G
Google Analytics 4
The default web and app analytics platform — now event-based.
Best for
Anyone who needs free, cross-platform traffic and conversion analytics
Pricing
Free (GA4) · GA 360 is enterprise priced
Setup time
15–30 min
Learning curve
Steep
Support
Docs, community, paid partner network
Company
Google
Launched
2005 (GA4 in 2020)
Available on
WebiOSAndroidFirebase
At a glance
GA4 is Google's event-based analytics product, the default web analytics tool for most sites. Powerful once configured, but a departure from Universal Analytics that still trips teams up months after switching.
- Best forAnyone who needs free, cross-platform traffic and conversion analytics
- Setup15–30 min
- Learning curveSteep
- Free planYes
Overview
GA4 is Google’s event-based analytics product, the default web analytics tool for most sites. Powerful once configured, but a departure from Universal Analytics that still trips teams up months after switching.
Pros & cons
What actually works day-to-day, and the trade-offs you'll feel after week one.
What works
- Free at any traffic volume for most sites
- Unifies web and app behavior in one property
- Tight integration with Google Ads and BigQuery
- Retention and funnel reports out of the box
What doesn't
- Reporting interface is less friendly than Universal Analytics
- Data sampling kicks in on larger date ranges
- Steep migration from the old property model
Bottom line
Should you use Google Analytics 4?
Still the baseline every marketing team installs. Pair it with a simpler tool like Plausible or Fathom if non-analysts need daily dashboards they can actually read.
