Google Analytics 4 vs. Adobe Analytics

Good intelligence on what your users are doing (and not doing) on your site can provide insights that help you optimize your experience to improve conversions and sales.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Adobe Analytics are two leading web data analytics solutions enterprises use today. GA4 offers a free license, whereas Adobe Analytics is a paid service with three subscription levels (Select, Prime, and Ultimate) ranging from $30K to $150K per year. Additionally, GA4 360, the enterprise-level subscription, costs around $50K annually.

But should cost be the only deciding factor for enterprises? This post will explore three features that give Adobe Analytics the edge over GA4.

1. Full Customization Reporting

GA4 provides customization options, including creating explorations, defining dimensions and metrics, and building dashboards.

Meanwhile, Adobe Analytics excels by offering extensive data visualization and customization options for reporting. This enables users to create custom reports using a flexible workspace, a drag-and-drop interface, and unlimited breakdowns.

• GA4 is a better option if you are looking for an easy-to-use, cost-effective solution that integrates well with Google products. It's ideal for small to medium-sized businesses and those new to analytics.

• Adobe Analytics is better suited for large enterprises that require advanced customization and detailed reporting and are willing to invest in a more expensive and complex solution. It's ideal for businesses with specific and sophisticated analytics needs.

While both GA4 and Adobe Analytics offer customizable reports, they have different strengths and are suited to different types of businesses and use cases. The right choice will depend on your organization's size, budget, and specific analytics requirements.

2. In-Depth Data Analysis

GA4 incorporates built-in machine learning to anticipate user behavior. By using the predictive insights functionality when creating a custom audience, you can estimate the probability of a user group making a purchase or exiting the funnel and even access potential revenue figures. However, Adobe Analytics takes this to a whole new level. Its advanced statistical modeling algorithms provide insights such as anomaly detection, unexpected spikes and dips, behavior correlations, and intelligent alerts. By seamlessly integrating predictive algorithms and machine learning capabilities, Adobe Analytics makes advanced data science features accessible to analysts and marketers.

While Google’s predictive insights are valuable for optimizing eCommerce campaigns and analyzing in-app purchases, they have limited application for B2B marketers. In contrast, Adobe’s statistical modeling helps marketers uncover a wide range of insights, not just those related to conversion activities.

3. Data Retention

GA4's default data retention period is two months but can be extended to 14 months and up to 50 months with GA 360 (paid version).

Conversely, Adobe Analytics provides a more generous data retention period by default, storing data for up to 25 months. Moreover, businesses can extend this retention for ten years upon payment.

This simple yet significant difference can be crucial for understanding data and may even be a dealbreaker for companies that need to analyze long-term data over extended periods.

Wrapping Up

GA4 is often preferred for its seamless integration with Google’s ecosystem, user-friendly interface, and powerful free-tier features. It's ideal for small to medium-sized businesses and those heavily invested in Google’s advertising and marketing tools.

Adobe Analytics, on the other hand, is suited for large enterprises needing advanced customization, integration with Adobe’s suite of products, and robust reporting capabilities. Despite its steeper learning curve and higher cost, it offers unparalleled flexibility and power for detailed analysis and reporting.

As a certified Adobe partner with extensive experience in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) and related products, Oshyn can help you implement Adobe solutions, including Adobe Analytics.

Learn more about implementing Adobe Analytics.