Proprietary vs Proprietary
Google Analytics vs Amplitude: Which One Should You Choose in 1970?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a proprietary Product & Web Analytics tool priced as free standard / $50k+ year (GA360), starting at Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested). Amplitude is proprietary, priced as per monthly tracked user (MTU) + event volume, starting at $61/mo (Plus).
Quick verdict
- Choose Google Analytics for
- Google Analyticsfree standard tier and native integration with Google Ads ecosystem
- Choose Amplitude for
- Amplitudestrong behavioural cohort and retention analysis at scale
Google Analytics vs Amplitude: feature comparison
| Feature | Google Analytics 4 (GA4)Proprietary | AmplitudeProprietary |
|---|---|---|
| Open-Source Available | No | No |
| Self-Hostable | No | No |
| Self-Hosting Difficulty | N/A | N/A |
| Pricing Model | Free standard / $50k+ year (GA360) | Per monthly tracked user (MTU) + event volume |
| Starting Price | Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested) | $61/mo (Plus) |
| Free Tier | Free for most standard websites | Free 50,000 MTUs/mo with limited features |
| GitHub Stars | N/A | N/A |
Pricing takeaway
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) starts at Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested) (free for most standard websites). Amplitude starts at $61/mo (Plus) (free 50,000 MTUs/mo with limited features).
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
- Free standard / $50k+ year (GA360). Starts at Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested). Free for most standard websites.Full Google Analytics pricing breakdown
- Amplitude
- Per monthly tracked user (MTU) + event volume. Starts at $61/mo (Plus). Free 50,000 MTUs/mo with limited features.Full Amplitude pricing breakdown
Pros and cons
Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
Visit Google AnalyticsPros
- Free standard tier and native integration with Google Ads ecosystem
- Direct export to Google BigQuery
- Ubiquitous documentation and industry adoption
Cons
- Horrible, unintuitive GA4 UI compared to legacy Universal Analytics
- Aggressive cookie banner requirements and EU GDPR privacy scrutiny
- Heavy script payload slows down Core Web Vitals
Amplitude
Visit AmplitudePros
- Strong behavioural cohort and retention analysis at scale
- Experimentation and audience sync built into the platform
- Guided taxonomy and templates help new teams structure events
Cons
- The useful analysis features sit in the expensive tiers
- Event volume is billed on top of MTU pricing
- No open-source or self-hosted option
Google Analytics vs Amplitude: FAQ
Is Amplitude a good alternative to Google Analytics?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is a proprietary Product & Web Analytics tool priced as free standard / $50k+ year (GA360), starting at Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested). Amplitude is proprietary, priced as per monthly tracked user (MTU) + event volume, starting at $61/mo (Plus).
Which is cheaper, Google Analytics or Amplitude?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) starts at Free (Ad-supported / Data-harvested) (free for most standard websites). Amplitude starts at $61/mo (Plus) (free 50,000 MTUs/mo with limited features).
Is Google Analytics or Amplitude open source?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is proprietary. Amplitude is proprietary.
Can I self-host Google Analytics or Amplitude?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) cannot be self-hosted. Amplitude cannot be self-hosted.
Do Google Analytics and Amplitude have a free tier?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Free for most standard websites. Amplitude: Free 50,000 MTUs/mo with limited features.