It will not have escaped your attention: Google Universal Analytics is ending. To continue using Google Analytics, you will have to switch to Google Analytics 4. Or are there other options?
Google Analytics is not the only provider of web analytics. There are many alternatives. And now that Google Analytics is increasingly criticized, it is high time to take a closer look at some alternatives.
About 85% of all website owners use Google Analytics to measure website visits and campaign success. Yet there is a lot of criticism about the privacy aspects of the service. Several countries have concluded that Google Analytics operates in violation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Google unnecessarily collects cookie data and IP addresses and then sends it to cloud providers in the US. The Dutch Data Protection Authority also announced at the beginning of 2022 that Google Analytics may soon no longer be allowed.
As of July 1, 2023, Google will end data processing in Universal Analytics. We previously described the consequences this has for you as a user. Google Analytics 4 is built on a new data model that is fundamentally different from the old one. It is therefore not possible to transfer Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4. No historical data is included from Universal Analytics. Everything will have to be reorganized. For example, consider setting up conversions.
If you still have to set up a new account, this may be the time to switch to another provider.
Google Analytics is free. At least, the free version does not cost you money every month. In exchange for visitor statistics, you provide all data about your visitors to Google. Thanks to this data, Google can make money with advertising platforms. You may wonder whether this is desirable. Below we discuss our 3 favorite alternatives to Google Analytics 4.
The name Matomo was chosen with care: it means reasonable and fair in Japanese. And Matomo is certainly that in the field of privacy and the protection of personal data. Matomo was founded on the mission to offer an open-source alternative to Google Analytics with the same powerful functionalities, but with respect for privacy. Matomo is part of the New Zealand company InnoCraft. The servers are hosted in Germany.
The functionalities of Matomo are comparable to those of Google Analytics. What can make the transition to Matomo easier is the ability to import data from Google Analytics Universal. As criticism of Google Analytics grows, several major institutions and companies have switched to Matomo, including the European Commission, NASA, Red Bull, Huawei and Amnesty International. Matomo is considered the most popular alternative to Google Analytics.
Matomo On-Premise is a self-hosted version, which is free to use. The disadvantage is that you need a server yourself. If you want extensive functionalities, such as heat maps, A/B testing, or custom reports, you pay an annual amount for this. Matomo also offers a paid Saas version under the name Matomo Cloud from 19 euros per month (price at the time of writing). This also includes use of the extensive functionalities. An overview of the prices can be found here .
What makes Matomo so interesting is that users have full control over the data. At Vrolijk Online we also work with Matomo. Our online marketers are fans!
Piwik PRO originated from the same project as Matomo and is certainly on par with it. Piwik PRO also attaches great importance to privacy and complies with the GDPR. Piwik PRO uses secure cloud servers in Germany. The European Commission, the Dutch government, ŠKODA Auto and Crédit Agricole, among others, use Piwik PRO. An advantage over Google Analytics and Matomo is that Piwik Pro is equipped with a consent manager with which you can create your own cookie notifications.
Just like Matomo, Piwik has multiple versions. The basic version, Piwik PRO core, is free up to 500,000 monthly actions. The extended version, Piwik PRO Enterprise, is paid and slightly more expensive compared to Matomo Cloud. The monthly costs start from 29 euros. Here you will find a complete overview of functionalities and prices.
The Canadian Fathom is a light version of Google Analytics. It does not have all the functionalities that Google Analytics, Matomo and Piwik PRO offer, but it does clearly display all core data. Fathom has servers in Germany, is privacy-friendly and does not use cookies. Although it is less extensive, you pay about the same as Matomo Cloud, namely 14 USD per month. If you are looking for a simple and privacy-friendly alternative, Fathom Analytics may be for you.
At the moment, all power on the web lies with one party: Google. Whether this is desirable is debatable. In any case, there are plenty of good, possibly better, alternatives on the market.
Would you also like to try one of the above alternatives? Try it out by running the new program alongside your existing Google Analytics account. This gives you the chance to compare the statistics. If you have good results, you can cancel your Google Analytics account.
Our online marketers are happy to think along with you!