Once Analytics vs Google Analytics 4
GA4 is powerful but complex. Once Analytics gives you the essentials without the learning curve, data sharing, or monthly fees.
| Once Analytics | GA4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $19 one-time | Free* |
| You own your data | ||
| No cookie banner needed | ||
| GDPR compliant by default | ||
| Data stays in your account | ||
| Simple dashboard | ||
| Real-time data | ||
| Custom events | ||
| Conversion tracking | ||
| Setup time | 5 minutes | 30+ minutes |
| Learning curve | None | Steep |
*GA4 is free but monetizes your visitors' data for Google's advertising business.
Why switch from GA4?
- Your data, your servers. Analytics data stays in your Cloudflare account. Google never sees it.
- No consent popups. Cookieless tracking means no annoying banners for your visitors.
- Actually understand your dashboard. No certifications needed. See what matters at a glance.
- No sampling. GA4 samples data on free accounts. Once Analytics shows you everything.
What you might miss
- Advanced attribution modeling. GA4 has complex multi-touch attribution. Once Analytics uses simple last-click.
- Google Ads integration. If you rely heavily on Google Ads, GA4's native integration is useful.
- BigQuery export. GA4 can export to BigQuery. Once Analytics uses Cloudflare D1.