Google Analytics vs Amplitude

The free data black hole that marketers love and developers dread meets the product analytics darling that makes you feel like a data wizard, until you realize you're just tracking clicks. Here's our take.

Google Analytics

Nice Pick

The free data black hole that marketers love and developers dread.

Pros

• Free tier covers most small to medium sites
• Integrates seamlessly with Google Ads and other Google services
• Real-time reporting for quick insights
• Massive community and extensive documentation

Cons

• Privacy concerns and GDPR compliance headaches
• Steep learning curve for advanced features
• Data sampling can skew results on large datasets

Amplitude

The product analytics darling that makes you feel like a data wizard, until you realize you're just tracking clicks.

Pros

• Intuitive funnel and retention analysis that actually helps you spot user drop-offs
• Powerful user segmentation that lets you slice data by behavior without SQL
• Real-time event tracking that updates dashboards faster than you can say 'A/B test'
• Great for non-technical teams with drag-and-drop tools that don't require a data engineer

Cons

• Pricing can skyrocket as your event volume grows, leading to sticker shock
• Custom queries and advanced analytics still need workarounds or external tools

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Google Analytics is a devtools while Amplitude is a hosting & deployment. We picked Google Analytics based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Google Analytics wins

Based on overall popularity. Google Analytics is more widely used, but Amplitude excels in its own space.