Google Analytics

Google Analytics is Google's free analytics tool for websites and apps. It shows where visitors come from, what they do on your site and which channels and campaigns lead to sign-ups or sales. The current version is Google Analytics 4 (GA4), which replaced Universal Analytics in 2023.

What is Google Analytics?

You add the Google tag to your site, and Google Analytics starts to record visits. GA4 counts every interaction as an event, such as a page view, a scroll or a form submission. One property can hold both website and app data, so you can follow customers across platforms. If you are new to the term, see our glossary entry for Google Analytics.

Who is Google Analytics for?

Almost any business with a website can use it, because the standard version is free. It is most useful for marketing teams that want to compare channels, track conversions and send audiences to Google Ads. Large companies that need more advanced tools can buy Google Analytics 360.

Key features

Automatic data collection

With enhanced measurement switched on, GA4 collects page views, scrolls, outbound clicks, site search, YouTube video engagement, file downloads and form interactions without extra code. Site search tracking reads the search term from the URL of your results page.

Engagement and bounce rate

GA4 measures engaged sessions: visits that last longer than 10 seconds, include a key event or have at least two page views. Engagement rate is the share of engaged sessions. Bounce rate still exists, but it now means the share of sessions that were not engaged.

Audience insights

The Demographic details report shows language, location, age, gender and interests. This data comes from Google signals and only covers users who consent. When user counts are low, Google applies thresholds to protect privacy.

Reports, explorations and machine learning

Google describes built-in automation, flexible reporting and shareable reports. Its machine learning surfaces insights and predicts future customer actions.

Integrations

Google Analytics connects to Google Ads, Search Ads 360, Display & Video 360 and Google Search Console. Standard properties can export raw event data to BigQuery, up to 1 million events per day.

How much does Google Analytics cost?

Checked on 1 November 2026: Google Analytics is free of charge. Google Analytics 360 is a paid version for large organisations, and Google does not publish its price. Streaming export to BigQuery can add Google Cloud costs.

What do users say about Google Analytics?

On G2, reviewers most often praise the depth of traffic and behaviour data, the integration with other Google tools and the fact that the free version is enough for most small and mid-size businesses.

The most common complaint on G2 is the learning curve of GA4 and its event-based model. Reviewers also say familiar reports are hard to find, that event setup needs technical knowledge, and that numbers sometimes differ from other tools.

When should you choose an alternative?

• You want to see how people use a page. Add a behaviour tool such as Hotjar for heatmaps and recordings.
• You analyse a product, not a website. Product analytics tools such as Amplitude focus on user journeys inside an app.
• You are still finding your way in GA4. Read our guide to Google Analytics 4 before you switch tools.

Browse more analytics tools.