaboration between marketing, sales, and support teams
- Real-time analytics show what’s happening right now
- Individual customer profiles show complete interaction history
- Free tier covers up to 500,000 monthly actions
CONS
- Extremely expensive – minimum $999/month for paid plans
- Overkill for small businesses or solo entrepreneurs
- Complex feature set has a steep learning curve
- Best value requires cross-team adoption and usage
- Free tier is limited and most businesses will outgrow it quickly
6. Plausible
BEST FOR: Website owners wanting simple, privacy-first analytics without complexity
KEY METRICS TRACKED: Pageviews, unique visitors, bounce rate, visit duration, traffic sources, top pages, goal conversions, campaign performance
PRICING: Starts at $9/month based on pageviews
FREE PLAN / TRIAL: 30-day free trial; no free plan
Plausible is a simple, privacy-focused Google Analytics alternative. It doesn’t use any cookies, so you know it’s compliant with all the different privacy laws.
The drawback with Plausible is that it really is very simplistic. You’re not going to get any advanced analytics here. However, it does track goals, conversions, and campaigns, so you still get those basic metrics that you need to draw conclusions about how people are using your site.
Plausible is best for a fairly simple site where basic analytics are all that’s needed. It starts at $9 per month, and is based on how many sessions you get per month.
MY TAKE
Plausible is what I recommend to clients who find Google Analytics overwhelming. The entire dashboard fits on one screen – no endless menus or confusing reports. You see visitors, pageviews, bounce rate, visit duration, and top sources. That’s it. For some websites, that’s all you actually need. The cookie-free tracking means you don’t need those annoying consent banners either. Perfect for bloggers, small businesses, and anyone who wants insights without the headache.
PROS
- Incredibly simple interface – everything on one screen
- No cookies required so no consent banners needed
- Lightweight script doesn’t slow down your website
- Privacy-focused and GDPR compliant by default
- Very affordable
CONS
- Very limited features compared to full-service analytics
- No free plan, only a 30-day trial
- Can’t do complex analysis or custom reporting
- No user-level tracking or behavioral analytics
- Not suitable for eCommerce or data-heavy analysis needs
7. Kissmetrics
BEST FOR: SaaS companies and eCommerce businesses needing behavioral analytics and customer insights
KEY METRICS TRACKED: Customer lifetime value, revenue per user, behavior flows, funnel stages, retention rates, cohort analysis, purchase patterns
PRICING: Starts at $299/month
FREE PLAN / TRIAL: Free trial available; no free plan
Kissmetrics is a product and marketing analytics tool for SAAS and eCommerce companies that focuses on users and their interactions with your site instead of anonymous visits.
This tool is focused on SAAS and eCommerce companies, helping them gain insights into how their customers use their websites to make purchases. The platform does have some great behavioral analytics reports.
Kissmetrics costs $299 per month and up, and is best for SAAS and eCommerce teams looking for in-depth analysis.
MY TAKE
Kissmetrics focuses on people, not pageviews. Instead of seeing that you had 10,000 visits, you see what 10,000 individual people did on your site. This person-first approach is powerful for understanding customer behavior patterns. The starting price is steep, but for SaaS companies optimizing conversion funnels, the ROI can justify it.
PROS
- Person-based tracking shows individual customer journeys
- Behavioral analytics reveal patterns that drive retention
- Excellent for understanding SaaS and subscription business metrics
- Revenue attribution shows which activities lead to purchases
- Strong focus on actionable insights over vanity metrics
CONS
- Expensive at $299/month minimum
- Significant learning curve to use effectively
- Requires technical implementation knowledge
- No free plan to test before committing
- Overkill for simple websites or blogs
8. Fathom
BEST FOR: Privacy-conscious website owners needing simple, compliant analytics
KEY METRICS TRACKED: Pageviews, unique visitors, bounce rate, average time on site, referral sources, top pages, goal conversions, device types
PRICING: Starts at $15/month for up to 100,000 pageviews
FREE PLAN / TRIAL: 30-day free trial; no free plan
Fathom is a privacy-focused, cookie-free alternative to Google Analytics. Its simple, clean, easy-to-use interface makes it a great choice for someone in need of privacy law-compliant analytics.
