Google Analytics vs Fathom Analytics vs Conversion Tracking vs Matomo

The once awesome Google Analytics is now GA4. In my opinion, it's a regression in usability but power users may like the advanced capabilities. There are fewer built-in reports now so you'll have to use the built-in report builder tool or Looker Studio if you need advanced reports that used to exist by default. This is an issue for most casual users as they are not easy to create. You can still get some general data with the built-in reports like visits, some attribution and e-commerce revenue.

Fathom is a privacy-first Google Analytics alternative tool. They have gone above and beyond to ensure privacy. Their reports and the user interface are similar to Plausible.io. Simple and easy to use.  They do have filtering but it’s not as advanced as Plausible. 

ConversionTracking.com focuses on prioritizing revenue over just counting visits, aiming to maximize profit rather than merely tracking site traffic. With over 25 user-friendly reports, we it provides first-touch, last-touch, and assisted attribution insights, allowing you to identify the initial source, what drives conversions,

Matomo may be the closest thing to what the old Google Analytics used to offer. They have an interface similar to the old Google Analytics but they are now Privacy First as well. In my testing, they were the least accurate due to how they send data back to their servers. They use a technology that can be blocked by people using adblockers and I found about 20% of my test data was missing. This setting can be changed, however.

• It’s FREE
• Lots of Integrations
• Large Community for Help

• Filtering and Drill-down views
• Ultra Privacy First
• Goal Tracking
  
  

• Best ecommerce tracking
• See exactly where sales and leads come from
• Easy to use and has lots of built-in reports

• Interface similar to old version of Google Analytics
• Lots of Built-in reports
• Lots of Add Ons like Ecommerce Tracking, A/B Testing, etc

• Lack of Built-In Reports
• Slow
• Bugy
  
  

• Privacy First means less accurate data
• No ability to create custom reports
• May be too simple depending on your needs

• Only tracks ecommerce, does not track vanity metrics like pageviews and bounce rate
• May be too simple for some advanced marketers
• Uses cookies and serverside tracking for the most accurate data

• The default tracking method leads to loss of data
• The interface may be too complex for some.
• Pricing is more expensive but the service offers more features.

The main thing GA4 has going for it is that it is free. Besides that, it’s kind of a pain. I use it for general analytics and I built and use conversiontracking.com for ecommerce tracking.

I like Fathom and it is very similar to Plausible. I personally prefer the UI of Plausible. Ultimately they are very similar in regards to the features you get. Plausible seems to have a bit more capabilities but Fathom is a bit cheaper.

If you want to know know where your sales are from then this is the tool you need. Most analytics tools focus solely on the last touchpoint. This means for example that if someone visits your site or product through an ad or a blog post, then returns directly to your website the next day to make a purchase or sign up, most platforms will attribute the conversion to the last touchpoint, in this case, "Direct." ConversionTracking.com provides first, last, and assisted.

Matomo is nice and offers a lot of add-ons and is perfect for someone wanting that old Goolge Analaytcs feel back.

Pricing: FREE - larger sites will be sampled.

Pricing is based on pageviews and there is no feature gating on plans. Offer a free trial with a credit card. Get 2 months free on annual plans.

Pricing: Starts at $15 per month for 100,000 page views

Pricing: We are still in development. Contact us if you would like to be a beta tester.

Pricing is based on pageviews and add-ons. Try for free, no credit card required. 2 months off with annual plans.

Pricing: Starts at $26 per month for 50,000 page views.