Name: Google Analytics
Brand: Google

Expert review

Stackfix's Rating

4.3 / 10

Last updated on

Reviewed by Camin McCluskey

Stackfix Co-Founder & CTO

CM

Key findings

Google Analytics is the dominant free web analytics tool with massive market share, but it's showing its age. While it offers basic visitor tracking for websites, it's grown bloated and complex over time. Setup is easy but extracting useful insights is surprisingly hard. GA4's recent redesign has only made things worse with most interfaces becoming cluttered and overwhelming. If you can do without its benchmarking functionality or integrations with other Google products, it's worth taking a look at some of the newer and simpler web analytics products on the market.

Pros

Extensive Integration Capabilities

We found Google Analytics offers exceptional integration with the broader Google ecosystem and major marketing platforms. This seamless connectivity, especially with Google Ads, makes it invaluable for teams heavily invested in Google's marketing tools.

Cons

Confusing and Cluttered Interface

We found GA4's interface to be a labyrinth of confusing menus that hide even basic information. The cluttered design makes common tasks unnecessarily difficult, severely impacting teams' ability to quickly access and analyze their data.

Poor Customer Support

We experienced practically non-existent support for free users, with outdated and unclear documentation being the only resource. Teams must rely on community forums for help, creating a significant barrier for organizations needing reliable support.

Difficult to Use Effectively

We found GA4 surprisingly difficult to use despite its popularity. The steep learning curve and complex interface mean that finding basic metrics requires hunting through multiple screens, making it challenging for teams to extract actionable insights.

Limited Core Functionality

We discovered significant gaps in product analytics capabilities. While it excels at website visitor tracking, it struggles with deeper user behavior insights, making it inadequate for teams needing comprehensive product analytics.

No Native Heatmaps or Session Replays

We found GA completely lacking in crucial user behavior analysis features. The absence of native heatmaps and session replay functionality severely limits teams' ability to understand detailed user interactions and identify UX issues.

Google Analytics is best for

Businesses with basic web analytics needs who prioritize Google ecosystem integration
Who need comprehensive traffic analysis and acquisition channel tracking
And/or who need industry benchmarking capabilities

Google Analytics is less good for

Businesses with complex product analytics needs who require an intuitive, user-friendly interface
Who need comprehensive user behavior analysis like heatmaps and session replays
And/or who need reliable customer support and clear documentation

Gallery

Google Analytics real-time dashboard with web traffic data

Google Analytics real-time dashboard with web traffic data

Google Analytics pricing

Pricing calculator

Billing cycle	Free $0
Common features
Pageview & Click Tracking
Session & Visitor Identification
Advanced features
Automatic Event Capture
Real-Time Dashboard Updates
GDPR compliance
API
Custom Event Tracking Setup
Customizable Dashboards
SOC 2 Type II certification
BigQuery
Pre-built Report Templates
Click & Scroll Tracking
Data encryption
Snowflake
Server-Side Tracking Support
Exportable Reports
Form Interaction Analysis
ISO 27001 certification
Data Visualization Widgets & Graphs
Google Tag Manager
User Journey Mapping
Mobile SDK Integration
Cohort Analysis
Zapier
Javascript SDK
UTM parameter tracking
Funnel Drop-Off Analysis
Segment Analysis

Google Analytics doesn't have any other plans

Google Analytics - Review & Pricing 2025