Simple Analytics

Simple Analytics is a privacy-first web analytics service that prioritizes user privacy and data protection. It’s designed as an alternative to Google Analytics, focusing on providing insights without compromising the privacy of website visitors. The company emphasizes its commitment to not tracking visitors in any invasive manner. They don’t use cookies, collect IP addresses, or fingerprint visitors, ensuring that all data is based on aggregate metrics that do not trace back to individual users. This comes with pros but also some cons:

Privacy-Centric Analytics

Simple Analytics sets itself apart in the realm of web analytics with its steadfast dedication to user privacy. Unlike traditional platforms like Google Analytics, Simple Analytics prioritizes the protection of visitor privacy. This is achieved by refraining from common tracking methods such as cookies, IP address collection, and visitor fingerprinting. Instead, Simple Analytics focuses on aggregating data in a manner that ensures anonymity, preventing any individual user tracking.

Compliance and Data Minimization

The service’s commitment to data minimization aligns with stringent legal and ethical standards in data management. Simple Analytics operates entirely within the European Union, specifically in the Netherlands, aligning its practices with rigorous data protection laws including GDPR, PECR, and CCPA. This EU-based operation bolsters their compliance and enhances user trust, especially in an era where data privacy is paramount.

Innovative AI Integration for Analytics

A notable innovation in Simple Analytics is the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This AI feature allows users to interact with their data in a conversational manner, asking for customized charts or in-depth data analysis. This approach significantly reduces the complexity and learning curve often associated with data analysis in platforms like Google Analytics 4, making it more accessible and user-friendly.

Issues with Simple Analytics

One major concern I have about Simple Analytics is it’s lack of ability to pass long UTM tracking codes between page visits of your site. If a user lands on your home page with a UTM tracking code in the URL and then completes a purchase a few pages later, Simple Analytics does not associate the order event with the UTM tracking code as you would expect. Until this issue is resolved, unfortunately I cannot recommend Simple Analytics if you rely heavily on UTM tracking codes.

Is Simple Analytics the best Google Analytics alternative?

In my opinion, Simple Analytics really stands out as a fantastic alternative to Google Analytics, particularly for those of us who are deeply concerned about privacy. I’ve found its user interface to be exceptionally user-friendly, making it a breeze to navigate and gather significant insights about user behavior. Another aspect of Simple Analytics that I’ve come to appreciate is their Google Analytics data migration service which effectively eliminates what is often a major hurdle for many businesses contemplating a switch to a new analytics platform.

As with most things in life, cost is a factor. Although there’s a brief free trial, Simple Analytics operates on a paid model without a fully free tier. For startups or simpler websites, the basic plan at $9 per month seems reasonable and should cover most of their needs. But from my perspective, the true value of Simple Analytics is unlocked with their Business plan, priced at $49 per month. This plan gives unlimited access to their unique AI tools. This pricing is a significant leap from the free services offered by Google Analytics that many of us have grown used to and comparable plans from other platforms Conversion Bridge integrates with. However, I strongly believe that for those serious about leveraging analytics for business decisions, the investment in Simple Analytics is a decision they are unlikely to regret.

Feature comparison for Simple Analytics

Derek Ashauer is the lead developer of the Conversion Bridge WordPress plugin. He has helped build hundreds of custom websites using WordPress and helped business grow using marketing strategies and various analytic platforms. He now focuses his energy and experience to build highly-rated and helpful WordPress plugins.