Amplitude vs Google Analytics: What are the differences?

Key Differences between Amplitude and Google Analytics

Amplitude and Google Analytics are both powerful analytics tools used by businesses to gain insights into user behavior and improve their online presence. However, there are several key differences that set them apart:

1. Data Collection Method: Amplitude focuses on event-based tracking, allowing businesses to track specific user actions, such as clicks, sign-ups, or purchases. On the other hand, Google Analytics primarily uses pageview-based tracking, providing a broader view of user activity on a website.

2. Real-time Analytics: Amplitude offers real-time analytics, allowing businesses to monitor user behavior instantly and make data-driven decisions in real-time. Google Analytics provides near real-time data, but there may be a delay of a few hours before data is updated.

3. User Segmentation and Cohort Analysis: Amplitude provides more advanced user segmentation capabilities, enabling businesses to analyze specific segments or cohorts of users based on various criteria, such as user demographics, behaviors, or user actions. Google Analytics also offers segmentation, but it may not be as flexible or granular as Amplitude.

4. Funnel Analysis: While both tools offer funnel analysis, Amplitude provides more in-depth funnel visualization and analysis features, allowing businesses to optimize their conversion funnels and identify bottlenecks in the user journey more effectively.

5. Data Retention: Amplitude retains raw event data for a longer period compared to Google Analytics. While Google Analytics retains data for 26 months, Amplitude retains raw data for years, providing businesses with the ability to perform historical analysis and compare data over extended periods.

6. Pricing Model: The pricing models of Amplitude and Google Analytics differ significantly. Amplitude offers a tiered pricing model based on the volume of events tracked, making it more suitable for businesses with a higher volume of events. On the other hand, Google Analytics is free to use for most businesses, with a premium version (Google Analytics 360) available for enterprise-level organizations.

In Summary, Amplitude provides more advanced event-based tracking, real-time analytics, and flexible user segmentation capabilities, while Google Analytics offers broader pageview-based tracking, near real-time data, and a free version suitable for most businesses.