TraceCompare
Trace vs Google Analytics
Google Analytics is free and powerful, but it's built for marketers who live in it all day. Trace gives you the answers on one page, including which channels bring in revenue.
| Topic | Trace | Google Analytics 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | One script tag. Pageviews, outbound links, file downloads and form submissions are tracked automatically. | A tag plus property setup. Conversions and many events need configuring in the GA interface or Tag Manager. |
| Dashboard | One page with every key metric, where any row is also a filter. | Spread across many reports; custom questions usually mean building an exploration. |
| Revenue attribution | Connect Stripe with a read-only key and see revenue by first-touch channel. | Requires implementing ecommerce purchase events on your site or server. |
| Session replay | Built in, with text and element masking. | Not available. A separate tool is needed. |
| Funnels & journeys | Funnels and journey exploration in the main dashboard. | Available as explorations, built report by report. |
| Cookies | One first-party visitor cookie. No third-party cookies, and no cross-site tracking. | Sets its own first-party cookies (such as _ga) and can share data with Google advertising products. |
| Price | Paid, from $9/month, with a 20-day free trial. | Free for the standard version. |
Google Analytics is a trademark of Google LLC. Comparison based on publicly documented GA4 features.
Switching from Google Analytics
Can I keep my Google Analytics history?
Yes. Import your daily GA4 stats into Trace so your charts cover the time before you switched. Days that overlap with live Trace data are skipped.
Can I run Trace and Google Analytics side by side?
Yes. The scripts don't interfere with each other, so many teams run both for a while to compare numbers before switching.
Why are my numbers different from Google Analytics?
The tools count visitors and sessions differently, and ad blockers and consent banners affect each one differently. Trace also filters bots out of your reports. Expect the trends to match closely even when the totals don't.
Try it next to Google Analytics
Add one script tag and your dashboard fills in within minutes. Every plan starts with a 20-day free trial of Business.