Fathom works for both simpler websites and eCommerce sellers. It gives you all your basic metrics about how your traffic is finding your website, and how they’re interacting with it.
Fathom is best for those wanting a privacy-focused, simple analytics solution, who also don’t need super advanced reporting. You also get unlimited email reports.
Fathom starts at $15/month for up to 100,000 pageviews.
MY TAKE
Fathom strikes a good balance between Plausible’s simplicity and more feature-rich tools. You get clean, easy-to-understand analytics without the privacy concerns of Google Analytics. I particularly like the email reports feature – you can get weekly summaries without logging in. The interface is fast and intuitive.
PROS
- Privacy-first approach with no cookies required
- Clean, fast interface that’s actually enjoyable to use
- Unlimited sites on all plans (great for agencies)
- Automated email reports save time
- GDPR, CCPA, and PECR compliant by default
CONS
- Limited advanced features for complex analysis
- No free plan available
- Can’t track individual user journeys
- Basic reporting might not satisfy data-heavy businesses
- Pricing increases quickly as your traffic grows
That’s our list!
While some of the Google Analytics alternatives on the list are definitely nice solutions, if you’re on WordPress, you can’t beat using Google Analytics with MonsterInsights. Get started today!
For more about what kinds of reports you can get with MonsterInsights, check out our Ultimate Guide to MonsterInsights Dashboard Reports.
Frequently Asked Questions About Google Analytics Alternatives
Is there a better alternative to Google Analytics?
“Better” depends on your specific needs. Google Analytics is feature-rich and free, but alternatives like Matomo offer better privacy control, Mixpanel provides superior product analytics, and Plausible delivers simpler reporting. I’ve found that for WordPress users, MonsterInsights makes Google Analytics significantly easier to use while maintaining all its power. For privacy-focused sites, Matomo or Fathom may be better choices than Google Analytics.
What is the best free alternative to Google Analytics?
Matomo offers a completely free self-hosted version with robust features, though you’ll need technical skills to set it up. Heap provides a free tier for up to 10,000 sessions per month. Plausible and Fathom both offer 30-day free trials but no permanent free plans. I recommend trying Matomo’s cloud-hosted free trial first – it gives you the full experience without the technical complexity of self-hosting.
What is the easiest Google Analytics alternative to use?
Plausible is the easiest alternative I’ve tested – the entire dashboard fits on one screen with no menus to navigate. Fathom is nearly as simple but includes a few more features like email reports. For WordPress users specifically, MonsterInsights is the easiest option because it simplifies Google Analytics itself rather than replacing it. You get powerful analytics without learning a new platform.
What are the disadvantages of Google Analytics?
There are several key disadvantages of using Google Analytics. The interface is complex and overwhelming for beginners. It requires cookie consent banners in many regions due to privacy concerns. The data is sampled on high-traffic sites, which can affect accuracy. Setup requires technical knowledge for advanced features. And Google owns your data, which some businesses find problematic. These disadvantages have pushed many site owners toward alternatives.
Is Google Analytics still the best analytics tool?
Google Analytics remains the most powerful free analytics tool available, but “best” depends on your situation. I still recommend it for clients who need deep analysis and have technical resources. However, I now recommend alternatives more often – Plausible for simple sites, Mixpanel for eCommerce, and Matomo for privacy-focused businesses. For WordPress users, I suggest keeping Google Analytics but accessing it through MonsterInsights, which eliminates most of GA’s complexity while maintaining its power.
Finally, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and YouTube for more helpful Google Analytics tips.
This list isn’t complete unless we mention Wide Angle Analytics. Privacy-friendly web analytics with strict GDPR compliance and advanced features.
thanks but why don’t you mention monster insights and/or sitekit? They pop up everywhere I read about google analytics.
Hi Angela – We mention MonsterInsights (that’s us!) right at the beginning of the article, before the list. SiteKit isn’t in the list because it’s not an alternative – it’s used alongside Google Analytics (just like MonsterInsights is).