Google Analytics is one of the most comprehensive analytics platforms around. But what if you want a platform that’s just simpler to use? Or a platform that provides more actionable data? Or what if you just don’t want Google to have any more of your data? No problem. There are some great alternatives to Google Analytics and I’ll talk you through some of the best below.
5 great alternatives to Google Analytics
Here are some of the best competitors to Google Analytics:
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Clicky.
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Momently.
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Matomo (previously Piwik).
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Mixpanel.
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Kissmetrics.
Let’s dive in:
1. Clicky
Clicky is one of the most popular analytics tools on the market right now. Given its focus on simplicity and ease of use, it’s easy to see why.
So, if you’re looking for a tool that makes it easy to dive in and get traffic data without having to complete an entire course, this is a great option. Open up the dashboard, and you’ll have all the data you need within a few clicks.
Clicky’s versatility is one of its secret weapons; because it doesn’t use flash, you can access the website on mobile without having to use an app (but apps are available).
One of the things I particularly like is how Clicky doesn’t use any flash components in its user interface. This means you can access the website on mobile without having to use an app that limits functionality.
That said, there are apps available for iOS and Android if you prefer.
Aside from all of the usual analytics functionality, you’ll get access to heat maps and uptime monitoring on Pro Plus plans and above.
Key features:
- Comprehensive analytics
- Customizable dashboard
- Goal tracking
- Email reports
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android
- Real-time analytics (Pro plans and above)
- Heat maps (Pro Plus plans and above)
- Uptime monitoring (Pro Plus plans and above)
Perfect for: Bloggers, web developers, virtual assistants and small businesses.
Price: Free for up to 3,000 daily pageviews, with paid plans starting at less than $10 per month.
2. Momently
Momently is a content analytics tool designed for publishers and content marketers. The dashboard is easy to use and provides a number of critical insights into how well your content is performing.
And because of how this tool is designed, you can get data that most other analytics tools won’t provide.
For example, you can filter your content by author to discover which of their posts gets the most engagement.
Scroll Depth tells you how much of your content is being read. And you can find out where your visitors go after reading that post — without having to mess around with extra code.
And one part of the dashboard will show you which categories are driving the most traffic, so you can plan out an informed content strategy.
You also have the option of setting up your own fully customizable reports.
Now, there will be certain data points that traditional analytics tools will give you that Momently won’t. There’s good reason for this: a lot of data can be a distraction. What I like about Momently, in particular, is that it just shows you the important data that matters to content performance.
Key features:
- Actionable analytics
- Simple dashboard
- Real-time tracking
- Scroll depth tracking
- Advanced filtering
- Customised reporting
Perfect for: Bloggers and any business using content marketing.
Price: Free for 3,000 views per month, paid plans start at less than $10 per month.
3. Matomo (previously Piwik)
Matomo is a completely free and open source alternative to Google Analytics. This means you own your data, your privacy is protected, and you have an analytics solution with no data limits.
There are two versions of Matomo:
- Self-hosted: This allows you to install Matomo on your own server. It’s completely free and puts you entirely in control of your data.
- Cloud-hosted: Skip the technical setup entirely, and host the software on Matomo’s secure servers.
Whichever version you choose will give you access to a comprehensive yet straightforward analytics platform.
You’ll have access to real-time data, a dashboard to view data for all of your websites, goal and funnel tracking, and a lot more.
For self-hosted users, additional features can be added by downloading plugins from the Matomo marketplace (some are paid plugins). For cloud-hosted users, depending on which plan you sign up for, you’ll receive additional features from some of those paid plugins.
Key features:
- Comprehensive analytics
- Real-time data
- Customizable dashboard
- Goal and funnel tracking
- Top-level dashboard for all of your websites
- Custom dimensions and variables
- Extendable via third-party integrations
Perfect for: Bloggers, web developers and businesses of all sizes.
Price: Free for self-hosted version with the option of adding plugins to expand functionality (some are paid plugins). Cloud-hosted version starts at less than $10 per month for 50,000 monthly pageviews.
The cloud-hosted version includes some of the premium features from paid plugins in the self-hosted version, but which premium features you get depends on your plan.
4. Mixpanel
Mixpanel is a powerful event-based analytics tool that enables you to get deep insights into how your users behave across mobile and web.
You’ll get all of the usual traffic analytics you’d expect, along with funnel tracking and useful content analytics. And your key metrics can be added to a customizable dashboard.
You can use the insights functionality to analyze data and glean meaningful insights, then save your reports.
It’s worth pointing out that this is one of the more complicated tools on this list, but that’s because you’re getting far more than an analytics platform.
Not only does this tool give you the power to gather data, but you also have the functionality in place to act upon that data.
For example, you can use their re-engagement functionality to send targeted messages and campaigns to users. All via a variety of different platforms - email, push notifications, in-app notifications and SMS text messages.
You can then experiment with your messaging using the a/b split testing feature to boost your conversions.
Key features:
- Analytics across desktop and mobile
- Data analysis functionality
- Custom dashboards
- Funnel tracking
- Retention analytics
- User profiling
- Mobile split testing (paid plans only)
- Re-engagement features (campaigns, messaging and a/b split testing)
Perfect for: Large businesses.
Price: Free for up to 5 million data points with limited functionality. Paid plans start at about $100 per 1 million data points (billed annually).
5. Kissmetrics
Kissmetrics is a behavioral analytics and engagement platform that promises to help you get, keep, and grow more customers.
You get all of the usual activity, metrics and funnel tracking functionality you might expect, and a lot more. You can also track across both websites and mobile apps.
Kissmetrics is for large eCommerce and SaaS companies who need a comprehensive marketing tool to gather and analyze data so they can transform it into actionable goals.
Now, what I really love about tools like this is that you’re getting a comprehensive marketing tool. You can gather data, analyze that data and act upon it.
Usually, you’d need an email marketing automation tool and a separate analytics tool. But the problem is that the two don’t usually work together.
And the data that most email marketing tools provide tends to be limited. After all, email is their bread and butter — not necessarily analytics. Fortunately, tools like Kissmetrics can bridge the gap.
But there’s one more thing about Kissmetrics that I want to draw your attention to: Instead of being focused on pageviews, or events, it’s focused specifically on how people interact with your website (or app). Every event is tied back to a person so you get a 360-degree view of what’s going on.
Key features:
- Person-focused analytics
- Email marketing functionality
- Website and app-based tracking
- Funnel tracking
- Tie events back to people
- Track segments of people
Perfect for: Large businesses, particularly eCommerce and SaaS companies.
Price: Prices start at about $500/month.
Consider your needs when researching analytics platforms
We’ve discussed a number of great alternatives to Google Analytics. But which should you choose?
Here are a few circumstances with recommendations:
If you don’t get much traffic and you’re looking for a low-cost option that’ll provide simple but meaningful analytics, Clicky is a great starting point because of their free plan. Paid plans offer extra features and are cost-effective, giving you room to grow.
If you’ve got a bit of budget to play with and content marketing is your bread and butter, you’ll love the insights you’ll get from Momently.
What about if you want complete control and ownership of your data? Matomo is perfect. But it will require additional setup due to it being self-hosted, unless you go for the cloud-hosted version.
Are you looking to drive engagement for your SaaS, eCommerce or large business? Kissmetrics and Mixpanel are both solid options that can bridge the gap between analytics and marketing automation.
It’s important to remember that the last two are more complex alternatives to Google Analytics, so you might want to consider hiring an agency that has experience with those platforms.
