Google Analytics 4 Review
Web Analytics · Analytics & Conversion
The free analytics standard — event-based tracking with AI-generated insights.
Our take
Not loved, but unavoidable and free. Spend an afternoon setting up conversions properly — an unconfigured GA4 property is worse than no analytics, because it feels like data.
At a glance
- Category
- Analytics & Conversion
- Type
- Web Analytics
- Pricing
- Free
- Free option
- Yes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Best for
- Every website owner
What Google Analytics 4 does
GA4 is where most businesses measure whether anything is working. Its event-based model tracks behaviour across web and app, its predictive metrics estimate purchase and churn probability, and the Insights panel surfaces anomalies without you going looking.
How marketers actually use it
Spend one afternoon configuring conversions properly — form submissions, calls, purchases — and mark them as key events. Without that, GA4 shows you traffic and nothing about whether it was worth having. With it, you can finally compare channels honestly.
Best for
- Measuring traffic, conversions and channel performance
- Building audiences to push into Google Ads
- Predictive purchase and churn probability metrics
- Any site that needs a free analytics baseline
Watch out for
The interface is genuinely hostile to newcomers, data is sampled at volume, and it is far less useful without deliberate event configuration.
Google Analytics 4 pricing
Free. GA4 360 exists for enterprises with very high volumes.
Checked August 2026. Pricing changes constantly — confirm on the official site before you buy. There are no affiliate links on this page.
Check current Google Analytics 4 pricingGoogle Analytics 4 FAQ
Is Google Analytics 4 free?
Yes. GA4 360 exists for enterprises with very high volumes, but the standard version is free and sufficient for almost everyone.
Why is GA4 so hard to use?
It moved from a session model to an event model, which is more flexible and much less intuitive. Most of the difficulty is the interface, not the data.
GA4 or Microsoft Clarity?
Both, and they answer different questions. GA4 tells you what happened and how many. Clarity shows you why, by letting you watch it happen.
Why does GA4 show different numbers to my ad platform?
They attribute differently — GA4 uses its own model and consent handling, ad platforms count their own conversions. Neither is wrong; use each for the job it is built for and never expect them to match.
What should I set up first in GA4?
Conversions. Define your real goals — form submissions, calls, purchases — and mark them as key events. An unconfigured GA4 property is worse than no analytics, because it looks like data.
Google Analytics 4 alternatives
Other analytics & conversion tools worth comparing before you commit: