Google Analytics 4: pricing, free plan and alternatives
Google's free web analytics: visitors, traffic sources, conversions and more.
Prices checked on the official pricing pages on . Prices are in US dollars and can change at any time.
Google Analytics 4 and its alternatives at a glance
| Tool | Free plan | Paid plans | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 | Yes | Free | Sites that run Google Ads or need detailed conversion tracking. |
| Microsoft Clarity | Yes | Free | Finding out why visitors leave a page or don't click your call to action. |
| Plausible Analytics | No (free trial) | From $9/mo | Bloggers who want simple, privacy-friendly stats and will pay a little for it. |
| Umami | Yes | From $20/mo | A small site that wants simple, privacy-friendly stats for free. |
| Matomo | Self-hosted only | From $29/mo | Site owners who want Google Analytics-style reports on their own server. |
Google Analytics 4: what you get
Google's free web analytics: visitors, traffic sources, conversions and more.
- Price
- Free (Analytics 360 is a separate enterprise product).
- Free plan
- Free. Google says it gives you the tools "free of charge". The enterprise version, Analytics 360, is sold separately.
- Best for
- Sites that run Google Ads or need detailed conversion tracking.
- Works on
- Web browser, iPhone and iPad, Android
Pros
- Free and very powerful
- Connects to Search Console and Google Ads
Cons
- Reports are complicated for beginners
- Usually needs a cookie-consent banner for EU and UK visitors
Key features
- Traffic sources and audiences
- Events and conversions
- Links with Google Ads and Search Console
- WordPress setup through Google's Site Kit plugin
The alternatives
1. Microsoft Clarity
Free heatmaps and session recordings that show how visitors actually use your pages.
- Price
- Free. Microsoft says "Free forever" and "No limits on traffic".
- Free plan
- Free forever, with no traffic limits: heatmaps, session recordings and dashboards.
- Best for
- Finding out why visitors leave a page or don't click your call to action.
- Works on
- Web browser
Pros
- Free with no traffic limits
- Recordings make usability problems obvious
Cons
- Not a full traffic-source analytics tool
- Recording visitors has privacy implications to disclose
Key features
- Click and scroll heatmaps
- Session recordings
- Rage-click and dead-click detection
- Works alongside Google Analytics
Microsoft Clarity alternatives · Compare with Google Analytics 4
2. Plausible Analytics
Lightweight, privacy-friendly analytics on one simple page, without cookies.
- Price
- Starter $9 a month for up to 10,000 monthly pageviews; yearly billing gives 2 months free.
- Free plan
- No free hosted plan: 30-day free trial, no credit card required. The code is public, and you can host it yourself for free if you're technical.
- Best for
- Bloggers who want simple, privacy-friendly stats and will pay a little for it.
- Works on
- Web browser. Open source.
Pros
- Very easy to read
- Lightweight script won't slow your site
Cons
- Hosted version isn't free
- Fewer features than Google Analytics
Key features
- One-page dashboard
- No cookies
- Small, fast script
- Self-hosting option
Plausible Analytics alternatives · Compare with Google Analytics 4
3. Umami
Open-source, privacy-focused analytics with a free cloud plan for one website.
- Price
- Pro $20 a month, with a 14-day free trial.
- Free plan
- Hobby plan: free for 1 website, up to 100K events a month, with 6 months of data retention. Self-hosting is free.
- Best for
- A small site that wants simple, privacy-friendly stats for free.
- Works on
- Web browser. Open source.
Pros
- Genuinely free hosted plan
- Open source
Cons
- Free cloud plan covers only 1 website
- Only 6 months of history on the free plan
Key features
- Simple traffic dashboard
- Privacy-focused, cookieless
- Free cloud plan for one site
- Free to self-host
4. Matomo
An open-source alternative to Google Analytics that you can host yourself for free.
- Price
- Cloud from $29 a month (ex tax). The pricing page also showed a conflicting yearly figure when we checked, so confirm there.
- Free plan
- Matomo On-Premise (Community) is free forever to download and host yourself. The hosted Cloud version is paid, with a free trial.
- Best for
- Site owners who want Google Analytics-style reports on their own server.
- Works on
- Web browser. Open source.
Pros
- Free if you host it yourself
- Reports similar to Google Analytics
Cons
- Self-hosting means updates and server load are yours
- Cloud version costs more than Plausible
Key features
- Full analytics reports
- You own all the data
- WordPress plugin version
- Paid premium plugins
Sources
Official pages we checked for the prices, plans and limits on this page:
- Google Analytics 4: marketingplatform.google.com, checked October 26, 2026
- Microsoft Clarity: clarity.microsoft.com, checked October 26, 2026
- Plausible Analytics: plausible.io, checked October 26, 2026
- Umami: umami.is, checked October 26, 2026
- Matomo: matomo.org, checked October 26, 2026