Compare

Two tools, side by side. Openness included.

Pick two. The table shows their rating, their Openness score and the facts behind it, each from the vendor's own pages.

Platform A

Platform B

Side by side

Google AnalyticsUnderstand Your Numbers

STOA rating

7.7 / 10

Openness

OPENNESS 9/10API 3/3 · Export 3/3 · Contract 2/2 · Integrations 1/2

Add another tool (up to 4)

Want to compare general tools, like two CRMs or two project tools? Every tool page has a Compare button, with no limit.

Neither one does what you need?

Grab a 15-minute chat. Sometimes the answer is to build the missing piece next to what you run.

Grab a 15-minute chat

API

The Google Analytics Data API is public, and standard (free) properties get a published daily quota; paid Analytics 360 properties get a higher one. developers.google.com, checked 27 Sept 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Your data

Standard GA4 properties can export raw event data to BigQuery themselves, up to 1 million events a day. support.google.com, checked 27 Sept 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Contract

The service has no fixed term; either Google or the customer can end the agreement at any time with notice. marketingplatform.google.com, checked 27 Sept 2026 (opens in a new tab)

What it does

Google Analytics is a great fit for any small business owner who has a website and wants to know how people find and use it. It shows you where your visitors come from, what pages they look at, and how many of them take action — like buying something or filling out a form. You can track both your website and app in one place, and it connects easily with Google Ads and other Google tools. Best of all, the core version is completely free to use.

Strengths

Completely free for most small businesses
Deep integration with Google Ads and Search Console
Tracks both website and app data in one place
AI-powered insights surface automatically
Widely supported by third-party tools and agencies

Weaknesses

GA4 interface is complex and not beginner-friendly
Initial setup and goal tracking require technical steps
Data sampling can affect accuracy on high-traffic reports
Privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA) require careful configuration

Key features

See how many people visit your website, where they came from, and what they do while there
Track goals like purchases, form fills, or phone calls to measure what's actually working
View reports across both your website and mobile app in one dashboard
Connect with Google Ads to see which ad campaigns drive real results
Use built-in machine learning to spot trends and predict future customer behavior
Share reports with your team or marketing agency with easy export options

AI features

Google Analytics uses machine learning to surface unusual changes in your data and predict which customers are likely to buy or churn. These insights show up automatically in your reports without any setup required.

STOA verdict

Google Analytics is the go-to choice for any small business owner who wants to understand what's happening on their website without paying anything. The biggest pro is that it's free and connects directly with Google Ads, making it easy to see if your marketing spend is paying off. The main downside is that the current version, GA4, has a steep learning curve — many small business owners find the reports confusing at first and may need some help getting it set up correctly.